Last Friday, Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker was accused of being a shoplifter, and was 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 employee accused him of stealing something. Someone from Milano called it an "honest mistake," but it seems that mistake has cost that employee his job: Milano confirmed to the Post that the "overzealous employee" has been fired.
Whitaker's rep previously told TMZ, "This was an upsetting incident given the fact that Forest did nothing more than walk into the deli...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.” But because the story gained so much traction (just look at their Yelp page), it didn't seem to matter.
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.
A Milano rep had preciously apologized on behalf of the “simply misguided” employee, saying, “While we cannot delve into the employee’s mindset, we do not believe that he was racially motivated in his actions." Witness Nicole B., who saw the frisking happen, 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, said, “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.”
