Laura Linney says she’s ‘glad no one was seriously injured’ after event assistant hit by aggressive autograph seeker
- Linney’s assistant at the Fashion Week event was attacked by an autograph seeker in New York on Friday
- Actress, 59, said: ‘It was an unfortunate thing that happened’
- Linney was at TIFF in Toronto on Monday for the debut of her new film Wildcat
Laura Linney said she was “glad no one was seriously injured” after an aggressive autograph seeker attacked an assistant helping her after an event in New York City Friday.
The 59 year old actress spoke with People Monday about the incident, while attending the Toronto International Film Festival for the debut of her new film Wildcat.
The New York City native told the publication while entering the Royal Alexandra Theater: “You know, it was an unfortunate thing that happened.”
The incident occurred as the three-time Academy Award nominee emerged from a show during New York Fashion Week.
The Ozark actress had been sitting front row at the Christian Siriano Fashion Show alongside Janet Jackson and Alicia Silverstone at the Pierre Hotel on the Upper East Side.
The latest: Laura Linney, 59, said she was “glad no one was seriously hurt” after an aggressive autograph seeker punched her assistant after an event in New York Friday. She was pictured at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday for the debut of her film Wildcat
But it became an unpleasant situation when she waited outside among the crowd for a car to pick her up.
A fan with an autograph book tried to push past the assistant – who AND was reportedly working as a Fashion Week team member – and reacted angrily when he couldn’t reach the star, punching the assistant on the back of the head before walking away.
‘Oh my God!’ shouted an onlooker, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The moment was captured by TikToker @mickmicknyc with the caption “Why Celebrities Need Bodyguards!”
The four-time Emmy winner already looked nervous as she left the show, looking up and down the street anxiously.
“It’s chaos in here, don’t worry, we’ll figure it out,” someone assures her.
The autograph seeker was then seen approaching from behind and poking her in the back with his pen, causing the assistant to say, “Hey, hey! No, don’t do that.’
“Don’t fucking touch me,” the man replies, before lashing out at the slightly built assistant.
The fan punched the star’s assistant in the back of the head after he failed to get an autograph
The star comforted her assistant after he was attacked outside the NYFW event at the Pierre Hotel on New York’s Upper East Side
It was all smiles as the star emerged from the event just seconds before the attack
Linney wore a one-shoulder maxi dress with horizontal black, white and dark gray stripes
Monday’s outing marked Linney’s first time walking the red carpet since a frightening incident that occurred Friday when an aggressive autograph seeker bashed her assistant’s head
The Big C actress asked her assistant, “Are you okay?” as she placed her hand on his shoulder and the attacker stormed back to the hotel.
“Okay, I’m fine,” he assured her, smiling as he guided her to a waiting car.
Written and directed by Ethan Hawke, 52, Wildcat is a biographical drama about the late novelist Flannery O’Connor (who is played by Maya Hawke, 25) in the film as she tried to get her first novel published.
Linney plays Regina in the film, which also stars Philip Ettinger, Cooper Hoffman, Rafael Casal, Vincent D’Onofrio, Willa Fitzgerald and Alessandro Nivola.
Linney wore a one-shoulder maxi dress with horizontal black, white and dark gray stripes. She completed her ensemble with black heels and parted her dark blonde locks at the event.