Hayden Christensen upset a number of fans who attended the event Space Con in San Antonio, Texas Saturday, as he departed early to catch the decisive NBA Finals Game 5 between the hometown Spurs and New York Knicks.
The Vancouver, Canada native, 45, announced to fans he was ‘going to try to catch the second half of the game’ – garnering a mixed reaction from the audience in a clip an attendee uploaded to TikTok.
Christensen, who has played the key role of Anakin Skywalker for decades across multiple Star Wars projects, had appeared on the panel alongside fellow actors Jimmy Smits and Ian McDiarmid.
Attendees told TMZ ‘they were upset’ that Christensen had such a casual attitude about leaving the event, which cost fans an extra $100 to access.
The entertainer at the convention was also charging $175 for autographs, $225 for autographs on special items and $210 for photo ops.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Christensen and Space Con for further comment on the story.
Hayden Christensen upset a number of fans who attended the event Space Con in San Antonio, Texas Saturday, as he departed early to catch the decisive NBA Finals game
Among the other celebrities who appeared at the weekend convention were John Cena, Tom Hiddleston, Tara Reid, Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny and William Shatner.
A post from the Now Playing Podcast on X stated that Christensen departed 20 minutes into the panel.
‘Attendees say the entire energy left the room’ when the actor did, a post from the podcast read.
The podcast called out Christensen for ‘unmatched greed and ego’ and ‘unwarranted entitlement’ for his early departure at the event, considering the extra $100 attendees spent to access the proceedings.
After leaving the event, Christensen was subsequently pictured at Game 5, in which the Knicks won their first NBA crown in 53 years, sending the Big Apple into a frenzy.
Christensen was seen in a post from the Spurs X account at the Frost Bank Center – which is next to Freeman Coliseum, the venue where Space Con was held – holding up a gray Spurs jersey with his name and the number 26.
In response to the photo of the actor holding up the Spurs jersey, a number of Knicks fans integrated Star Wars tropes to point out that – like his character in the Star Wars universe – the actor was on the wrong side.
One fan wrote, ‘Knicks took out your legs like Obi Wan #AlwaysKnicks,’ while another remarked, ‘Knicks had the high ground.’
Christensen pictured February 3, 2024 at MegaCon Orlando
The actor has played the key role of Anakin Skywalker for decades across multiple Star Wars projects
The entertainer at the convention was charging $175 for autographs and $210 for photo ops
Christensen was one of a number of celebs on hand to witness the Knicks 94-90 victory over the Spurs to secure their first championship in more than five decades.
Other notable names on hand included Sydney Sweeney, Spike Lee, Prince Harry, Tracy Morgan, Timothée Chalamet, Giancarlo Esposito and John Turturro, among others.
Christensen last month was confirmed as a guest at next year’s Star Wars Celebration Los Angeles 2027, which is slated to take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from April 1-4.
Also slated to attend the event – which will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the release of 1977’s Star Wars – are McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Michelle Ang and Dee Bradley Baker.
