Tyrese and two associates have filed a lawsuit against The Home Depot. The singer, Eric Mora and Manuel Hernandez allege that they “experienced outrageous discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling” during a February trip to the retailer’s location in West Hills, California.
A video of the heated encounter was recently shared online. It shows Mora and Hernandez, who are construction and design craftsmen, and Tyrese were in the process of making a large transaction when the entertainer claimed to have noticed fans gathering nearby.
The “Fast X” actor said he grabbed two candy bars that were part of his transaction, gave his credit card to one of the men and exited the store to avoid causing a scene.
After the items were scanned, the men were reportedly prevented from swiping Tyrese’s card. They were instead informed that he would have to provide ID in order to complete the purchase.
At that point, one of the men FaceTimed Tyrese so that a female supervisor, identified as “Carly,” could confirm his identity. She refused to do so and stated that he would have to come inside and show a valid form of ID.
The “How You Gonna Act Like That” crooner said the supervisor, whom he referred to as a “Karen,” went to “extra” lengths to adhere to company policy. He also said that he had been shopping at that particular Home Depot location for 10 years without issue.
In the footage, he is seen speaking with “Carly” and a manager on the phone, and claims to be neighbors with The Home Depot CEO Edward Decker in Atlanta, Georgia. “Don’t say that I’m there with no ID. You can pull up the cameras from five minutes ago. This is completely unnecessary what you’re doing right now,” said Tyrese.
Elsewhere in the video, Tyrese provides ID, and his transaction is completed. But he continues to inquire about store policy and its implementation. At one point, two other store associates join in, with one acknowledging that he saw and briefly interacted with Tyrese at checkout.
Still, the entertainer voiced frustration over the ordeal. “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,” he told “Carly.”
“You’re being a racist, and that’s the truth. I don’t have a racist bone in my body. You know, you got that racist energy all over you because you’re not even willing to apologize, fix it, and point out the inconsistencies of what you know and your training, and what the policies are. You’re wrong,” he continued.
Social media users have expressed a range of reactions to the video and the legal battle. Some comments include: “This was not a customer service issue, there was another motivation for her behavior.”
“They don’t ask for ID for most people and especially never in self checkout. Definitely racial profiling.”
“Tyrese trying to get his child support payments.”
“Man you always got drama lol.”
“Easy because of the dollar amount is why they don’t question the candy bar purchase. That’s not because you are black.”
Initial reports state that the lawsuit against The Home Depot is for $1 million in damages, but a statement released on Tyrese’s Instagram account on Aug. 11 suggests the amount has increased to $450 million.
