Jon Hamm Faces Accusations of Brutal Fraternity Hazing Incident
The popular actor, Jon Hamm, is currently facing allegations of engaging in violent fraternity hazing during his college years.
A recently surfaced 1991 lawsuit, obtained by the Associated Press, sheds light on a disturbing incident that occurred at the University of Texas-Austin in November 1990.
According to the lawsuit, Hamm, along with other members of the Sigma Nu fraternity, participated in a harrowing hazing ritual that turned violent.
The legal documents reveal that Hamm became infuriated when a new pledge, referred to as Mark Allen Sanders, failed to recite the required memorization tasks.
Sanders claimed that Hamm physically assaulted him, hitting him forcefully in the kidney and shoving his face into the ground.
Although the case gained some attention at the time, Hamm was not yet a household name.
In a 1991 article published in the San Antonio Light, he was identified as Jonathan Hamm from St. Louis.
The newspaper reported that Sanders was subjected to beatings with a paddle and broom, as well as being paraded around the fraternity house with a hammer’s claw near his genitals.
Additionally, Sanders alleged that Hamm went as far as setting his pants on fire.
In 1993, an arrest warrant was issued for Hamm and other fraternity members involved in the incident.
Hamm was charged with hazing and ultimately received probation as a consequence.
University records indicate that Hamm left school during the same semester when the hazing allegedly took place.
The actor has previously stated that he dropped out following his father’s death in 1991, seeking solace in his older half-sister Julie’s basement and enrolling in a local college.
However, it is worth noting that these records do not directly link his departure to the hazing incident.
PEOPLE reached out to Hamm’s representatives for comment, but there has been no response thus far.
