Actor Michael Rapaport blamed New York’s ex-mayor for a brazen theft he filmed at his local Rite Aid pharmacy.
The actor-turned-podcaster-turned-"Sultan of Sniff" posted the viral video showing a man in a black hoodie and mask who he claimed casually filled two bags and walked out of the pharmacy.
"I can’t believe I’m seeing this s***," Mr Rapaport, aka “the Kind of Cashmere”, said in the video.
"This f***ing guy just filled his two bags up with everything in Rite Aid, right here on 80th and First Avenue, he’s walking down the street like s*** is Gucci, look at me in my face like, ‘what’s good’."
"I was watching him the whole time, my man just went Christmas shopping in January. He had the condoms, the shampoo," he added.
Actor Mario Lopez commented on the video, saying "Dude looked at Security and said… “Sup?”.
Mr Rappaport, aka the self-proclaimed "Gringo Mandingo-White Mike-Mighty Whitey", tagged current New York mayor Eric Adams in the video, saying that the Rite Aid would close on 15 February "because of this" level of crime.
Mr Rapaport reportedly blamed the current mayor’s predecessor Bill de Blasio and said "more ramifications" and penalities are needed for shoplifting.
“I think Eric Adams knows what’s going on, he knows how to deal with crime. I’m just hoping he lives up to our expectations," he told The Daily Mail.
He added he relied on that pharmacy to buy his mood stabilizers, and that many in the community were losing their local pharmacy and its staff losing their jobs "because of guys like this scumbum".
The actor told his Instagram followers he would discuss the theft in his "I Am Rapaport" podcast. In the latest episode posted on Monday, the “Disruptive Warrior” said he wasn’t able to get his mood stabilizers from the staff at Rite Aid, who has previously called "f*cking Gremlins".
"I’ve had a weird last few hours," he said. "I’m off my mood stabilizers today, and it ain’t good. I take those 20 milligrams of that Lexapro, and they should always warn you, the pharmacy, they should always let you know your mood stabilizers are running out.”
"I had no refills and I got to call the doctor, and which pharmacy, and oh it’s 2022 there’s a new... it’s a who f*cking thing. Just give me my meds man… give me my dose, dose, me up.”
A Rite Aid spokesperson told The Independent the company was working with law enforcement to identify and pursue the man filmed in the video.
“Like all retailers, we’ve seen a much higher level of brazen shoplifting and organized retail crime over the past year,” the spokesperson said.
“This store is closing next month due to a number of specific business conditions and viability – not because of any one consideration,” they added. “We review every neighbourhood to assure customers will have access to health services, and their prescriptions are seamlessly transferred to a nearby pharmacy.”
