Tyrese Gibson is suing a Home Depot in the Los Angeles region for alleged civil rights violations.
According to FOX 11, the "Fast & Furious" star claims he and two associates were racially profiled when shopping in West Hills in February. The three men claim in a case filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court that they were exposed to "outrageous discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling."
Gibson and his crew went to the Victory Boulevard store to get building materials. Rather to risk making a disturbance owing to his celebrity, Gibson gave his construction workers his credit card to pay for the supplies while he went to his car.
According to the lawsuit, he returned to the store when the cashier refused to finalize the transaction.
According to the claim, the cashier "gave no reasonable explanation other than repeating store policy and demanding to see a form of identification."
The management declined to speak with Gibson despite his requests. According to the claim, the purchase was completed after a "heated discussion" with the cashier.
"There is no other plausible explanation for the mistreatment of plaintiffs," according to the lawsuit.
"The cashier gave no reasonable explanation other than repeating'store policy' and demanded to see a form of identification," according to the lawsuit. "The manager refused to meet with Gibson face to face." Gibson was finally able to finish the transaction only after a lengthy heated argument with the cashier."
Tyrese is suing for $1 million in damages, which he claims he spent at Home Depot over the years. According to Complex, the trio is also seeking punitive damages, statutory damages, and attorney's expenses.
Gibson and his other plaintiffs, according to the complaint, have experienced embarrassment, shame, and mental anguish.
They are also seeking a ruling that Home Depot's actions violated California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, which prohibits businesses from discriminating against customers based on race, gender, or disability.
"Diversity and respect for all people are core to who we are, and we do not tolerate discrimination in any form," a spokeswoman for Home Depot told People magazine. "We value Mr. Gibson as a customer, and we've reached out to him and his attorneys several times in the months since this happened to try to resolve his concerns." We shall keep doing so."