Attacked and Dropkicked in South Africa

On 18/05/2019, Arnold Schwarzenegger was assaulted during a public appearance at the Arnold Classic Africa sporting event in Johannesburg, South Africa. The incident occurred while the actor and former California governor was interacting with fans and recording a video on Snapchat. A man approached from behind and delivered a flying double dropkick to Schwarzenegger’s back, causing him to lurch forward briefly while remaining on his feet. The attacker fell immediately after impact and was quickly restrained by on-site security personnel. Schwarzenegger, who was 71 years old at the time, initially believed he had simply been pushed by the crowd and did not realize he had been kicked until he later viewed footage of the incident. Shortly afterward, he reassured the public via social media that he was unharmed and continued with his scheduled activities at the event. In his message, he encouraged attention to remain on the athletes competing at the Arnold Classic Africa rather than on the disruption. Event organizers described the assailant as an individual previously known to local authorities for similar disruptive behavior. During the incident, the attacker was heard shouting phrases including “Help me, I need a Lamborghini!” According to reports, security personnel had briefly detained and escorted the individual away prior to the attack, but he managed to return and access the area where Schwarzenegger was standing. The breach prompted scrutiny of event security protocols and crowd control measures. Following the incident, Schwarzenegger declined to press criminal charges, referring to it as an unfortunate episode. The event continued as scheduled, with no reported injuries to Schwarzenegger or attendees.