Outlander star Sam Heughan responds to backlash over Hawaiian holiday amidst coronavirus pandemic

'Not that I have to explain but let me'
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Megan C. Hills23 March 2020

Outlander star Sam Heughan got into hot water when he revealed he is currently vacationing in Hawaii, amidst the global coronavirus pandemic.

The Scottish star, who answered questions on Twitter for fans in a live Q&A over the weekend, revealed he had taken the opportunity to book his vacation after his appearance at PaleyFest was cancelled due to coronavirus and had gone before the “travel ban.”

Heughan has since attracted backlash on social media for going through with the holiday, with some fans calling him “irresponsible” and another claiming that he was “putting potential added strain” to Hawaii’s medical system.

PA

He has since responded to users criticising him, calling one "rude or completely disillusional [sic]" and added that he was “self-isolating/taking care” on his vacation.

The star was scheduled to appear at PaleyFest over March 13-21 to promote his new project Bloodshot, but the festival organisers announced on March 11 that it had been postponed.

Over the course of his live Q&A on Friday, a fan asked where he was spending his self-isolation.

Heughan said, “Thanks for asking, I’m in Hawaii. Came here before travel ban. Rather concerned to return to UK. Certainly safer here for now. Hope you’re safe and your family too!”

The US announced it would be banning all visitors from numerous European countries, including the UK on March 14.

Heughan did not reveal when he flew to the United States. Hawaii Governor David Ige urged visitors to “postpone their vacations for at least the next thirty days” on March 17 in the hopes of containing the spread of coronavirus, three days before Heughan revealed he was in Hawaii on Twitter.

While many fans expressed their jealousy over his ability to isolate in “one of the most beautiful places”, his response caused some users to criticise the star.

One user wrote, “The Hawaiian healthcare system cannot handle someone on vacation during a pandemic... Repatriate and visit at a better time.”

In response to a tweet made by Bloodshot’s official account, a user wrote, “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.”

Although Heughan wasn’t tagged, he 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.”

He also responded to another fan urging him to ignore the critics, to which he responded that the original poster was "completely disillusional [sic]."

Another fan asked 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.“

“Thank you for your concern Pooks. Yes people ARE dying. It’s terrifying. For your information, I booked once I knew Paley was cancelled. Is that okay with you?” he responded.

Yesterday, a fan also jumped on the AskSamHeughan hashtag and shared an article regarding a newly introduced mandatory two-week quarantine for all visitors to the state - with those not complying fined $5,000 or imprisonment of up to a year.

The user asked, “Are you glad you made it to Hawaii before the mandatory 14 day quarantine?”

On Saturday, Heughan also launched a “30-Day Social-Distancing Challenge” workout challenge through his fitness company My Peak Challenge, adding that it would be “FREE and available for EVERYONE to access.”

Announced on Instagram with a picture of himself, besides plugging the free workout plan he also said, “I’d like to thank EVERY healthcare worker, everyone helping to keep us safe.”

The announcement was met with a lot of excitement, though some brought up his Hawaiian vacation again.

He also revealed that his film Bloodshot would also be released “on digital” in a tweet last night, and could be pre-ordered now.

John Hopkins University reported this morning that at least 341,000 have been infected with coronavirus while 14,700 have died of it globally.

Countries such as Italy, Spain, France and certain parts of the United States have also introduced lockdowns to try and stem the spread of Covid-19, with governments around the world urging people to self-isolate.

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