Samuel L. Jackson engaged in a war of words with a fan after he refused to take a photo with the morning show host. The feud started on Twitter April 15 when a radio DJ known simply as Fitz tweeted about the 67-year-old actor being less than nice to him.
That moment when you meet one of your favorite actors & they are a COMPLETE DI??!!!!!!!!! What an arrogant PUNK! Right @SamuelLJackson ????
— THE FITZ (@FollowFITZ) April 16, 2016
Jackson didn’t repond to the fan until two days later on April 17. He says he “politely” refused to take a photo with Fitz.
I refused the photo politely @FollowFITZ then you spazzed out! Learn to say Please & Fuck You! Thanks for the Whitney snitch!!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) April 17, 2016
After Jackson accused Fitz of spazzing out, one of Fitz’s friends, radio producer Eric Rowe, came to his defense.
I've known Fitz for years and I highly doubt he would spazz out on you. He's friends w lots of celebs and gets it. https://t.co/1sugD2cu3n
— Eric Rowe (@ProducerEric) April 17, 2016
The 6’7 DJ adds there were others present at the scene. Jackson then goes on to relay what happened.
I said, thanks but no @FollowFITZ, you said Aww C'mon, I'm a big fan, me, sorry, you, I watch all your movies but not anymore!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) April 17, 2016
Jackson says the fan was not polite when he asked for the photo in the first place and urges him to move on by telling him to “stop whining.”
Now @FollowFITZ, do you see Please anywhere in that exchange? You saw it your way, I see it mine. Stop whining, it's over!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) April 17, 2016
The host of “The Fitz Show” paused the back and forth tweeting on April 17 when he took to Facebook to explain the situation in a video.
Fitz praises the movie star initially, saying that “if you’re going to be told ‘F- you’ on Twitter by anybody, it’s awesome if it’s done by Samuel L. Jackson.”
He says he was at the Worldwide Radio Summit at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. Fitz was set to speak at the event, which took place April 13-15 according to the summit’s website. As he stood in the lobby, Jackson walked inside.
“I said, ‘Samuel L. Jackson, I would love to have a photo with you.’ ” Fitz recounts in the video. “And he goes, ‘nope!’ And just jetted up the stairs.”
The radio DJ says Jackson’s bodyguard redirected the star towards the pool. As Jackson walked past Fitz once more, the host approached the “Hateful Eight” star again.
“Man, do you have any idea how much money I’m spending on your movies?” Fitz told Jackson. “You are my idol. I am a fan.”
Fitz then says Jackson turned around and said, “I’m a fan of me too,” before walking away. The radio host claims he was heartbroken.
He continues, explaining that “the fans pay the bills” and that he wants to give Jackson “a lesson on customer service to fans.” Fitz then thanks Jackson for teaching him that “we should all be fans of ourselves.” He invites the actor to lunch in L.A. to discuss what happened and says Jackson was “very much of a jerk, period. And it sucks.”
Jackson watched the video that evening and ended the feud by saying he’s still a fan of Fitz’s.
You're right @FollowFITZ, I watched. There's a lot of folks that share your experience w/ me & tons of others just the opposite! Still a Fan
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) April 17, 2016
No word on if Jackson took up the self-described radio guy on lunch.
Watch Fitz’s entire video below.
Jackson’s outspokenness is not limited to interactions with fans on social media. In 2014, he called for celebrities who participated in the ice bucket challenge – which many did to support research for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – to sing the “We Ain’t Gonna Stop Til People Are Free” song. It references Black victims who have died at the hands of the police brutality, particularly Eric Gardner. He also has not been shy about voicing his opinion on racial profiling. At a 2015 press conference for “Hateful Eight,” he said Black people “have to be these very nice kinds of Negroes so that we feel safe walking around. Because if you present yourself as any other thing, then people call people on you”
