Tyrese Gibson issues statement after suing Home Depot, vows to continue to 'empower the voiceless'

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Tyrese Gibson is speaking out about his decision to sue The Home Depot over an alleged racial profiling incident.

In a post to his Instagram on Friday, the Fast and Furious star re-shared a video of the incident, in which he can be seen explaining the situation to some employees and asking them to clarify what their policies are. (Videos of the alleged incident previously surfaced online in February.)

Alongside a snippet of the video, Gibson also issued a statement from his team "regarding the racial profiling and blatant [discrimination]," and also claims there is a "joint class lawsuit [in which] they are seeking $450 million in damages."

"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," he wrote. "Together, we ardently uphold our commitments to civil rights, promoting empathy and understanding. Standing united against ... The Home Depot, we envision a world free from discriminatory practices and consumer racial profiling."

He continued, "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."

It is the first statement the actor has made since filing a lawsuit in L.A. Superior Court against the company Wednesday. According to the complaint, the actor visited a Home Depot store in West Hills, Calif., with associates Mora and Hernandez on Feb. 11, and the trio "experienced outrageous discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling first-hand."

Gibson, Mora, and Hernandez are seeking $1 million in damages — the amount Gibson estimates he's spent at the home improvement company over the years — as well as statutory damages, attorney's fees, punitive damages, a declaratory judgment declaring that Home Depot's actions violated California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, and "such other relief as the Court may deem just and proper."

A Home Depot spokesperson said in a statement to EW on Wednesday, "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 try to resolve his concerns. We will continue to do so."

Related content:

• Tyrese Gibson sues Home Depot for $1M over alleged racial profiling incident

• Fast X director breaks down how those cliffhangers set up the final film(s)

• Fast X director suggests more movies after Part 2: 'Many roads will lead us to the end'