Mark Hamill Calls Out Rudy Giuliani Assault Claims: 'Who You Gonna Believe?'
By Kristin Myers on June 28, 2022 at 9:00 AM EDT
The surveillance video of Rudy Giuliani inside a ShopRite in Staten Island is going viral after he told the New York Post on Sunday that he had been assaulted by an employee.
However, by Monday morning, the surveillance video had made its way online, which appears to show an employee slapping him in the back, which is a much different picture than the 78-year-old former politician had first painted.
Many began to call Donald Trump's former lawyer out online, including "Star Wars" actor Mark Hamill, who is best known for portraying the character of Luke Skywalker in a galaxy far, far away.
Mark Hamill Slams Rudy Giuliani: 'Lordy There Are Tapes'
Rudy: “I got hit on the back as if a boulder hit me. It knocked me forward a step or two. It hurt tremendously.”
Who you gonna believe, him or your lying eyes? 👀#LordyThereAreTapes https://t.co/LYKqIIAItW— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) June 27, 2022
On Monday afternoon, the voice of the Joker in the animated Batman series took to Twitter to share the surveillance footage of Rudy Guiliani being "assaulted" by the ShopRite employee in Staten Island.
He quoted what Giuliani said at a Facebook press conference on Monday, where he said, "I got hit on the back as if a boulder hit me. It knocked me forward a step or two. It hurt tremendously."
Hamill shot back, "Who you gonna believe, him or your lying eyes?" He added the hashtag #LordyThereAreTapes."
The Force is not with Rudy.
— Alec Wins Emmy!☮️💉💉💉💉😷🇺🇦 (@emmyforalec) June 27, 2022
Many fans reacted with Star Wars-themed puns, including one user who wrote, "The Force is not with Rudy."
Poor rudy didn't use the force!! He needs more training @MarkHamill
— Tony Bellerose (@tonybellerose) June 27, 2022
Another fan commented, "Poor rudy didn't use the force!! He needs more training @MarkHamill."
I guess the Force is strong with that employee
— PROG (@DKroenung) June 27, 2022
"I guess the Force is strong with that employee," another shared. A few hours before Mark's tweet, Deadline had identified the employee as Daniel Gill, who will be facing charges for his physical encounter with the former New York City mayor.
ShopRite Employee Facing Misdemeanor Charges For Alleged Assault
Rudy gives his version of the story, which doesn’t exactly match the video. pic.twitter.com/BhaaMPV3uh
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) June 26, 2022
The employee was arraigned on Monday in Staten Island Criminal Court. Although he had originally been charged with second-degree assault on Sunday, the charges were reduced after the surveillance video went viral online. Gill now faces charges of Assault in the Third Degree, Menacing in the Third Degree, and Harassment in the Second Degree.
According to Deadline, Gill was released on his own recognizance by Judge Gerianne Abriano. According to the communication director for the Office of the Richmond County District Attorney, Ryan Lavis, Gill is due back in court on August 17, 2022.
Eyewitness Rita Rugova-Johnson, who was there to witness the attack, told the New York Post that she was “stunned” to witness the incident.
“I was shoulder-to-shoulder with Rudy inside ShopRite,” Rugova-Johnson said. “We’re talking, and all of a sudden an employee came out of nowhere and open-handedly slapped him in the back and said, ‘Hey, what’s up, scumbag?’”
Video of the “assault” on Rudy at ShopRite, where Rudy had the person arrested, and said if he wasn’t in better shape he would’ve fallen, cracked his skull, and died. pic.twitter.com/EpgSpPu2fk
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) June 26, 2022
On Monday morning, even law enforcement officials seemed incredulous as to how the encounter could be labeled an assault. Officials reportedly told TMZ that Giuliani's assault claims are “much ado about nothing it seems.”
“It was a pat,” they added. “This whole thing is a stretch.”
However, Rudy Giuliani seems to be doubling down on his allegations of assault.
“Yesterday, I was in Staten Island getting ready to campaign for my son. I hadn’t started yet,” Giuliani said on Monday, as per Deadline. “I went to the men’s room, walked back with a group of friends, and all of a sudden, without any warning, was hit very, very hard on the back. To such an extent that it knocked me back about two steps. People around me helped me. People around me secured the person who did it. The videotape that you see is probably a little deceptive, it just shows a hand on my back.”