Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg came under attack Sunday night after he was chosen by the SAG Awards to host a presentation to the predominately Asian cast of Everything Everywhere All at Once.
His appearance in the host role came 35 years after he was convicted as a teenager of assaulting two Asian men.
The Oscar-nominated actor took to the stage near the end of the ceremonies to announce the winner of the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
The accolade went to Everything Everywhere All at Once, the Oscar-tipped drama about a dimension-jumping laundrette owner starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan.
Mark Wahlberg presents Ke Huy Quan with the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture award for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” during the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty)
Viewers were quick to take to social media and condemn the choice of Wahlberg to host the award.
I gotta say, having Mark Wahlberg, who literally went to jail as a teen for committing a hate crime against a Vietnamese man, present an award to the cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once was certainly a choice
— Bonnie Stiernberg (@aahrealbonsters) February 27, 2023
Wow these #SAGAwards are going really well. What could go wrong?
Mark Wahlberg: pic.twitter.com/Xu08GF7Ptp
— Joe (@Cinema_Joe23) February 27, 2023
Mark Wahlberg? A choice#SAGAwards
— Wilf Lucas (@wilflucas) February 27, 2023
They really had mark wahlberg whom got arrested for beating up a Vietnamese man a long time ago present best ensemble to an film with a lot of Chinese American actors in it #SAGAwards pic.twitter.com/H89t5SxpJ1
— BLACK LIVES MATTER (@willowhalliwell) February 27, 2023
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 (@WeActuallyDidIt) February 27, 2023
As Breitbart News reported in 2014, Wahlberg unsuccessfully sought a pardon for his attack on the two Vietnamese men, writing in an application: “I am deeply sorry for the actions that I took on the night of April 8, 1988, as well as for any lasting damage that I may have caused the victims.”
“Since that time, I have dedicated myself to becoming a better person and citizen so that I can be a role model to my children and others.”
Wahlberg admitted in his pardon application he was high on drugs when he committed the assault. He said he was sentenced to three months in jail and ended up serving 45 days.
