‘Black Panther’ Director Ryan Coogler Mistaken For a Bank Robber
Black Panther director Ryan Coogler was detained by the police in Atlanta, Georgia earlier this January after he was mistaken for a bank robber at a Bank of America. TMZ first reported the news based on a police report. Coogler was trying to make a transaction when the bank teller allegedly called the cops.
Coogler was wearing a hat, sunglasses, and Covid mask on the day of the incident. The 35-year-old director handed the teller a withdrawal slip with a note written on the back. “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,” the note reportedly read.
The teller misinterpreted the situation as an attempted robbery, after the transaction amount triggered an alarm within the bank's system. Then, the teller — who was described in the police report as a pregnant Black woman — informed her boss, and the two made the call to the cops. Coogler was handcuffed at the location, and two people who were waiting for him in an SUV outside the bank were detained as well.
“This situation should never have happened,” Coogler said in a statement to Variety. “However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on.”
Said a Bank of America spokesperson in a statement: “We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It never should have happened and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler.”
Currently, Coogler is working on his sequel to the 2018 MCU film����Black Panther, Wakanda Forever. The highly anticipated follow-up is expected to arrive in theaters on November 11, 2022.