What Happened in Jon Hamm’s Fraternity Hazing Incident? Details

For over 15 years, Jon Hamm has been one of the most celebrated actors in Hollywood, thanks in large part to his role as suave and dapper advertising executive Don Draper in the Emmy-winning series Mad Men. However, many A-list stars have pasts they would like to move on from, including Jon’s involvement in fraternity hazing.

Jon’s acting breakthrough on Mad Men came years after deciding he wanted to become an actor, but the role quickly propelled him to superstar status and other notable roles, including 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Morning Show, Bridesmaids, and Top Gun: Maverick.

In November 1990, Jon, along with seven other students at the University of Texas who were members of the Sigma Nu fraternity, were arrested for the attack and injury of pledge and fellow student, Mark Allen Sanders, in a hazing incident, per The Associated Press. Sanders alleged in a 1991 lawsuit that Jon was one of the ringleaders of the assault that led to the fraternity being disbanded.

The Emmy-winning actor was charged with hazing and received deferred adjudication, which means that under Texas law he was required to successfully complete probation. He was never convicted and a separate assault charge was dismissed, according to the AP.

In a 2018 interview with Esquire, he briefly addressed the incident, which initially resurfaced in 2015, several years after he became a household name in Hollywood.

“I wouldn’t say it’s accurate. Everything about that is sensationalized. I was accused of these things I don’t ... It’s so hard to get into it. I don’t want to give it any more breath,” Jon told the outlet at the time.

“It was a bummer of a thing that happened. I was essentially acquitted. I wasn’t convicted of anything. I was caught up in a big situation, a stupid kid in a stupid situation, and it’s a f--kingbummer. I moved on from it,” he added.

After star turns in television shows such as FX’s Fargo and the Paramount+ series Landman, Jon is back as the lead in a drama series with AppleTV’s Your Friends and Neighbors, his first since Mad Men ended its highly successful run in 2015.

Speaking of his character in the show, Andrew “Coop” Cooper, who resorts to stealing from his wealthy neighbors after losing his high-paying job, Jon addressed the character’s actions.

“I think he's trying to find his way back into being a good person. And what does that entail, right? I think he is realizing that these interconnected decisions that he has made that has gotten him to this place in his life have been sometimes decisions that have been directed by the wrong motivations,” he said in an April 2025 interview with NPR.

“What he realizes is that life is and should be more about the relationships that you have and maintain rather than necessarily the acquisition of so much material stuff,” Jon added.