8 Celebrities Who Say They Had been Racially Profiled By Police

So many stars have shared that they’ve confronted racial profiling by the hands of the authorities — whether or not that meant getting unjustly getting pulled over or being accused of against the law. These celebs have all shared their tales within the hopes of spreading consciousness of the racial profiling that also happens each day.

Discover out what occurred to those stars…

Rami Malek lately opened up about an expertise through which he stated he ended up getting “thrown” in opposition to the hood of a cop automotive by law enforcement officials in Los Angeles. On the time, authorities had been in search of a Latin man who had stolen a girl’s purse and pulled Rami apart as a result of he “match the outline,” despite the fact that he’s truly Egyptian.

“I keep in mind how sizzling that engine was, they will need to have been racing over there and it was virtually burning my palms. My buddy, who was Caucasian, was intelligent sufficient to go, ‘Truly, sir, he’s Egyptian. Not Latin.’ I keep in mind laughing on the cop automotive, pondering, ‘OK, this can be a very precarious scenario. I could be going to jail for one thing I’ve not executed,’” Rami advised The Guardian.

Eric André says he was as soon as “racially profiled” by authorities whereas touring by Australia. He defined that he was on the Melbourne airport on his option to a shoot when he was “detained” and “pulled out of a lineup and put in a particular line.” He was then totally sniffed by a police canine.

“It is one of many many instances I’ve been racially profiled on the airport. So this can be a message for all Black, brown and Indigenous individuals touring by Melbourne in the present day, particularly for those who’re touring by Qantas Worldwide by Terminal 2: Please watch out,” Eric stated in an Instagram video.

He continued, “They’re looking Black, brown and Indigenous individuals. Please let me know if anyone is aware of the names of these officers with the canines or what that program is. If anyone has info on a discrimination Australian lawyer, I am all ears.”

The Melbourne airport later apologized, sharing that it “doesn’t tolerate racism in any kind.”

Lenny Kravitz’s expertise with racial profiling truly impressed his track “Financial institution Robber Man.” Lenny says he was out jogging in Miami when a theft occurred at a close-by financial institution. The suspect was a Black man in a t-shirt, which aligned with Lenny’s look.

“I acquired stopped by about 4 or 5 police vehicles at gunpoint to my face, to my physique, up in opposition to the automotive. It was mainly racial profiling. I didn’t get let go till the witness, this outdated girl who was on the financial institution who noticed the financial institution robber, got here and stated it wasn’t me. I used to be fairly nervous as a result of she was outdated and had simply appeared and noticed brown pores and skin and a t-shirt,” Lenny advised Rolling Stone.

He continued, “However it was an fascinating scenario. It wasn’t the primary time I’ve had weapons pointed at my head by the police. That occurred three or 4 instances in my life as a youngster in Los Angeles for simply driving round in a automotive in Beverly Hills. So I went proper into the studio and recorded this. I used to be f–king pissed off. That’s why it’s an aggressive track.”

Again in 2012, Tyler Perry accused the Atlanta police of racially profiling him once they pulled him over for making an unlawful left flip from a proper lane. Tyler says he made the flip as a “security precaution,” taught to him by his safety crew, as a result of he was involved somebody could also be following him. He stated two caucasian law enforcement officials pulled him over after which harassed him, banging on his home windows and attempting to take away his key from the automotive.

“The officer on the motive force’s aspect continued to badger me, ‘Why do you assume somebody is following you?’ I then stated, ‘I believe you guys want to simply write the ticket and do no matter you have to do.’  It was so hostile. I used to be so confused. It was occurring so quick that I might simply see how this example might get out of hand in a short time. I didn’t really feel secure in any respect,” Tyler wrote on Fb.

It wasn’t till a 3rd officer arrived, who was Black and acknowledged Tyler, that the scenario was capable of be deescalated.

Tyler added, “Now I do know that there are various nice officers, patrolmen and safety guys on the market. I’m conscious of that. However though now we have made vital strides with racial profiling on this nation, the world must know that we’re nonetheless being racially profiled.”

In 2009, rapper Nas was pulled over on suspicion of DUI after allegedly being caught driving erratically. Authorities carried out a number of sobriety assessments that he failed, per TMZ. Whereas he did admit to smoking weed earlier than getting behind the wheel, he was finally cleared — however claimed it had all been a case of racial profiling.

“ what it’s … profiling man … however you, they cannot cease an excellent man from shining, man,” he advised TMZ.

J. Cole has typically spoken out about injustices confronted by the Black group and stated that like many others, he’s been the sufferer of racial profiling on many events. In 2013, he says he was pulled over for having tinted home windows — however he believes it extra needed to do together with his look.

“I used to be driving by Instances Sq. and I simply didn’t need to be seen. So I had my hat low and I believe I used to be trying ‘suspicious’ simply as a Black man with my brim low, once I was actually simply attempting to cowl my face. They got here to my window, pulled me over. I really feel like if I used to be a white man driving, they wouldn’t query me about my tints. They advised me to roll down my again window; they appear in my automotive as in the event that they’re in search of one thing. I really feel like that was the actual factor, they had been attempting to catch any person slipping,” he advised BET.

Former tennis star James Blake was as soon as caught up in a case of mistaken id by police that he believes was racially motivated. Whereas standing exterior of his lodge in New York, ready for a automotive to take him to the U.S. Open, when he “appeared up and noticed somebody in shorts and a T-shirt charging at him.” He was tackled to the bottom by a plainclothes cop and after he “threw him down,” James was handcuffed.

“It was positively scary and positively loopy. In my thoughts there’s in all probability a race issue concerned, however it doesn’t matter what there’s no cause for anyone to try this to anyone,” James advised the New York Every day Information.

He continued, “You’d assume they may say, ‘Hey, we need to discuss to you. We’re trying into one thing.’ I used to be simply standing there. I wasn’t working. It’s not even shut [to being okay]. It is blatantly pointless.’”

The NYPD later issued an apology.

In 2022, rapper Kodak Black was pulled over on suspicion of his window tint being too darkish — however finally searched his total car after allegedly catching a whiff of marijuana. Police found 31 Oxycodone capsules and practically $75,000 in money. He was then taken into custody and charged with possessing a managed substance and not using a prescription and trafficking oxycodone.

In the meantime, Kodak Black says the treatment belonged to him and was prescribed after he was shot. In the long run, he was positioned on home arrest for violating his supervised launch, which allegedly acknowledged he needed to “keep away from drug use and obey all legal guidelines.”

“This S–t bogus Af I really feel like This a personality assassination challenge Kuz theirs [sp] no means I ought to be getting harassed bout my tag being expired, that’s no cause to even search my automotive within the first place and going to jail about having my treatment within the automotive is insane,” Kodak wrote in now-deleted posts on social media.

He continued, “I’m being racially profiled and as a black man in America I deserve my freedom particularly with the whole lot I do for my group I ought to be getting love , respect and assist from the authorities ! To maneuver freely , not getting arrested for expired tag and darkish home windows.”