Before he became the beloved actor we know today, Jon Hamm had a dark chapter in his past.
Star Magazine recently obtained details about an assault committed by Hamm during his college years when he was a sophomore and a member of a fraternity.
Fraternities often face criticism for their hazing practices, and Hamm’s fraternity was no exception.
Over 30 years ago, the incident occurred that has haunted Hamm ever since.
In 1990, Mark Allen Sanders, a junior at the University of Texas at Austin, was pledging to Sigma Nu, the same fraternity Hamm belonged to.
Sanders was described as a brilliant honors student, according to the DailyMail.
On November 10, 1990, in the early hours of the morning, Sanders was summoned to the fraternity house.
Hamm reportedly told him, “It’s going to be a long night,” foreshadowing the torment that awaited him.
During the hazing ritual, all the pledges had to memorize facts from a six-page list known as the “bulls–t list.”
When it was Sanders’ turn, he stumbled on Hamm’s nicknames, including “MC Hammer” and “Young Bobby.”
This angered Hamm greatly.
As punishment, Hamm and other fraternity members beat Sanders with a paddle, causing intense pain.
Sanders later shared his experience in a 1991 transcript, stating, “I’m hurting bad, I mean being hit right where the kidney is, it’s killing me.”
But the abuse didn’t stop there.
They lifted Sanders by his underwear, swung him back and forth, and subjected him to further physical pain.
Sanders recalled, “I was hurting really bad… it was sawing, and it was hurting.”
To make matters worse, the fraternity had compartments called “the pit,” “the hole,” and “the grave.”
Sanders was placed in “the pit,” where Hamm pushed his face into the ground while forcing him to do push-ups.
During this ordeal, someone stood on Sanders’ back, though it remains unclear if it was Hamm or another member.
Hamm then proceeded to light Sanders’ pants on fire, preventing him from extinguishing the flames himself.
The final horrifying incident occurred when they took Sanders to the “party room.”
Hamm used a hammer and hooked its claw onto Sanders’ testicles, parading him around the room for what felt like an eternity.
After enduring such trauma, Sanders sought refuge in a friend’s room and showed his injuries to fellow students.
His mother eventually reported the incident to the college authorities, leading to a police investigation.
In 1993, Hamm was identified as the ringleader and subsequently arrested.
However, the hazing charge did not stick, and Hamm received only probation.
He left the college without obtaining a degree, while three other members pled guilty and served shorter sentences or community service.
Sanders filed a lawsuit against the fraternity, but the case was ultimately dismissed, suggesting a settlement outside of court.
Consequently, the fraternity chapter was disbanded.
In 2018, when questioned about the incident in an interview with Esquire, Hamm showed little remorse and offered no apology.
He dismissed the court documents as sensationalized and stated that he had moved on from the incident.
While Hamm may view it as a mere “bummer,” the impact on Sanders was far more severe.
He left UT Austin and continued his studies at Texas Christian University, where he obtained degrees in medicine and law.
Today, he practices as a doctor and attorney specializing in medical malpractice and personal injury, living with his wife and two children in Fort Worth.
Jon Hamm’s troubled past serves as a reminder of the dark side of fraternity culture and the long-lasting effects of hazing incidents.
It is a story that sheds light on the need for stricter regulations and accountability within these organizations.
