The lead singer of the Four Tops said a hospital put him in a straitjacket and ordered a psychological examination after refusing to believe that he was part of the world-famous Motown group.
Alexander Morris is the current lead singer of the legendary combo after joining in 2019.
After suffering from chest and breathing problems in April of last year, he went to the Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Detroit, for help.
However, he has claimed that staff at the hospital refused to believe he really was the famous singer, instead thinking he was mentally ill.
Morris, a black man, has since filed a lawsuit against the hospital, alleging racial discrimination and other misconduct, after staff, he claimed, put him in a straitjacket and ordered a psychological examination.
The 53-year-old went to the hospital with “clear symptoms of cardiac distress” and was placed on oxygen according to the federal lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, Sky News’ US partner NBC News reports.
However, Morris informed a nurse and security guard in the emergency room that he was part of the famous vocal quartet as he feared security concerns from possible stalkers or fans, but they didn’t believe him.
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Instead, a doctor ordered a psychological evaluation and he was restrained for at least an hour and a half, the lawsuit says.
In a statement released by his attorneys, Morris said: “It was a terrifying experience to be in the middle of a medical emergency, to be placed into restraints, to have my oxygen turned off, my personal effects taken from me, and no help from the doctors and nurses because of the colour of my skin.
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“Racial profiling nearly cost me my life.”
The lawsuit added that Morris had a “significant known history of cardiac disease” and the alleged racial discrimination delayed his hospital treatment.
Morris asked whether he could prove his identity to staff by showing his identification card, but the white male security guard ordered him to “sit his black ass down”, the lawsuit says.
It also alleges that Morris was ignored when he told staff members he was struggling to breathe and asked for the oxygen back, and when he asked for his possessions to be returned so he could seek treatment at another hospital.
The confusion was only cleared up when Morris’ wife arrived and saw what was happening, the lawsuit says.
After she told the security officers that Morris really was a famous Motown singer, a nurse went to his side and he showed her a video of him performing at the Grammys, the lawsuit says.
Only then, according to the legal action, was the straitjacket removed and oxygen returned to the singer.
It adds that the hospital offered Morris a $25 (£19.50) gift card as an apology – but he refused to accept it.
Morris is now seeking more than $75,000 (£58,600) in damages at a jury trial.
The Four Tops started in the 1950s and have had hits like Baby, I Need Your Loving, I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) and It’s The Same Old Song.
They have since been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and have had a changing cast over the years.
In a statement, the hospital said: “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 will not comment on pending litigation.”
Pop star Lana Del Rey has married her alligator tour guide partner in Louisiana, according to reports.
The singer, 39, and Jeremy Dufrene, 49, are said to have obtained a marriage licence in Lafourche parish on Monday and had their wedding three days later.
Footage obtained by the Daily Mail appears to show Del Rey, whose real name is Elizabeth Woodridge Grant, wearing a white dress where Mr Dufrene works as a tour guide in Des Allemandes, south of New Orleans.
Del Rey has not commented on the reported wedding.
She met Mr Dufrene in 2019, posting pictures of her on one of his tours with the caption: “Jeremy lemme be captain at Arthur’s Air Boat Tours x.”
Arthur’s Air Boat Tours gives guided tours through the local swamps, where its website says visitors are likely to see “300 species of birds” and “alligators up close and personal”.
Mr Dufrene’s profile page says he previously worked seven days a week at a chemical plant – when he would “shrimp on vacation days”.
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“After a little convincing by his family, he got his captain’s licence and started running tours,” it adds.
“Jeremy’s a great airboat captain and loves interacting with wildlife & customers.”
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Sean “Diddy” Combs was hit with further sexual assault allegations after a woman filed a lawsuit in New York.
In the fresh civil case, the woman – identified by the pseudonym Jane Doe – claims she was repeatedly raped and drugged at the music mogul’s homes and became pregnant after one of the encounters.
It follows a series of similar legal cases brought by women against Combs, 54, who was arrested at a hotel in New York last week on sex trafficking, drug possession and firearms offences.
The latest lawsuit was filed on Friday against Combs, his companies and several associates, and seeks undisclosed damages for physical injuries, severe emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety and other harm.
The woman claims she met Combs abroad in 2020 and that the assaults and harassment continued through to July this year.
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She says she was often coerced and harassed into travelling to Combs’ homes in New York, Los Angeles and Miami and other cities, and during every visit the rapper would make her “perform a show” for him.
In one encounter alleged to have taken place in July 2022, the woman claims she blacked out after being forced to take drugs that included ketamine.
She later allegedly took a pregnancy test and told Combs it was positive. She said an associate of the music producer repeatedly demanded her to get an abortion. The lawsuit states she had a miscarriage.
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The woman, who is being represented by lawyers Marie Napoli and Joseph Ciaccio, also alleges Combs and his associates tracked her location and monitored her conversations.
She claims Combs discouraged her from working and gave her an “allowance” that he used to control her.
“No one is above the law. Fame and wealth do not protect Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs from serious allegations of sex trafficking and abuse,” Ms Napoli said in a statement.
Combs has been facing civil allegations including rape, sexual assault, and forced drugging since November 2023.
He has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking but remains jailed, having been denied bail. His attorney said he is innocent and will fight to clear his name.
A lawyer for Combs did not respond to the allegations made in Friday’s lawsuit when contacted by the Associated Press news agency.
Dame Maggie Smith, known for her roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, has died at the age of 89, her sons have said.
The actress died in hospital, her children Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said.
In a statement, they said: “An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.
“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
Born in Essex in 1934, Dame Maggie became an internationally recognised actress – one of the most versatile, accomplished and meticulous actresses of her generation.
Her first significant accolade came after playing the fanatical teacher in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969, which won her a best actress Oscar and BAFTA.
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Her second Oscar came for her role in California Suite in 1978 which won her a best supporting actress trophy, as well as a Golden Globe.
More recently she won a new generation of fans as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey and playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies.
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Although she was a tour de force in leading roles on the West End stage, she was equally happy – even during the years of her mega-stardom – to accept supporting roles, particularly in films.
The Downton Abbey TV series won her a series of awards – three Emmys, a Golden Globe, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards.
TV presenter Gyles Brandreth has led the tributes, describing her as “wise, witty, waspish, wonderful” and “one of a kind in every way”.
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Sir Keir Starmer posted on X that Dame Maggie was a “true national treasure whose work will be cherished for generations to come” while former prime minister Rishi Sunak described her as “an icon of the stage and screen”.
Meanwhile a message posted by BAFTA said: “Dame Maggie was a legend of British stage and screen, winning five BAFTAs as well as a BAFTA Special Award and BAFTA Fellowship during her highly acclaimed career.”
She took Maggie as her stage name because another Margaret Smith was active in the theatre. She was 18 when she first appeared on stage, in Twelfth Night.
Laurence Olivier spotted her talent, invited her to be part of his original National Theatre company and cast her as his co-star in a 1965 film adaptation of Othello.
Some of her best-known movies included: Young Cassidy in 1966, Death On The Nile in 1979, Quartet in 1982, The Secret Garden in 1994, Tea With Mussolini in 2000, Gosford Park in 2002, and The Lady In The Van in 2016.
She married fellow actor Robert Stephens in 1967. They had two sons and divorced in 1975. The same year she married the writer Beverley Cross, who died in 1998. She was made a Dame in 1990.
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