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Jon Hamm built his reputation as the smooth-talking yet deeply troubled Don Draper in Mad Men. But long before he became Hollywood’s leading man, his past carried a scandal that would later haunt him. In 2015, just as Mad Men was airing its final season, a dark chapter from his college days resurfaced – a violent fraternity hazing at the University of Texas in 1990.
Court and school records revealed Hamm’s involvement in a brutal initiation ritual as a Sigma Nu fraternity member. The victim, Mark Allen Sanders, claimed he was “severely beaten, dragged with a hammer, and had his pants lit on fire.” He alleged that Hamm participated “till the very end.”
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According to the lawsuit, pledges had to memorize names assigned to fraternity members, including Hamm’s, which reportedly included “Young Bobby,” “MC Hammer,” and “UT Football Punching Bag.” When Sanders failed, Hamm allegedly lost his temper. “He reared back and hit me left-handed, and he hit me right over my right kidney, I mean square over it. Good solid hit and that, that stood me right up.”
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Sanders said the injuries forced him to seek medical attention and withdraw from school. The fraternity chapter was permanently disbanded, and multiple members faced charges. Hamm was charged with hazing and sentenced to probation, while a separate assault charge was dismissed.
The lawsuit was filed in 1991 but dismissed in 1993. For years, the story remained buried. Hamm was not yet famous, and the case never gained traction. That changed when Star magazine exposed it in 2015. The revelation came just as Hamm’s career was reaching its peak, adding an unsettling layer to his Hollywood image.
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Hamm left the University of Texas after just one semester. He later claimed it was due to his father’s death, but court records told a different story. When the hazing scandal resurfaced, he stayed silent—so did his reps.
Despite the controversy, Hamm’s career soared. He won an Emmy for Mad Men, nailed guest spots on 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and starred in The Morning Show and Top Gun: Maverick. But for some, the fraternity scandal never faded.
In 2015, Hamm checked into rehab for alcohol addiction. The timing raised eyebrows—was his past catching up to him? Years had passed, but the hazing case still cast a long shadow. On-screen, he was all charm and confidence. Off-screen, his past hinted at something darker. A tale of two Jon Hamms—one celebrated, one condemned.
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