The name of beloved Star Wars and Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford started trending on Twitter Monday morning — and users immediately thought the worst. With so many recent allegations of sexual assault against celebrities (including even Sylvester Stallone), they feared Ford was in the middle of a sex scandal.
When I see Harrison Ford trending. pic.twitter.com/vo2xs6zIel
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) November 20, 2017
Tweeters breathed a sigh of relief when they discovered the real reason he was trending, however.
https://twitter.com/OMGkee/status/932601611649736705
As it turns out, the Hollywood star helped an old lady after her car ran off the road. He proved himself to be the hero he played in Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
“Harrison Ford is the real-life Han Solo/Indiana Jones/every action hero he’s ever played on camera … ’cause he just helped a woman who ran her car off the highway,” TMZ reported late Sunday.
Eyewitnesses said Ford was driving behind the woman when she lost control and crashed into an embankment off the highway. He pulled over and helped her exit the vehicle safely while paramedics arrived.
Ford’s heroism drew praise on social media, but it drew even more surprise that a celebrity was trending, not for sexual assault allegations, not because he or she had just died, but because he did a good deed.
“BREAKING: Harrison Ford trending: NOT dead, NOT sexual assault but for helping to save a woman after a car crash. We *can* have nice things,” Joanne Cook tweeted.
BREAKING: Harrison Ford trending: NOT dead, NOT sexual assault but for helping to save a woman after a car crash. We *can* have nice things.
— Joanne Cook (@johalifax) November 20, 2017
Isabello Cigno tweeted, “Whew! Oh, thank God … Harrison Ford is trending for doing something awesome and not for getting rapey 85 years ago.”
Whew! Oh thank God…. Harrison Ford is trending for doing something awesome and not for getting rapey 85 years ago. pic.twitter.com/Cv7YNb2whp
— Isabella Steele 💙 (@MsBellaSteele) November 20, 2017
A user named Olivia spoke for many when she tweeted, “Me clicking on Harrison Ford as a trending topic expecting to see that he’s done something sexual to someone because its 2017 and perverts are everywhere and anywhere but it turns out he saved a woman.”
*Me clicking on Harrison Ford as a trending topic expecting to see that he's done something sexual to someone because its 2017 and perverts are everywhere and anywhere but it turns out he saved a woman*
so now i'm like: pic.twitter.com/TEb82IgR4E
— olivia 🌹🦋 ⁷ (@LIVtheVIRGO) November 20, 2017
In honor of Ford, The Daily Beast’s Marlow Stern shared a photo montage of the beloved actor with the names of Ford car models.
In honor of Harrison Ford saving a car crash victim: pic.twitter.com/dCDP8vFR6g
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) November 20, 2017
It is a sad commentary on the current state of affairs that when a beloved celebrity’s name starts getting attention, Americans jump to the worst of conclusions. Even so, this episode proves, as Luke said of Darth Vader, “There is still good in him.”
Indeed, Americans can have nice things. But Star Wars fans are still sad they can’t have Harrison Ford in any more movies. At least they can have him acting like a hero in real life.
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