As previously reported in my last blog. Barneys New York is in some hot water with some of their former customers. Being sued by one and sworn off completely by the other Barneys has serious work to do in the damage control department.
But now this new or rather the info is coming to light about Macy's and their situations of racial profiling with regular consumers and Hollywood stars alike!
In the instance with Rob Brown former model and very talented actor. He was in Coach Carter, Finding Forrester, the HBO television series Treme, The Express: The Ernie Davis Story and his most recent project starring alongside Joseph Gordon Levitt in Don Jon. He was shopping for a graduation gift to give to his mom at Herald Square in Macy's. Picked up the last Movado watch they had in that particular style and since it was a display waited for it to be cleaned and wrapped. He left to go and make a purchase at the Sunglasses Hut next door. While still in the store Brown was approached by two plain clothes officers, accused of making a purchase with a fake card, handcuffed and hauled out of the store to the Macys shoplifters section. They kept insisting that he had a fake card and that he was going to jail despite the fact that he gave all the necessary information they needed to prove his identity, they even checked his bag and found nothing. One explanation from cops was that a suspicious employee called police; then there was the excuse that police were in the store doing a sting operation to find a “crooked clerk.” Nevertheless he was cleared of any wrongdoing and let go. He almost missed moms graduation too which the police gave him an escort to but Rob Brown took to Twitter to voice his frustration with the situation (a common reaction by celebrities and civilians alike):
“Got arrested at Macy’s while buying my ma a watch. Thought my card was fake cuffed me and tossed me in a cell. Then they realized they were d**ks."
"Then the police drove me to my ma’s graduation. Trbl jb #NPYD"
"Careful [black] ppl. If you drop $1000 at @Macys #NYPD might lock you up for grand larceny BEFORE they ask you for ID. #stillappalled #kinda"
"Don’t be black while shopping @Macy’s Police might roll on u"
Either way it was humiliating for Rob Brown and he thought nothing of it until Trayon Christian's situation hit the news. He was inspired by this young mans situation to come forward and speak out about his own run in with the NYPD. He also decided to sue Macys and the New York Police Department.
A spokesperson for Macy’s issued a statement to say, “We are investigating the alleged claims, as we were just made aware of this lawsuit. We do not comment on matters in litigation.” But Sunday night they claimed that their employees had nothing to do with Brown being accused of fraud, but that it was an operation and decision made by the New York Police Department only.