A member of US soul group the Four Tops is suing a hospital, claiming doctors halted emergency treatment and ordered a psychological evaluation because they did not believe him when he told them he was famous.
Alexander Morris, who joined the long-running group in 2019, says he went to Ascension Macomb Oakland Hospital, in Detroit, with difficulty breathing and chest pain, in April 2023.
Mr Morris’s legal action claims he was racially profiled and doctors assumed he was mentally ill when he told them he was in the Four Tops, instead of treating “his clear symptoms of cardiac distress”.
He was eventually diagnosed with a serious heart condition and pneumonia and suffered three seizures in hospital.
The hospital has previously said its “top priority” is the health and safety of patients but it is “unable to provide details on cases under investigation”.
The Four Tops are known for classic hits such as 1966’s Reach Out I’ll Be There and have had a number of line-up changes in recent years.
‘Racial discrimination’
In his legal papers, Mr Morris, 53, claims he had security concerns due to stalkers and fans, so informed a nurse and a hospital guard he was in the pop group.
He also told a doctor he had difficulty breathing and chest pain, as well as a history of heart disease – but staff “wrongfully assumed he was mentally ill, when he revealed his identity as a celebrity figure”.
They took him off oxygen, put him in a straitjacket and a guard subjected him to racial discrimination.
He continued to struggle to breathe but was denied more oxygen.
And when his his wife tried to persuade a guard he was not delusional, she was ignored.
Staff realised their mistake only when he played them footage of him performing with the group at the Grammy Awards.
And they offered him a $25 (£20) gift card as an apology, which he refused.
‘Top priority’
Mr Morris announced last year he was planning to sue.
At that time, the hospital said: “The health, safety and wellbeing of our patients, associates and community members remains our top priority.
“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.
“We are unable to provide details on cases under investigation.” – BBC
By Ian Youngs