Good vibrations are the last thing some critics are sending the way of rapper-turned-actor Mark Wahlberg after he took to social media to bemoan the death of George Floyd.
Invoking the hashtag #Blacklivesmatter on his official Instagram handle four days ago, Wahlberg stated:
“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. ❤️🙏❤️#blacklivesmatter“
The Academy Award nominee may have thought he – like many fellow celebrities – was using his platform to shed light on racial injustice. Instead, his “activism” only encouraged light to be shed on his own reported racist past.
Details inside:
While some praised Mark’s proclamation as proof he stood in solidarity with the movement, others were triggered by memories of reports of his racist acts.
His Wikipedia biography has an entire section dedicated to the two main incidents referred to.
In April 1988, Wahlberg experienced his most high-profile racially-motivated case where he reportedly beat two Vietnamese men on different days, yelled racial slurs at the them, and was even charged with attempted murder. He pleaded guilty to felony assault and only spent the first 45 days of a two-year sentence in jail.
While rumors swirl that there are other hate crimes he was not officially charged for, they have not been verified. After commenters started creating traction around his past, the actor’s team updated his Wikipedia page (June 7) to rearrange how the story was told – replacing terms like “hate crimes” and “racial incidents” with “legal issues.”
Nevertheless, it wasn’t enough to deter detractors. See highlights below:
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Fans of the actor know this isn’t the first time his past was dragged into public view. Back in 2014, he took to the ‘Today Show’ to ask for a ‘public pardon’ and even discussed the rehabilitative measures he’s taken since spending time in jail for the assaults.
Start at 3:50:
[main photo source: Getty Images]