Ryan Coogler, the director of "Black Panther," was detained by police after he was mistaken for a bank robber.
The incident took place in January at a Bank of America branch in Atlanta after he tried to withdraw $12,000. Coogler, who was dressed in a hat, sunglasses, and COVID-19 face mask at the time, handed the teller a withdrawal slip with a note that read "I would like to withdraw $12,000 cash from my checking account. Please do the money count somewhere else. I'd like to be discreet," TMZ reported.
The teller misunderstood the situation and along with her supervisor called Atlanta Police, who escorted Coogler out of the bank in handcuffs, according to the outlet.
The report added that two people waiting outside in an SUV were also arrested.
"This situation should never have happened," Coogler later told TMZ. "However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on."
A spokesperson for the Bank of America agreed that the incident should not have taken place in a statement to Variety.
"We deeply regret that this incident occurred," the statement read. "It never should have happened, and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler."
Coogler was in Atlanta to film the sequel to the superhero film "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," which is set for release in November. In the original "Black Panther" film, an African king who hails from society untouched by colonialism faces up to an African American who is acquainted with racism and who has descended from people who were enslaved.
Speaking with The Washington Post in 2018, Coogler said he wanted to explore these differences with the film.
"I thought that it was important to infuse my own perspective; I felt that was something I needed to do as an African-American Black man," Coogler said. Moreover, "I had a responsibility to do my homework and really penetrate the continent because my perspective is not the total perspective."
"What does it mean to be African?" he continued. "It's something I've been asking myself every day since I found out I was Black, when my parents sat me down and said, 'Yo, you're Black, that's what this means' — the conversation I feel like every Black person has had to have. I'm African, but no one told me about what that means. I was finally able to answer that question."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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