The 2023 SAG Awards show is catching flak for Mark Wahlberg’s role within the ceremony, presenting a trophy to the predominantly Asian solid of “Every part All over the place All at Once” — 35 years after he was accused of hate crimes against Asians.
In 1988, the now-51-year-old actor was convicted for assaults he committed in Boston, when he was 16, toward two Vietnamese American men. Wahlberg hit Thanh Lam in the top with a stick while attempting to steal alcohol and punched Johnny Trinh within the face. He alleged that he was high on the time.
He was charged as an adult with attempted murder and sentenced to 2 years on felony assault, but served only 45 days. In 2014, he applied for a pardon — a bid he dropped in 2016.
“I even have apologized, over and over,” he told the AP in December 2014. “The primary opportunity I needed to apologize was right there in court when all of the dust had settled and I used to be getting shackled and brought away, and ensuring I paid my debt to society and proceed to attempt to do things that make up for the mistakes that I’ve made.”
But that wasn’t the one racist attack Wahlberg committed.
In 1986, Wahlberg and his white friends began hurling rocks and shouting racial epithets at a group of mostly black fourth grade students on a field trip to the beach and chased them down the road. The teenager was not tried and convicted for this incident, but Wahlberg was found guilty of violating the civil rights of his victims. The AP called it “essentially a stern warning that in the event that they committed one other hate crime, they might be sent to jail.”
On the SAG Awards Sunday, Wahlberg presented the ultimate award of the evening for outstanding performance by a solid in a movie to the mostly Asian solid of “Every part All over the place All at Once” — including Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh and Vietnamese actor Ke Huy Quan.
The Post has reached out to reps for Wahlberg for comment.
Many took to social media to criticize the choice, saying the selection is “embarrassing for Hollywood.”
“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 solid of Every part All over the place All At Once was actually a selection,” journalist Bonnie Stiernberg tweeted.
“The irony of Mark Wahlberg giving an award to EEAAO,” one person wrote.
“mark wahlberg (who’s committed multiple hate crimes including against asian people) giving sag ensemble prize to a predominantly asian solid is genuinely such an embarrassing thing for hollywood to do,” one other said.
“Having Mark Wahlberg present that is so ugly,” someone commented.
“not mark wahlberg of all people presenting an award to Every part All over the place All At Once, a predominantly Asian solid, and saying ‘women are talking’ within the space of 30 seconds,” one person added, referring to Wahlberg’s gaffe calling the film “Women Talking as Women Are Talking.”
“Why did y’all let mark whalberg present an award to a mostly Asian solid after he hate crimed minorities…but ban will smith for somewhat slap,” someone noted, referring to the now-infamous slap ultimately yr’s Oscars.
“REALLY interesting that Will Smith wasn’t invited to present Best Actress while Mark Wahlberg is presenting the ensemble award to a movie with a predominantly Asian solid when he punched and nearly blinded a Vietnamese man,” one other chimed in.
“mark wahlberg the hate crimer giving the solid of eeaao their sag award and having to face there during their speech once they were talking concerning the racism towards asians in hollywood,” a user wrote.
“Mark Wahlberg #SAGAwards2023 … presenting to #Asian solid of #EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce @allatoncemovie … most SAG Awards … ever, including Best Picture … this history involves a person with a history of hate crime in Boston, including on Asians … attempting to unpack this,” one person tweeted.
“Every part All over the place All at Once” swept on the awards show — and even reached a historic high point: It received essentially the most SAG Award wins ever for a movie, a representative for the organization confirmed to The Post.
The movie scored 4 awards on the 2023 SAG Awards. Other than Forged in a Movie, the film picked up Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis and Best Lead Actress for Michelle Yeoh — and solid member Stephanie Hsu was also nominated. Yeoh made history as the primary Asian woman to win in that category.
