Fast and Furious actor Tyrese Gibson is seeking more than $1 million from Home Depot over allegations that employees of the store racially discriminated against him.
Gibson filed the suit on Wednesday when he recounted how he and two men who worked with him on construction projects went to a Home Depot in West Hills, California, to buy material for a project he was working on. The cashier allegedly spent 20 minutes scanning the actor’s items, which eventually ended with several shoppers recognizing Gibson. The actor told the cashier that his two companions, Eric Mora, and Manuel Hernandez, would finish the purchase with his credit card while he waited in the car in order to avoid creating a scene.
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However, the store declined to accept the card from Mora and Hernandez, stating that Gibson had to come back inside and provide identification in order to purchase the materials, the lawsuit claims. Gibson attempted to call in via a video phone call after the two received trouble for not having Gibson with them. This led to Gibson having to return inside, where he engaged in what the suit described as a “significant heated discussion with the cashier.” This discussion was later posted to Instagram by the actor.
Gibson concluded that “the actions of the cashier and manager were discriminatory based on race and origin,” the lawsuit alleged. The three men are seeking $1 million in damages as compensation for a “humiliating and demeaning” encounter as well as a “clear and deplorable instance of discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling.”
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A spokesperson for Home Depot said that the company does not tolerate discrimination and that it attempted to “resolve [Gibson’s] concerns” through several legal discussions.
