‘Outlander’ Star Sam Heughan Calms Angry Fans After Convention Jokester Causes Outrage

“Outlander” star Sam Heughan made headlines after a fan interaction at a New Orleans convention. The actor was at Wizard World when a fan jokingly pretended she was going to grab his rear end, but now Heughan is defending her.

The angles of some videos make it look as though the woman, who was invited on stage during one of Heughan’s panels, grabbed him. However, other angles reveal that she put her hands behind him in a suggestive gesture, not actually touching him.

Some fans were outraged, believing that the Jamie Fraser actor had been violated without his consent. However, Heughan has taken to Twitter to note that he didn’t have an issue with it. He posted another angle to clarify that he wasn’t touched and defended the woman.

He went on to retweet a video of another angle.

Even after the clarification, many said that the gesture was a disrespectful joke (one which would never be made to his female co-star Caitriona Balfe without uproar) and shouldn’t have been made at all.

Heughan replied to Entertainment Tonight host Leanne Aguilera to add that he really wasn’t offended and doesn’t feel it needs to be discussed.

“There was no harm in it. Was all taken out of context. We were messing around and being silly on stage. Should never have been blown up like this,” he wrote.

He replied to another fan, “Nothing happened. I was there. She made a gesture. In jest. I think everyone should calm down.”

The actor ended his tweet streak by saying he had a “wonderful day” at Wizarding World New Orleans 2020.

Heughan is beloved as leading man Jamie Fraser on Starz’s time travel drama “Outlander,” which returns for Season 5 on Feb. 16. He is also set to hit the big screen in “Bloodshot” opposite Vin Diesel on March 13. Heughan has said that “Clanlands,” his show about Scottish history with Graham McTavish, will be released later this year as well.