“Friends” star David Schwimmer has claimed police in the UK were “a little disappointed” to eliminate him from their inquiries into a theft.
The bizarre story began last year when police in Blackpool released a CCTV image of a robbery suspect bearing a striking resemblance to the “Friends” character Ross Geller, played by Schwimmer.
After thousands of the show’s fans flooded Blackpool Police with jokes, the actor posted a spoof video re-enacting the alleged crime.
“Officers, I swear it wasn’t me. As you can see, I was in New York,” Schwimmer posted, along with footage of him appearing to make a getaway with a crate of beer. “To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation #itwasntme,” he added.
Now Schwimmer has explained his reaction in an appearance on “The Lateish Show” with Mo Gilligan, a chat show on the UK’s Channel 4.
“The police had posted something that was really funny. They were a little disappointed that they had ruled me out as a suspect; it wasn’t me.
“They said something kind of cheeky and I thought ‘Good on them for having a sense of humor,’ but I couldn’t resist responding.
“So I went that day when I found out with a buddy of mine and we went to my local shop, this little market around the corner from where I live in the East Village.
“I know the manager there so I showed him what was going on and said ‘Hey, can I just shoot something?’”
Schwimmer went on to talk about his own brush with a life of crime when he stole a Snickers bar at the age of nine.
“It was a store where they knew everyone, it was that kind of neighborhood, and they knew my parents and knew my sister, but I just really wanted this Snickers bar.
“And it was after baseball practice and I didn’t have any allowance or anything on me so I just snuck it.
“I got out the door and the owner of the store was like, ‘David?’ Of course he knows me! ‘Come here’.
“And I almost just lost it, cause I knew. You know when you’re busted. He said ‘Do you want me to tell your parents?’ and that was the worst!
“It was bad. I was mortified… but it didn’t stop me from stealing.”
After UK police posted the video, a man, Abdulah Husseini, was charged with a number of fraud and theft offenses, according to the Press Association news agency. He has denied all charges.