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A video of Mark Hamill being ambushed by an autograph-seeking mob sparked quite the heated discourse on social media.
Hamill attended his dear friend and Star Wars sister Carrie Fisher's Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony where he gave a heartfelt speech to celebrate and honor the late icon.
But while attempting to leave the event, Hamill was swarmed by an aggressive crowd shoving memorabilia and items to be signed in his face through the window of his vehicle. Hamill signed autographs until he was hit in the head by the aggressive autograph seekers shoving memorabilia through the window into his face.
You can see footage of the incident here:
The entire incident was caught on camera, inciting an uproar from fans.
\u201cI am beside myself. Inconsolably sickened. THIS IS NOT HOW TO TREAT YOUR HERO\u2019S. Everyone in this video owes @MarkHamill a written fucking apology for their greed and selfishness. How he manages to remain a kind soul after decades of this behavior toward him is beyond me.\u201d— Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine (@Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine) 1683490152
And while originally the video was perceived as Star Wars fans flocking their beloved Luke Skywalker, it turns out they were just money-hungry online sellers looking to profit from an iconic moment.
\u201cI am shaking with anger\u201d— Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine (@Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine) 1683490152
\u201cI cannot stop shaking. I\u2019ve never been so angry.\u201d— Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine (@Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine) 1683490152
...which only outraged fans more.
Hamill himself even retweeted the video, adding the hashtag #TheDownsideOfCelebrity.
\u201c#TheDownsideOfCelebrity\u201d— Mark Hamill (@Mark Hamill) 1683579132
Others on social media also expressed their disgust.
\u201c@skywalkuzzy @MarkHamill he had just given a very emotional speech about one of his closest friends who is no longer with us and honoring both her and her memory, and then to be harassed by \u201cfans\u201d is seriously disgusting. i\u2019d expect better from people but i guess respect is hard concept for them to grasp\u201d— Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine (@Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine) 1683490152
\u201c@phan2187 @MarkHamill This is why I\u2019m so upset. Imagine the pain he was feeling only to have that in return.\u201d— Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine (@Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine) 1683490152
\u201c@skywalkuzzy @phan2187 @MarkHamill Can't call them fans. They're just greedy\u201d— Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine (@Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine) 1683490152
\u201c@skywalkuzzy @MarkHamill Absolute abhorrent behavior. Utter selfishness. I wouldn't blame him if he never did a fan event or signed something ever again.\u201d— Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine (@Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine) 1683490152
\u201c@Basil19861 @MarkHamill I don\u2019t understand it. I can\u2019t wrap my head around the lack of respect. It\u2019s just painful.\u201d— Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine (@Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine) 1683490152
\u201c@skywalkuzzy @MarkHamill Whats worse is he loves his fans and if they had just made a line they could have all gotten their things signed in an orderly way. He loves interacting with his fans. Those people are just greedy. Unfortunately they will get some money for this behavior and it wont stop.\u201d— Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine (@Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine) 1683490152
\u201c@skywalkuzzy @MarkHamill It is almost paining me, physically, to see how absolutely thirsty everybody is for an autograph. So gross.\u201d— Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine (@Slaywalker | \ud83c\udf03 |#TheMachine) 1683490152
Several also praised Hamill for his composure and expressed their dismay he had to endure that madness during such a somber time.
\u201c@MarkHamill yet you always manage the lifestyle with such grace and humility, it's beyond impressive and greatly appreciated\u201d— Mark Hamill (@Mark Hamill) 1683579132
\u201c@MarkHamill I\u2019m sorry you\u2019re having to deal with this.. your true fans wouldn\u2019t do this. I\u2019d hug you if I ever met you!\u201d— Mark Hamill (@Mark Hamill) 1683579132
\u201c@MarkHamill Sorry Mr.Hamill that's something like that you had to go through and I'm sure it's not the first time. Thank you for staying active with your fans that respect you and your privacy. \n\nI hope they arrange better security for you the next time you go out to an event.\u201d— Mark Hamill (@Mark Hamill) 1683579132
This truly is disgusting and heartbreaking.
Hopefully Hamill was still able to reflect on the celebration of the day.