Home Depot is fighting back against Tyrese’s racial discrimination lawsuit and accusing the Hollywood star of “exaggerated theatrics.”
Lawyers for Home Depot filed recent documents accusing the Fast and Furious star of exaggerating his claims of racial discrimination stemming from an in-store incident that occurred in February 2023, Radar Online reports. Tyrese filed a $1 million lawsuit against the retail company over an incident involving a cashier.
The singer/actor claims the cashier made it difficult for his team members to check out using his credit card without a photo ID. Tyrese left the store to sit inside the car after several fans allegedly recognized him inside the store, making his shopping experience too difficult to complete on his own.
Tyrese claims the cashier told him it was OK for his associates to complete the purchase. However, he was forced to re-enter the store to provide a photo ID.
“Should I have the CEO of Home Depot call you tomorrow? Because he’s my neighbor in Atlanta,” Tyrese warned the cashier.
He went on to file his million-dollar lawsuit. But Home Depot has been fighting back and denying that Tyrese ever told the cashier he was leaving the store. Something they say security footage proves.
orwp-incontent-ad2">“Diversity and respect for all people are core to who we are, and we do not tolerate discrimination in any form. 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 resolve his concerns. We will continue to do so.”
Tyrese recently accused the store of failing to turn over any requested documents or make its employee witnesses available for depositions. However, Home Depot says it will need the protective order to turn over any security footage as “CCTV footage is not made available to the public and, due to the camera locations, captures private and sensitive customer information.”
“[Tyrese], a celebrity with 19.5 million Instagram followers, has publicly posted information — such as the video recordings taken on the date of the incident, which were objected to by at least one employee,” the filing states. “These postings were then shared and reposted, including by media outlets. A protective order will prevent public dissemination of private communications of non-parties that were never intended to be public.”
Home Depot said it expected a lawsuit from Tyrese due to his “statements and exaggerated theatrics on the date of the incident.”
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