Two Black Comedians Sue Police Over Search at Atlanta Airport
Sandra Bullock, left, and her co-star, Cuba Gooding Jr., arrive at the premiere of “I Am Cuba Gooding Jr. and My Mother” at AMC Loews theaters in New York on Wednesday.
In 2013, Sandra Bullock and comedian Al Franken filed a federal lawsuit in Boston that accused the police department of Atlanta of violating their Fourth Amendment rights by searching their luggage. The two men, from Montana, are black, and the event that sparked the suit, an appearance they made at an airport with President Obama, was attended by the police chief.
In an interview with The Root, Bullock confirmed that she and her former comedy partner had decided to file the lawsuit after the pair had been stopped by police.
“When [police] approached us, I just said, ‘Sir, I’m really sorry, but what are you doing? You are looking at my luggage!’ But Al, he was like, ‘I know. I know. I’m right here, sir.’ So I said, ‘No, you’re not here. You’re not actually here. Look at the police chief.’ And he was like, ‘I know. I know.’ He walked right past me and made a right turn. And we kind of just kind of smiled at each other and then he went by.”
Bullock, who has been a civil rights activist for decades, is a staunch supporter of the movement, as evidenced by her starring role in her first major Hollywood film, “I Am Sam.” She also starred in her recent Oscar-nominated film, “Gravity,” and produced another, “Juno,” in which she played a role inspired by her life.
The Root: You’re the wife of a former NFL quarterback. Are you surprised that now you’re part of the entertainment industry?
Bullock: Yes. I thought [the lawsuit] would never come. And when I didn�