ATLANTA – The director of “Black Panther,” the highest-grossing film of all time by a Black director, was handcuffed and detained in a bank when an employee mistook him for a robber.
Ryan Coogler was at a Bank of America branch in Atlanta on Jan. 7, 2022, when he passed a bank employee a note with a filled-out withdrawal slip asking for the tellers to be discreet with the transaction, WSB-TV reported.
According to police reports, Coogler was trying to withdraw more than $10,000 in cash when the teller notified her manager that he was trying to rob the bank, WSB-TV reported. Officers were called and handcuffed Coogler before determining a mistake had been made.
In a statement to Variety, Coogler said, “This situation should never have happened. However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on.”
Bank of America apologized to the director, and gave WSB-TV a statement saying, “We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It should never have happened and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler.”
“Black Panther” was released in 2018. Coogler has been in the Atlanta area directing the movie’s sequel, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” WSB-TV reported.
