Incident at McDonald's in Netherlands
"They heard my American accent and kicked me out"
An American actor who appeared in the globally famous Netflix drama 'Squid Game' has drawn attention by claiming he experienced racial discrimination in the Netherlands.
Jeffrey Giuliano (69), the only actor who revealed his face among those who played the VIP roles in Squid Game, stated on the 28th (local time) through the British media outlet 'Daily Mail' that "I was kicked out of a McDonald's in the Netherlands. I was assaulted by employees who did not want to serve an American." He also added that he plans to take legal action against the McDonald's branch in question.
According to the media, Giuliano stopped by Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport, a major European hub airport in the Netherlands, while transferring after a business trip to Lisbon, Portugal on December 31 last year. While waiting for his next flight, he visited a McDonald's in the airport terminal to satisfy his hunger.
However, it was reported that he was turned away by the restaurant staff at that time. Giuliano explained the situation, saying, "I am diabetic and needed to eat immediately, and McDonald's was the only restaurant I could use. But when the McDonald's staff heard my 'American accent,' they suddenly refused to serve me."
He added, "A manager-level employee overheard me talking with my son and realized we were Americans, and then they refused to take our order."
Giuliano immediately took out his camera and protested by filming the staff who ignored him. The staff tried to block Giuliano's camera and pushed him, attempting to force him out of the store. Giuliano responded, "Take your hands off. Don't touch me. This is assault."
After the incident, Giuliano filed a complaint with McDonald's, but it is reported that he has not yet received an apology. However, McDonald's reportedly explained that "the refusal to serve was not because he was American but because it was closing time for orders."
Regarding this, Giuliano claimed, "They used closing time as an excuse, but everything happened because of aggressive managers and employees who dislike Americans," adding, "This is not the first time I have experienced such treatment in the Netherlands."
In 2017, Giuliano, after cutting in line at a supermarket checkout in Thailand, started verbally abusing another customer following an argument. [Image source=YouTube]
Giuliano, originally from New York, USA, rose to stardom through Squid Game. However, he was embroiled in controversy for a while after it was revealed that he made inappropriate remarks during a past trip to Thailand.
In 2021, the U.S. entertainment media 'NextShark' reported on an incident in August 2017 where Giuliano pushed another customer and used abusive language at a supermarket in Thailand. In the video released at the time, Giuliano was seen cutting in line at the checkout counter.
When other customers protested, Giuliano raised his voice, saying, "I am American, and I do what I want. We are the kings of the world," and "We are pros. We are the highest level in the world." He also told those filming him, "That camera can't scare me. I am an actor," and warned, "Don't interfere in other people's business," before leaving the scene.
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