The Hate Crimes Mark Wahlberg Were Convicted Of and Why They Have Resurfaced
Mark Wahlberg is beloved for his convicting acting roles and for being a member of the popular Wahlberg family dynasty. But the actor is coming under scrutiny for past legal trouble. Wahlberg is on the receiving end of backlash after his tweet in support of the Black Lives Matter movement hit a nerve for some who are aware of the hate crimes he previously committed.
Mark Wahlberg was arrested for racially motivated attacks
Before making it big as a musician and eventually an actor, he got himself into legal trouble while growing up in Boston. In 1986, when Wahlberg was 15-years-old, he and three friends were charged for chasing three black children and pelting them with rocks while yelling obscenities, including “Kill the n*****s.” They did not stop until an ambulance driver intervened in the chase.
Related: Mark Wahlberg Net Worth and His Dark Criminal Past Before Fame
The following day, Wahlberg harassed another group of children, most of them were Black, as they gathered at the beach. Once again, he yelled racial terms toward them and threw rocks at them.
For the first attack, he was found guilty of violating the civil rights of his victims, and the case settled within a month.
Two years later, Wahlberg attacked two Vietnamese men while he was high on drugs. He called one man a “Vietnam f***ing s***” and beat him unconscious with a wooden stick. He also punched another man in the eye later in the same day while using racial slurs. He was charged with attempted murder. He plead guilty to felony assault, citing that he was intoxicated.
He was sentenced to two years in prison as a result of violating the terms of his initial case two years prior. Wahlberg served 45 days in total.
Mark Wahlberg receives backlash on social media after tweeting supporting of Black Lives Matter movement
Wahlberg tweeted his support of the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd, writing, “The murder of George Floyd is heartbreaking. We must all work together to fix this problem. I’m praying for all of us. God bless.” He also shared a photo of Floyd.
Not everyone was appreciative of Wahlberg’s post and was quick to point out his past hate crimes.
“@markwahlberg when did you realize all black lives Matters before or after you shouted the N-word at little black kids, now you are the great white pretender,” wrote one Twitter user.
“So @markwahlberg tweeted about #BLM and #GeorgeFloyd and someone dug yo some info about him and his past hate crimes. And now I can’t ever look at him the same,” wrote another.
Others came to Wahlberg’s defense, explaining that he has had years to grow from his past mistakes.
“If you can’t support #MarkWahlberg for wanting to change and forgive his past, how can you support a movement that incites change,” one asked.
“I’ve seen all of the stuff about @markwahlberg and his past and honestly man, as a black man, I’m saying y’all gotta chill! Even if he was a bit or a racist dick in the past, the times were different and that’s what they LEARNED! As he got older I’m sure he changed,” wrote another.
He continued with a follow-up tweet to talk about his own shortcomings in his youth.
“He’s had several decades to learn from those bad decisions and change who he is. Hell, I tied one of my classmates up and threw him in a locker when I was a kid but I didn’t become a serial kidnapper or have a torture chamber in my basement. Y’all be reaching,” he concluded.
Wahlberg has not responded to the backlash.
