On Friday, Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker was accused of being a shoplifter, and subsequently frisked in public, by an employee at a deli near Columbia University. Whitaker, who is in town filming Black Nativity, had stopped by Milano Market to buy a yogurt before filming that day when the incident happened. A store employee told the News that the overzealous employee had made an innocent mistake: "It was around lunchtime and the store was packed," the anonymous employee said. "We were like 50 people deep. The person walked in and out really quickly so our person just made a mistake. The employee apologized immediately. It was an honest mistake. I've been here 14 years and nothing like this has ever happened."
Witness Nicole B., who was at the store when the incident happened, told us she saw an employee patting him up and down very aggressively. "He was quiet at first, I think in shock," she said. "When they didn't find anything, they told him to leave at which point he said, "No, I want to speak with someone. You can't just touch me like this." Everyone in the store was quiet and in shock."
Whitaker's rep told TMZ, "This was an upsetting incident given the fact that Forest did nothing more than walk into the deli. What is most unfortunate about this situation is the inappropriate way store employees are treating patrons of their establishment. Frisking individuals without proof/evidence is a violation of rights."
The rep added, "Forest did not call the authorities at the request of the worker who was in fear of losing his employment. Forest asked that, in the future, the store change their behavior and treat the public in a fair and just manner.”
Whitaker filming "Black Nativity" earlier this month (Pacific Coast News)
Whitaker's driver, Reggie Crupe, told the Post he was parked outside when the incident occurred. After Whitaker exited the store, “an employee came outside to speak with him and to apologize,” Crupe said. “He told Mr. Whitaker that the cameras in the store were at a bad angle and that he could not see if Forest had stolen anything.” He added that the employee also offered free food to make up for the mistake.
Not everyone thinks the frisking was an honest make though. Nicole, a regular at the deli, told us she has "seen the guys there do this to a black customer before. I have also heard them say some racist crap about the Obamas too." Another former customer, Terrell Williams, told the Post, “They didn’t want to serve me coffee. They claimed they didn’t have any. Then I saw a white man come out with a big cup of coffee.” And tons of people have taken to Milano's Yelp page in the past day to complain as well.
