[imagesource:wikicommons]

The only thing worse than not being recognised as a celebrity is being put in a restraining jacket and called insane for claiming to be famous.

It might sound funny, but Four Tops singer, Alexander Morris, did not see the humour when a hospital declared him mentally ill after he disclosed his identity.

Morris alleges ‘racial discrimination and false imprisonment’ after being placed into a restraining jacket and called “insane or schizophrenic” when he sought treatment at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren in April 2023.

The lead singer of the Four Tops said the Detroit-area hospital restrained him and ordered a psychological exam after refusing to believe that he was part of the Motown music group. He has now filed a lawsuit against Ascension Macomb-Oakland, alleging racial discrimination and other misconduct during a visit for chest pain and breathing problems.

Hospital staff “wrongfully assumed he was mentally ill when he revealed his identity as a celebrity figure”, the lawsuit says. He told them he “had current security concerns due to stalkers and fans”.

Despite him having an ID that “could easily” have identified him as a singer, he was “placed into a restraining jacket”. He claims that he was “falsely imprisoned and deprived of his personal property”. The lawsuit says a nurse finally believed Morris was in the Four Tops and the psychological exam was canceled.

The hospital offered a $25 gift card as an apology, but Morris refused to accept it, the lawsuit claims. The hospital did not want to comment on the incident, but issued an ‘apology’.

“We remain committed to honouring human dignity and acting with integrity and compassion for all persons and the community. We do not condone racial discrimination of any kind.”

The Four Tops started in the 1950s and had hits such as ‘I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)’ and ‘It’s The Same Old Song’. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and by the sounds of it, Morris was almost committed in 2023.

This is one time we would forgive a celebrity for asking, “Do you know who I am?!”

[source:guardian]