Virginia Beach, Va. - A Grammy nominated hip hop artist from Hampton Roads says he was discriminated against at a Virginia Beach bar.
"Venue sports lounge on Great Neck Rd in Virginia Beach definitely wins award for most racist establishment in the 757." That was one of several tweets Pusha T posted about his experience at Venue 112.
With more than a million followers on Twitter, it's a serious allegation that has spread quickly.
NewsChannel 3 spoke to him over the phone about what he says happened.
"I thought it was blatant racism," said Pusha T.
He says it was Monday night when he and some friends tried to get into Venue 112, located in the Renaissance Shopping Center on N. Great Neck Rd.
According to Pusha T, several white men were let in. One of Pusha T's friends was then given a wristband by a doorman to get inside when someone from the bar came out and stopped them.
"He whispered to one of the doormen, 'tell him we're doing guest list only,'" said Pusha T.
With such a huge following on Twitter, Pusha T's posts are getting a lot of attention.
We asked him - why not talk to the owners about what happened instead of going straight to social media?
"There's absolutely nothing they could do for me," he said, "It's fine, you know, I accept people for who they are. That's okay. I'm gonna speak on it though."
Kevin Martingayle, the attorney for Venue's owners, says there is a guest list which is made up of regular customers who have been going there over the years. He says it is used when they are near maximum occupancy and on nights with heavy reservations.
He also sent us pictures from inside Venue, saying they show the diversity of people who frequent the bar.
In a statement, Martingayle also said "Any allegations of racism at Venue 112 are utterly false, reckless and irresponsible. Venue has a diverse clientele and has never engaged in or tolerated any form of illegal discrimination. I seriously question the motives of individuals who claim that Venue discriminates based on race. Venue welcomes people of all races and backgrounds, and always will."
