Tyrese Gibson has waged a legal battle against Home Depot.
According to FOX 11, the Fast & Furious franchise star is suing the home improvement company for alleged civil rights violations. Tyrese claims he and his two associates, identified as Eric Mora and Manuel Hernandez, were racially profiled when they visited a Los Angeles-area store earlier this year.
The complaint, filed Wednesday in L.A. Superior Court, alleges the three men were subjected to “outrageous discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling” at the West Hills Home Depot.
According to the suit, the incident took place on Feb. 11, when Tyrese, Mora, and Hernandez stopped there to pick up a few items. Shortly after collecting the goods, Tyrese decided to wait in his car because he was concerned his presence would cause a distraction in the store. He allegedly gave the two construction workers his credit card and told the cashier his associates would complete the transaction. But, as reported by People magazine, the Home Depot employee refused to finish the sale, even after Tyrese returned to the building.
“The cashier gave no reasonable explanation other than repeating ‘store policy’ and demanded to see a form of identification,” the lawsuit reads. “The manager refused to speak with Gibson in person. It was only after a significant heated discussion with the cashier that Gibson was finally able to complete the transaction.”
A portion of the heated interaction was caught on video and eventually published online.
The trio is seeking $1 million in damages, the amount Tyrese has allegedly spent at Home Depot over the years, as well as punitive damages, statutory damages, and attorney’s fees. The plaintiffs are also asking for a declaratory judgment that Home Depot’s actions violated California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which prohibits most businesses from discriminating against customers based on race, sex, and disability.
“Diversity and respect for all people are core to who we are, and we do not tolerate discrimination in any form,” a Home Depot representative told People magazine. “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.”
