Movie Caterers From Denzel Washington’s ‘The Equalizer 3’ Arrested in Cocaine Bust After Man’s Death
Italian police reported they arrested two movie caterers from the set of Denzel Washington‘s in-production film for possession and suspected distribution of cocaine. After one man collapsed and died, authorities raided a hotel near the movie set and placed two individuals under house arrest pending judicial review.
Denzel Washington’s ‘The Equalizer 3’: Italian police arrested 2 on-set caterers when the head of catering died
According to TMZ, the head of catering for Washington’s upcoming film, The Equalizer 3, collapsed and died as he left a bar on the Amalfi coast in Italy. Police said the 55-year-old man had a heart attack, and they found several bags of cocaine in his pockets at the scene.
The incident led authorities to suspect there might have been more drugs moving around on the movie set. After they found 120 grams of the drug at a hotel nearby, they placed two more caterers under house arrest.
Furthermore, another caterer had a small supply for personal use found during that raid. Authorities later searched a port used as the main staging area for the movie but reportedly didn’t find any more drugs there.
Sources told Fox News the bust was “regarding a catering vendor, not the movie or crew.”
The arrests reportedly took place on the workers’ day off and did not occur on the movie set. Still, insiders predict that the movie’s production team will likely replace the independently contracted catering company.
A rep for Denzel Washington said the cocaine bust involving caterers won’t delay film production on ‘The Equalizer 3’
A representative for Washington told TMZ that the catering shakeup would not delay the film, in which Dakota Fanning also stars. Notably, the movie reunites Washington and Fanning, who starred together in 2004’s Man of Fire.
According to Today, The Equalizer 3 will hit theaters in the fall of 2023. The hit movie series is loosely based on an ’80s television series, but it also inspired a modern small-screen version. Queen Latifah leads The Equalizer on CBS, and she revealed her friend Dolly Parton is among the fans.
“Dolly literally wrote me a letter like, ‘You are a bada** on that show!’” she told Variety. “I may have to call and ask if she wants to be on.”
‘The Equalizer 2’ was Denzel Washington’s first sequel
Throughout a celebrated career as an actor, Washington had never taken part in a sequel until he returned for The Equalizer 2. He explained that decision to Entertainment Weekly.
“It was relationships,” he offered. “My relationship with Todd Black, the producer, and with Antoine [Fuqua].”
He added, “Todd and I have done a lot of stuff over the years, and obviously, Antoine and I have had great success. I won’t say this was the first time [a sequel] made sense. I haven’t been asked that much, actually, come to think of it.”
Washington concluded, “I don’t know if I’ve ever been asked at all.”
