Tyrese has video proof to back up claims that he encountered an unpleasant employee at a Home Depot that resulted in him filing a lawsuit. As previously reported by REVOLT, the R&B crooner is seeking $1 million in damages in a suit that claims he and two of his associates were racially profiled at the retailer’s West Hills, California, location in February.
The multitalented artist has since shared footage on Instagram of his dispute regarding the store’s ID policy and a female worker at the center of the controversy. The post, which was shared on Friday (Aug. 11), showed the back-and-forth exchange he had with the female cashier, who refused to complete a transaction until she saw a proper form of identification. As explained by the singer, he handed his credit card to one of his associates and then exited the store when fans took notice of him. Documents filed on Aug. 10 allege that a “manager refused to speak with [Tyrese] Gibson in person. It was only after [a] significant, heated discussion with the cashier that Gibson was finally able to complete the transaction.”
In a longer 16-minute video, Tyrese explained that he attempted to confirm he was the owner of the card via FaceTime. But the woman insisted he come back inside for verification. “Make me understand, after 10 years of coming to this place with the same guys, swiping way bigger amounts… make me understand, why in 10 years, no one has ever asked for ID,” said the Alter Ego artist. His longtime craftsmen, Eric Mora and Manuel Hernandez, who are also named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, were present throughout the tense discussion.
Before leaving the store for good, Tyrese told the woman, “This feels like racism, and I don’t pull the race card. This feels like racism, and you’re not professional enough to apologize or give us better energy even though I came back.” In a statement obtained by TMZ, the Baby Boy actor said he gave The Home Depot “every opportunity in the world to clean this up, and they just refused.”
The retailer also addressed the legal matter in a statement released to Variety. In short, the company said it does not tolerate discrimination and will continue to reach out to Tyrese and his legal team in hopes of reaching a resolution.