Jason Sudeikis begs fans to back off and stop chasing him after 'scary' encounter
Video shows Jason Sudeikis begging fans to stop pursuing him in the hope of an autograph.
The actor and comedian had been outside the The Dynasty Typewriter comedy club in Los Angeles when the group of fans approached him.
In the footage, which was obtained by TMZ, Sudeikis can be seen becoming visibly distressed by the die-hard fans.
Some had reportedly waited as long as three hours to catch a glimpse of Sudeikis as he left the comedy club.
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They had reportedly gathered at around 6.30pm, waiting until 9.30pm for the Saturday Night Live alumnus to emerge.
The crowd of around 15 to 20 fans pursued him, with the actor pleading with them that it had been 'a lot'.
He went on to add that the encounter 'scared the sh*t out of me'.
The 49-year-old Ted Lasso star addressed the assembled fans in the hope of persuading them to leave him alone.
He said: "Guys, please, stop, stop, I’m not going to sign anything.
“I literally have to go! I’m sorry, that was a lot, that scared the sh*t out of me. For real, I’m just a human being. Please, I’m going home - good night.”
Many people were sympathetic to the actor and comedian, and took to social media to share their thoughts on the encounter.
One posted: "Love Jason for being honest! Celebrities are people too; we need to respect their boundaries."
A second commented: "This is legit not cool. Real fans don’t behave like that. And if you’re following along with autograph hounds, that’s the wrong choice too. They’re scum. I hope Jason Sudeikis is okay."
Meanwhile a third wrote: "Jason Sudeikis' reaction is completely understandable. Constant fan pressure can be overwhelming, even for celebrities.
"Fans need to respect personal boundaries, recognizing that celebrities are people too, deserving of privacy and space just like anyone else."
The incident comes as the issue of fan behaviour around celebrities was thrust into the public eye after singer Chappell Roan spoke out publicly.
In a viral video, the singer hit out at fans stalking and harassing her when she is out in public.
She said: “I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a normal thing to do to people who are famous or a little famous, whatever. I don’t care that it’s normal."
The 26-year-old drew a huge reaction over the video, with many people praising her for setting clear boundaries and criticising the public's para-social relationships with celebrities.
Kit Roberts