Mark Wahlberg is facing criticism for presenting a Screen Actor’s Guild Award to the predominantly Asian cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once. The moment reminded some of Wahlberg’s violent racism toward two Vietnamese American men in the 1980s.
According to USA Today, Wahlberg presented the Best Ensemble award to the cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once on Sunday night. People on Twitter were quick to point out Wahlberg’s racist past.
“I feel like if Mark Wahlberg (or his management) wanted his checkered racist past to fade into obscurity, presenting the SAG award to EEEAAO would not have been on the list of gigs to take,” Cecilia Tan wrote on Twitter.
“Friendly reminder that Mark Wahlberg violently attacked two Vietnamese men and I think it is quite obtuse that he was the one to announce Everything Everywhere All At Once as the winner of the SAG award tonight,” Brian tweeted.
According to NBC News, Wahlberg has committed multiple racist crimes in the past. When he was 15, Wahlberg and a group of friends chased Black children through the streets of Boston, called them the N-word and threw rocks at them.
In 1988, he was arrested after attacking two Vietnamese American men in separate incidents on the same day. He beat one man until he was unconscious and punched another in the eye all while using racial slurs.
USA Today reports that Wahlberg eventually apologized for the incidents and committed himself to raising money for charity. He has not responded to the backlash after last night’s awards ceremony.
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