One of the most prolific directors Hollywood, Ryan Coogler, was recently mistaken for a bank robber at a Bank of America.
First reported by TMZ, the famed Black Panther director visited an Atlanta branch back in January to make a transaction. Coogler, who was wearing a hat, sunglasses and a COVID face mask, walked up to the counter and handed the teller a handwritten note asking to make a large withdrawal.
The note reportedly 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.”
Bank staffers misinterpreted the situation as an attempted robbery due to the large amount of money Coogler was asking to withdraw. As a result, the alarm was triggered on the banking system.
The bank teller’s boss was informed and the Atlanta police were called. They detained Coogler as well as two individuals who were waiting for the famed director in an SUV outside.
After doing an investigation, authorities concluded that the situation was just a misunderstanding.
Coogler was not pleased with how the incident unfolded. According to TMZ, he requested the badge numbers of the officers on the scene after he and the two other individuals were released.
While it’s unclear if the officers apologized for mistaking Coogler for a bank robber, Bank of America offered an apology to the director for the misunderstanding.
“We deeply regret that this incident occurred,” a spokesperson for Bank of America told Variety. “It never should have happened and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler.”
As for Coogler, he recently addressed the incident in a statement to Variety. “This situation should never have happened,” he said. “However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on.”
