Update, Aug. 11, 2023 at 8:01 PM:
Tyrese Gibson shared video of an alleged racial profiling incident at a Home Depot in West Hills, CA. on February 11.
The video said Tyrese filed a $450 million racial profiling lawsuit against The Home Depot.
In the video posted Friday, Tyrese is seen grilling a store manager who refused to let his associates use his credit card to make a purchase.
According to the lawsuit, Tyrese was recognized by fans in the store. He decided to wait out in the car. A store employee allowed him to leave with 2 candy bars without swiping his credit card.
Tyrese asked his associates, craftsmen Eric Mora and Manuel Hernandez, to purchase construction materials with his credit card.
“However, when Mora and Hernandez presented Gibson’s credit card to pay for the materials, the cashier refused to complete the purchase transaction,” the suit reads.
In the video, Tyrese asked the store manager to explain store policy that allowed him to leave the store without paying for 2 candy bars.
Tyrese reminded the manager that he called her on FaceTime from the car to give his permission for his associates to use his credit card.
“Why did your co-worker let me leave with two candy bars with no ID and I didn’t swipe a credit card?” he asked.
“If that’s your policy — I’m asking you! I don’t work here. I’m asking you what is your policy?” Tyrese snapped at the nervous manager.
The manager’s response is inaudible. But Tyrese responded, “This is a reflection of you.”
Watch the video below.
Originally published on: Aug 10, 2023 at 8:54 PM:
Tyrese Gibson and two of his associates are suing The Home Depot for $1 million for racially profiling them.
In a court filing obtained by The Messenger, The “Fast and Furious” actor said he and his associates were racially profiled by an employee at the West Hills, CA., location in February.
“Gibson, one of the most recognizable Black actors and musicians in the United States, and his associates, craftsmen [Eric] Mora and [Manuel] Hernandez, experienced outrageous discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling first-hand inside The Home Depot retail store in West Hills, California, on February 11, 2023,” the lawsuit reads.
“While Plaintiffs attempted to make an in-store purchase, store clerks purposely interfered with and refused to process the transaction based on their groundless suspicion of Gibson, Mora and Hernandez arising from their skin color, and, in the case of Mora and Hernandez, their national origin as well.”
According to the lawsuit, Tyrese was recognized by fans in the store. He decided to wait out in the car, and he asked Mora and Hernandez to complete the transaction with his credit card.
“Gibson asked the cashier if the cashier needed anything further from him to complete the transaction. The cashier said no, and that Gibson could leave,” the lawsuit continues. “However, when Mora and Hernandez presented Gibson’s credit card to pay for the materials, the cashier refused to complete the purchase transaction.”
After giving his permission again via FaceTime for his friends to use his credit card, the cashier again refused to complete the transaction.
“The cashier gave no reasonable explanation other than repeating ‘store policy’ and demanded to see a form of identification,” the lawsuit states. “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.”
Tyrese is seeking $1 million in compensation because that’s how much money he’s spent in Home Depot stores in his lifetime.
