Tyrese Gibson sues Home Depot for $1M, cites violation of civil rights act
Tyrese Gibson onstage during Hollywood Unlocked's 3rd Annual Impact Awards at The Beverly Hilton on June 27, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)
Tyrese Gibson filed a $1 million complaint against The Home Depot in a Los Angeles court Wednesday citing a violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act in addition to negligent hiring supervision, and/or retention.
Gibson, along with his associates Eric Mora and Manuel Hernandez, claimed to experience "outrageous discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling" in February while shopping at one of the retail locations in West Hills, California, in documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
A representative for The Home Depot responded to the lawsuit in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
"Fast & Furious" franchise star Tyrese Gibson filed a lawsuit against The Home Depot in Los Angeles on Wednesday. (Mondadori Portfolio / Getty Images)
"Diversity and respect for all people are core to who we are, and we do not tolerate discrimination in any form," the representative said.
"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."
In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Gibson said, "Craftsmen Eric Mora and Manuel Hernandez are an integral part of my team and have made significant contributions to my visions for over a decade. Together, we ardently uphold our commitments to civil rights, promoting empathy, and understanding.
"Standing united against organizations like The Home Depot, we envision a world free from discriminatory practices and consumer racial profiling. Just as I have done for the past 20-plus years, I pledge to continue to utilize my platform to empower the voiceless, fostering a spirit of unity and hope while illuminating our shared path forward."
Tyrese Gibson provided a statement about the Home Depot lawsuit to Fox News Digital. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)
Gibson is "one of the most recognizable Black actors and musicians in the United States," according to the documents.
"While Plaintiffs attempted to make an in-store purchase, store clerks purposely interfered with and refused to process the transaction based on their groundless suspicion of Gibson, Mora and Hernandez arising from their skin color, and, in the case of Mora and Hernandez, their national origin as well," the suit stated.
Additionally, "The Home Depot has refused to take any responsibility for discriminating against Gibson, Mora and Hernandez, or to acknowledge the pain, humiliation and anguish caused by the company. Instead, The Home Depot doubled down, lawyered-up, and treated Gibson, Mora and Hernandez and what happened to them as not worthy of any due consideration — instead inferring that they are the problem. In short, The Home Depot invited this civil rights lawsuit."
Tyrese Gibson claims he was discriminated against while trying to make a purchase at The Home Depot. (Phillip Faraone/WireImage / Getty Images)
Gibson, Mora and Hernandez alleged they "approached the cashiers' registers together to complete the purchase of materials for a project at Gibson's residence."
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The "Fast & Furious" franchise star claimed to have purchased "no less than One Million Dollars" worth of materials from the company through the years as a long-time customer at The Home Depot.
Tyrese Gibson first found fame as a musician with his self-titled album in 1998. (Rich Polk / Getty Images)
During a "very slow scanning" process, Gibson was "approached by shoppers who recognized him," and, not wanting to cause a commotion, Gibson left the store and waited in his vehicle in the parking lot. He "communicated to the cashier that he would proceed to the parking lot, and that Mora and Hernandez would be completing the purchase transaction with his credit card," according to the documents.
"The cashier acknowledged Gibson and said he understood. Gibson asked the cashier if the cashier needed anything further from him to complete the transaction. The cashier said no, and that Gibson could leave. However, when Mora and Hernandez presented Gibson’s credit card to pay for the materials, the cashier refused to complete the purchase transaction."
When Mora and Hernandez attempted to use FaceTime video with Gibson appearing on the phone to gain authorization for the purchase, the cashier refused to complete the transaction.
Tyrese Gibson has starred in the "Fast" franchise since its inception and worked alongside Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Louis Leterrier, Ludacris and Sung Kang in "Fast X." (Michael Buckner / Getty Images)
Documents stated, "Gibson returned to the inside of the store, again authorized payment and asked why the cashier refused the transaction. He also asked to speak with the store manager. The cashier gave no reasonable explanation other than repeating ‘store policy’ and demanded to see a form of identification. The manager refused to speak with Gibson in person."
The suit stated that "only after significant heated discussion with the cashier that Gibson was finally able to complete the transaction."
Tyrese Gibson shared details of the alleged incident in his lawsuit filing. (Prince Williams/Getty Images)
The suit asserted the actions of the cashier and manager were "discriminatory based on race and origin."
"There is no other plausible explanation for the mistreatment of Plaintiffs," the suit stated. "The transaction was refused, despite Gibson’s repeated authorizations, because of Plaintiffs’ skin color and, in the case of Mora and Hernandez, also because of their national origin. This is a clear and deplorable instance of discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling. The treatment of Gibson, Mora and Hernandez by The Home Depot was humiliating and demeaning."