Jason Sudeikis had to beg fans to leave him alone after they relentlessly hounded him for an autograph, and I hope more celebrities follow his lead.
The famous actor was trying to exit The Dynasty Typewriter Comedy Club in Los Angeles when overzealous fans began hounding him. Video footage released by TMZ showed the swarm of fans following him quite closely outside, and he proceeded to unload on them for stressing him out. ”
“Guys, please, stop, stop, I’m not going to sign anything,” he said as he attempted to get away from them. “I’m sorry, that was a lot, that scared the shit out of me!” he told the fans as he pleaded for them to leave him alone.
I realize he’s famous, but at some point we have to draw the line on respecting personal space and safety.
More stars should be speaking out about how much of a toll this type of behavior takes on them. If stars accept this as being ‘part of fame,’ then it’s going to just keep happening. It was pretty clear that Sudeikis was uncomfortable with the situation, and let’s face it – the world is full of crazies, and any one of those fans could have had bad intentions.
It makes it even more creepy to discover that the group was comprised of roughly 15-20 people that waited outside the door for three hours, until the “Saturday Night Live” alum exited the building, according to TMZ. That can easily be defined at stalking, yet it’s shrugged off when it relates to famous people.
The video showed him responding to the group of fans by saying, “I literally have to go!” but all they did was walk faster in an attempt to keep up with him, showing absolutely no respect for his wishes.
Some of the fans in the crowd held out papers for Sudeikis to sign, and repeatedly asked him if he’d autograph them.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 22: Jason Sudeikis is seen on May 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Hollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images) Getty Images
Sudeikis became desperate for space, and at one point said, “For real, I’m just a human being. Please, I’m going home, good night.”
That’s definitely too much. If he expressed the desire to be left alone, a small group of people should easily get the message.
He shouldn’t feel that exasperated by strangers following him down the street at night. If it were you or I walking down the street and getting chased by people that were obsessed with us, we’d be calling the police pretty quickly. It shouldn’t be expected for stars to live with such extreme stalking.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: Jason Sudeikis attends the 35th GLAAD Media Awards – Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton on March 14, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for GLAAD)
At some point, some rules should be implemented for fans, and the paparazzi, so they understand that there are limits in place that they need to abide by.
Clearly, Sudeikis is not alone. Chappell Roan recently made it clear that she’d be out of the business if this behavior kept going. Shakira had to leave the stage after a fan refused to stop filming up her skirt. Let’s not forget that a fan recently slinked past a number of security guards at the Toronto International Film Festival, and proceeded to wrap their arms around Angelina Jolie. Any one of these incidents could lead to a stabbing, a shooting, or any type of dangerous situation.(RELATED: Video Shows Aggressive Fan Slipping Past Security, Getting Handsy With Angelina Jolie In Rare Instance)
Do we need it to get to that point before something is done?
