Sam Heughan's battle instincts came in handy when he had to fight off angry fans during the beginning of the pandemic. It was like he was back on the battlefields of Culloden again in Outlander.
Plenty of celebrities had the means to travel during the height of the pandemic last year, and they chose to proceed at their own risk. Most of them, if not all, received some pretty hefty backlash from angry fans. Kendall Jenner was fired at, and the rest of the Kardashians were among the earliest to travel for leisure when lockdowns started to lift. But still, fans weren't happy, especially when the celebrities clapped back.
Heughan's situation was no different. Let's just say his choice of timing to visit Hawaii was not praised by fans in the slightest. But he clapped back at them the best he could.
He probably wished he was back in his native Scotland filming gory battle scenes. That would have been easier to handle than vicious fans who were nosing into his personal life. It's already taken a toll on his mental health. According to his Instagram, Heughan is passionate about Scotland, whiskey, and fitness, but he's also passionate about defending himself...not that he has to. Here's out it all played out.
So It Was A Last Minute Thing
A week after the pandemic started last year, Heughan revealed he was mysteriously in Hawaii during a Twitter Q&A.
One fan asked him where he was spending his quarantine. At first, all he said was that he'd been in Hawaii since before the travel ban.
"Thanks for asking, I’m in Hawaii," he said. "Came here before the travel ban. Rather concerned to return to UK. Certainly safer here for now. Hope you’re safe and your family too!"
This didn't sit well with some fans, and soon Heughan received a wave of backlash, with some fans calling him "irresponsible" while others shamed him for "putting potential added strain" on Hawaii's hospitals.
The US government announced the travel ban on March 14. But Heughan did not reveal when he arrived in Hawaii. According to the Evening Standard, Hawaii's governor David Ige told visitors to "postpone their vacations for at least the next thirty days" on March 17. This was three days before Heughan's Twitter Q&A.
Some fans wished Heughan a good stay and urged him to stay safe, while other fans went on the defense.
One person wrote, "The Hawaiian healthcare system cannot handle someone on vacation during a pandemic... Repatriate and visit at a better time."
Another person online wrote on a post on Heughan's new movie Bloodshot's official account, "Step right up ladies 'n' gents and give this man more of your hard-earned cash! [Sam Heughan] flits around in airplanes while ignoring the pandemic health order to stay home, putting you and yours at risk, cuz he’s special. Help Sam build his brand motto - F**k you, just gimme your cash."
Heughan responded directly, "Excuse me? Not that I have to explain but let me. I was brought to America for MANY work commitments. I had booked a holiday this week, after over a year of commitments. I’m self-isolating /taking care whilst looking to return home, if safe. I hope you’re safe but please unfollow."
Later, he responded to a different fan who was trying to tell him to ignore the haters. "The definitely not worth your time Sam. Some people are just rude," the person wrote, to which Heughan responded with, "Rude or completely delusional."
Another nosy fan, who was confused about the timeline of it all, asked Heughan about it directly; "Wait—so you had the vacation you’re currently on booked knowing you were committed to Paley? Or did you book it even though you knew there was a rising global pandemic? It doesn’t add up. People are dying, being quarantined, and many have lost their jobs. This is serious, dude."
Heughan responded with, "Thank you for your concern Pooks. Yes people ARE dying. It’s terrifying. For your information, I booked once I knew Paley was canceled. Is that okay with you?"
He said he took the opportunity to book the trip after his appearance at PaleyFest was canceled. He was supposed to promote his new film Bloodshot between March 13-21, but it was canceled because of COVID on March 11.
Using the AskSamHeughan hashtag once again to come at Heughan, one fan shared an article discussing the new mandatory two-week quarantine for people who travel to Hawaii. Those who violate it were fined $5,000 or imprisonment of up to a year.
"Are you glad you made it to Hawaii before the mandatory 14-day quarantine?" the person wrote.
After that, the backlash died down somewhat, and he launched a "30-Day Social-Distancing Challenge" workout challenge through his fitness company My Peak Challenge. He wrote on social media that it would be "FREE and available for EVERYONE to access."
Announcing the challenge on his Instagram, he added a thank you to all the healthcare workers. "I’d like to thank EVERY healthcare worker, everyone helping to keep us safe," he said. While many fans commented on their excitement, some were quick to bring up the Hawaii scandal once more.
"Greetings from Hawaii heaven where I went on vacation after virus explosion in USA, I/of stay where I was avoiding to spread the virus. A big hug to all workers of my resort who must clean my room serve me food, wash my clothes Join mpc, today is free but not forever," one wrote.
Later that April, Heughan posted a letter on his social media explaining that he and everyone associated with him have been subjected to bullying that's affected his mental state over the past six years.
While still in Hawaii, he also said he was "not a burden to the locals" and had been advised to stay for the foreseeable future. Sadly, it came to this. But Heughan has some really loyal fans and friends all over the world.
