The actor has received backlash after posting about George Floyd’s death
PA
KIMBERLEY BOND8 JUNE 2020
People have turned on Mark Wahlberg over his past convictions for hate crimes after he posted a message of support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The 49-year-old actor, whose catalogue of films include Deepwater Horizon and Patriots Day, posted a picture of George Floyd on Instagram, and captioned the post: “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.”
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However, Wahlberg’s tribute didn’t sit right with a number of people, who were quick to point out his history of offences against people of colour.
In 1986, Wahlberg and two friends were issued a civil rights injunction over a 1986 incident in which they threw rocks at a group of 10 and 11-year-old Black children while yelling racist slurs.
In 1988, a then 17-year-old Wahlberg attacked two Vietnamese men on the street, while using racist language. He served 45 days in prison for the attacks.
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Twitter user @dannyderaney commented on Wahlberg’s white privilege:
Others highlighted the fact that John Boyega fears losing his career over taking a stance for Black Lives Matter, while Wahlberg is still one of the world’s biggest movie stars:
Wahlberg previously attempted to seek a pardon for his convictions in 2014, which was not without controversy. In his petition Wahlberg said he was “deeply sorry” for the assaults and had worked hard to become a role model.
However, after backlash, his petition for a pardon was closed in 2016, with Wahlberg saying he “regretted” his actions.
“I spent 28 years righting the wrong,” he told The Wrap. “I didn’t need a piece of paper to acknowledge it. I was kind of pushed into doing it, I certainly didn’t need to or want to relive that stuff over again.”
The Standard has contacted representatives of Mark Wahlberg for comment.
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