The star of “Elsbeth” was denied housing in Harlem due to racial discrimination
Hollywood actor Wendell Pierce alleges that his family member’s application to rent an apartment in Harlem was turned down over his race — despite him being the guarantor.
The “Suits” star, who played Meghan Markle’s character Rachel Zane’s father, Robert, in the hit legal series, said his relative was denied housing even after Pierce showed proof of his steady income from a handful of notable acting jobs.
“For those of you who don’t understand my righteous anger; I’m on 2 TV series, ELSBETH and RAISING KANAN. I’m filming SUPERMAN. Two years ago, I finished the fourth season of JACK RYAN. Last year I finished a run on Broadway in DEATH OF A SALESMAN,” he wrote on X Monday.
“Even with my proof of employment, bank statements and real estate holdings, a white apartment owner DENIED my application to rent the apartment … in Harlem, of all places.”
“Racism and bigots are real. There are those who will do anything to destroy life’s journey for Black folks. When you deny our personal experiences, you are as vile and despicable,” Pierce, 60, added.
The following day, “The Wire” star shared a link to a Wall Street Journal article about the US federal court of appeals ruling against allowing a black-owned venture capitalist firm awarding grants exclusively to black female entrepreneurs.
“While I appreciate the response to my own personal experience of discrimination in housing, I only mentioned it as an example of the insidious nature of bigotry,” he wrote on X Tuesday. “This court decision is profoundly more disturbing and injurious. CALL TO ACTION.”
In a separate post, the actor gave his two cents about the decision: “The law was put in place to protect former slaves from discrimination.”
“Edward Blum, an opponent of affirmative action, has argued its text means that race can’t be considered at all in contractual relationships. Private funding blocked by the courts. NOT TAX DOLLARS,” Pierce added.
He continued, “Private investment into Black businesses being blocked with laws in place to prevent discrimination against Black businesses. The racist irony. Racist, bigoted, fascist Americans who burned down Black Wall Street in Tulsa 100 years ago are still alive and well.”
“The effort being made to deny Black folks from participating in ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ is abhorrent. A private business deal blocked by the courts. What happened to less government intervention in our lives.”
On Tuesday, Pierce appeared on CNN to double down on racism claims after the ordeal.
“I wanted to tell a personal story,” the actor told news anchor Abby Phillip. “A young family member who graduated from Harvard University has his first job in New York and I take him apartment shopping, and I wanted to make sure that he got a decent apartment, and I was backing him up.”
https://x.com/abbydphillip/status/1798194641902469385
After finding an apartment in Harlem, Pierce said, he “gave them all of my bank statements” as well as proof of employment before ultimately being denied.
“And I realized that they used the technicality of saying that I did not have steady, consistent employment,” he explained. “Most actors work in three-month periods.”
“And because it wasn’t a continuum of employment, no matter how much income I showed — I showed them I owned properties around the country, I even offered to pay a year in advance of the complete rent — and I was denied,” he shared, adding that “it was by design.”
“The application was designed that way to be discriminatory,” he said, adding that black people “are being attacked.”
Pierce is best known for his roles in “Suits” and in HBO’s “The Wire” as Detective Bunk Moreland.
He’s set to star as Perry White in James Gunn’s new DC Universe “Superman” next year.
