Ricky Schroder confronts Costco employee over mask requirement in viral video: 'You're just going to listen to their rules?'
It looks like actor Ricky Schroder won't be stocking up at Costco anytime soon.
The TV star, who rose to fame on the hit 1980s sitcom Silver Spoons and later on NYPD Blue, took to social media on Saturday to chronicle his confrontation with an employee at a Los Angeles Costco over California's mask mandate.
"Boycott Costco till they act like a Free American Company... not (China)," Schroder, who now goes by Rick, captioned the video posted to his Instagram page, using a Chinese flag emoji.
"What's your name, and what do you do here?" Schroder can be heard asking a Costco employee, who identified himself as a supervisor named Jason.
When Schroder, who was not wearing a mask, asked why he wasn't allowed into the store, the employee cited mandates by the state of California and Los Angeles County, while Costco has not altered its current mask policy in every store location.
"Didn't you see the news? Nationwide Costco said you don't need to wear masks," Schroder said, most likely referring to the letter Costco CEO Craig Jelenik released on Friday explaining the company's modification of their face covering policy in some U.S. Costco locations. In response, the employee told Schroder "actually that's not accurate. Costco always goes above and beyond when following the law, and the mandate in California has not changed," adding that the policy may change by mid-June.
In the letter, Jelenik explained that at Costco locations where the state or local jurisdiction does not have a mask mandate, they will allow fully vaccinated members and guests to enter Costco without a face mask or face shield. In Costco locations where the state or local jurisdiction does have a mask mandate, face coverings will continue to be required.
Schroder continued to engage the employee, saying, "You're going to listen to these people? They've destroyed our economy. They're destroying our state. And you're just going to listen to their rules?"
Turning the camera on himself, Schroder declared that he would be "getting my refund from Costco," and advised his followers to "give up your membership to Costco until they remove this."
A manager soon exited the store and provided Schroder with a receipt showing his refund.
Yahoo Entertainment has reached out to Costco for comment, but did not receive one at the time of publication.
Schroder has since apologized to the Costco employee during a follow-up video posted to Instagram on Sunday night.
"Jason, nothing personal," Schroder says in the new post. "I'm not upset with you or anybody in the position like you have, who works for a living. I understand you were following your laws and rules. I was trying to make a point to the corporate overlords and I'm sorry that I had to use you to do it. And if I hurt your feelings, I apologize."
He added, "But I do think independence from medical tyranny is more important than hurting people's feelings. So I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, but I want us all to be free."
Schroder then went on to rail against drug dealers and "feminist, liberal, socialist policies that encourage single motherhood" and implored viewers to "stand side by side with our law enforcement."
Schroder's confrontation at Costco isn't the first time the actor has made headlines recently. Back in November, it was revealed that Schroder contributed a large sum of money to release Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teen charged with killing two people during a protest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, from jail, Yahoo Entertainment previously reported.
The news came after attorney Lin Wood tweeted a photo of Rittenhouse alongside Schroder and Rittenhouse's lawyer at the time, John Pierce. “Free at last!!” wrote Wood. The tweet can no longer be seen, as the account is now suspended.
It was later explained that Schroder's donation joined several other contributions, including one from My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell.
“Ricky donated a low six-figure amount to the #FightBack Foundation, which along with Mike Lindell’s generous contribution helped put the foundation over the top to cover the $2M bail amount,” Pierce told Yahoo Entertainment.
Rittenhouse went on to fire Pierce in February, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide for the deaths of two men who participated in an August protest over the police shooting of Blake, Yahoo reported.
“Kyle’s life being destroyed. This is his freedom at risk. It infuriated me to see an innocent 17-year-old young man being tried and found guilty before trial," Schroder later explained to the New York Post. “It made me mad. This boy is innocent and he will be proven innocent. I did what any father should’ve done, and that’s get a kid out of jail that doesn’t deserve to be there.”
Updated, May 17 at 11:35 a.m.: This article has been updated to include Schroder's apology.
Related: Ricky Schroder arrested for felony domestic violence
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