Mark Wahlberg's past hate crimes spark controversy over SAG Awards presenter choice
Date
2/28/2023 8:55:58 AM
(MENAFN) Mark Wahlberg, who served jail time for committing hate crimes against two Asian men when he was 16 years old, presented an award at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Sunday night. The film "Everything Everywhere All At Once" won several awards, including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, which Wahlberg presented to the mainly Asian cast. However, many questioned the decision to have Wahlberg as the presenter, given his past.
Wahlberg has apologized for the crimes "many times," according to the Associated Press, but many people on social media found it hypocritical that he was invited to present at the awards show. They pointed out that Will Smith faced consequences for slapping Chris Rock at last year's Academy Awards and was banned from the Oscars, while Wahlberg was not similarly punished. Smith was under disciplinary review from SAG, but the union did not comment further.
Some defended Wahlberg, saying that he has "paid the price" for his crimes and that they happened decades ago. However, others found it inappropriate to have Wahlberg as the presenter for an award that went to an Asian cast.
The film "Everything Everywhere All At Once" made history as the most awarded film at the SAG Awards, taking home four awards. Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian actress to win the SAG Award for female lead, Ke Huy Quan became the first Asian to win best male supporting actor at the SAG Awards, and Jamie Lee Curtis won the best supporting actress award for the film.
Wahlberg has been nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category at the SAG Awards but has never won. He is not up for any film awards this season.
CBS News has reached out to the SAG Awards for comment about Wahlberg presenting.
In 1988, Wahlberg assaulted Thanh Lam, a Vietnamese man, while attempting to steal beer in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He hit Lam with a 5-foot wooden stick, and Lam was hospitalized. Wahlberg then punched Hoa Trinh, another Vietnamese man, who had come to help. Wahlberg also used explicit language and made crude remarks against Asians.
Wahlberg was convicted as an adult of two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and marijuana possession. He also violated a civil rights injunction that he and two friends were issued in 1986 after throwing rocks at a group of mostly black 4th graders on a beach. The civil rights injunction warned that if the teens committed another hate crime, they would be sent to jail.
Wahlberg served 45 days of a three-month sentence for the 1988 attacks and asked for a pardon for the crimes in 2015.
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