LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Fast & Furious' actor Tyrese Gibson has reportedly sued Home Depot for more than $1 million over an alleged event of "racial profiling" that took place in a West Hills, California, store.
The complaint states that Gibson and two of his associates, Eric Mora and Manuel Hernandez, were forced to wait 20 minutes at the cash desk due to a "purported glitch in the system" and subjected to discrimination based on "race and origin," as per Variety.
What happened with Tyrese Gibson at Home Depot?
The 'Fast & Furious' actor filed a complaint against the home improvement retailer on Wednesday, August 9, along with two other plaintiffs, over an event that allegedly occurred in February.
According to the complaint, submitted to the Superior Court of the States of California County of Los Angeles — Central District, Gibson was subjected to "outrageous discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling" on February 11 at a Home Depot store in West Hills, California.
Gibson, along with the two other plaintiffs, Hernandez and Mora, who frequently perform construction work for the actor, apparently went to the Home Depot store to buy supplies for a project that was already underway at his house.
The actor claimed that after a cashier delayed scanning their goods for over 20 minutes, customers started to recognize and approach him, so he chose to wait in his car to avoid the commotion.
Gibson stated that he informed the Home Depot employee that Mora and Hernandez would complete the transaction before leaving the store, as per the lawsuit. However, he had to return to the store to pay after the staff member allegedly denied giving the purchased things to the two men.
Moreover, the store's manager apparently declined the actor's request of speaking to them, as the complaint states, "actions of the cashier and manager were discriminatory based on race and origin."
The cashier "gave no reasonable explanation other than repeating ‘store policy’ and demanded to see a form of identification," adds the lawsuit, along with, "The manager refused to speak with Gibson in person. It was only after significant heated discussion with the cashier that Gibson was finally able to complete the transaction."
"There is no other plausible explanation for the mistreatment of Plaintiffs. The transaction was refused, despite Gibson’s repeated authorizations, because of Plaintiffs' skin color and, in the case of Mora and Hernandez, also because of their national origin,"
The complaint adds that the "humiliating and demeaning" communication is "a clear and deplorable instance of discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling." Furthermore, The Home Depot supposedly "doubled down, lawyered-up" rather than accepting responsibility for the incident.
On Friday, August 11, the 'Fast X' actor took to Instagram to share a video of him speaking to some staff members of The Home Depot about their store policies.
Tyrese Gibson is suing Home Depot for $1 million
Gibson, along with Mora and Hernandez, is claiming more than $1 million in compensation for the "racial profiling" event, as per the complaint.
Along with the Instagram post, the 'Transformers' star released an additional statement in which he claimed there was a "joint class lawsuit [in which] they are seeking $450 million in damages," as per PEOPLE Magazine. The said lawsuit was also mentioned in the video shared by Gibson and had the caption, "Racist don't care if you a millionaire or a movie star!"
What did The Home Depot say about the Gibson incident?
The Home Depot's spokesperson, Beth Marlowe, told Variety on August 11 that the company does not tolerate discrimination "in any form."
"Diversity and respect for all people are core to who we are, and we do not tolerate discrimination in any form. We value Mr Gibson as a customer, and in the months since this happened, we’ve reached out to him and his attorneys several times to try to resolve his concerns. We will continue to do so," declared Marlowe.
What else did Tyrese Gibson reveal about suing The Home Depot?
Gibson's lawsuit further states, "The Home Depot has refused to take any responsibility for discriminating against Gibson, Mora and Hernandez, or to acknowledge the pain, humiliation and anguish caused by the company."
In a statement, the actor said, "Craftsmen Eric Mora and Manuel Hernandez are an integral part of my team and have made significant contributions to my visions for over a decade," as reported by NBC News.
"Together, we ardently uphold our commitments to civil rights, promoting empathy and understanding. Standing united against ... The Home Depot, we envision a world free from discriminatory practices and consumer racial profiling," added Gibson.
The 'Black and Blue' actor continued, "Just as I have done for the past 20-plus years, I pledge to continue to utilize my platform to empower the voiceless, fostering a spirit of unity and hope, while illuminating our shared path forward."
