Forest Whitaker on the set of his upcoming movie “Black Nativity” (Lenny Abbot, PacificCoastNews.co)
Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker was accused of shoplifting and then publicly frisked inside a Manhattan deli yesterday morning.
The movie star, in town filming “Black Nativity” with Jennifer Hudson, was about to leave the Milano Market on Broadway when one of the workers there claimed to have seen him snag an item from a store shelf, his spokesperson said.
The worker stopped Whitaker and allegedly gave him a humiliating pat down in full view of everyone in the Morningside Heights store.
No stolen items were found and Whitaker left. His driver, Reggie Crupe, said he was parked outside waiting when the actor came out of the store.
“An employee from the store came outside to speak with him and to apologize,” Crupe said in a statement. “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.”
The employee even tried to offer the millionaire actor free food to make up for what had happened.
Whitaker’s spokeswoman said the incident violated the actor’s rights.
“This was an upsetting incident given the fact that Forest did nothing more than walk into the deli,” Jennifer Plante said. “Forest did not call the authorities at the request of the worker who was in fear of losing his employment.”
Instead, Whitaker, who won the best actor Oscar for his role in 2006’s “The Last King of Scotland,” asked the store to change the way it treats its customers.
Store employees have denied the incident took place.