Ben Stiller is catching heat after a video showed the Hollywood star strolling past a shirtless homeless man slumped on a New York City sidewalk as he headed into Madison Square Garden for a prime seat at the Knicks game.
The Meet the Parents actor, 60, was filmed arriving more than four hours before tipoff Wednesday night for Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.
In the clip posted by WABC sports anchor Ryan Field, Stiller is seen smiling, waving and shaking hands with a fan while walking right by the man on the ground. The footage quickly lit up social media, with critics accusing the outspoken liberal actor of ignoring the very kind of crisis he has publicly urged others to care about.
Ben Stiller arrived more than 4 hours before tip off once again. #AlwaysKnicks pic.twitter.com/Dp9cQL4MQQ
— Ryan Field (@RyanFieldABC) June 10, 2026
“Ben Stiller arrived more than 4 hours before tipoff once again,” Field wrote alongside the video.
The backlash was swift.
“This is America. Rich celebrity just walks past a guy overdosing on fentanyl,” one X user wrote.
Another blasted the scene as a perfect snapshot of modern celebrity privilege, writing: “A celeb casually walking by a fentanyl addict on his way to a $100,000 courtside ticket is SO 2026.”
It is not clear from the video what condition the man was in, or whether Stiller noticed the severity of the situation as he walked by.
Still, the clip struck a nerve because Stiller has previously spoken out about homelessness. In 2016, he supported New York City’s Homeless Outreach Population Estimate campaign and even urged New Yorkers to volunteer.
“Are you enjoying home right now? Thousands of others can’t,” Stiller said in a 2016 video, according to the Daily News.
The Zoolander star has also been involved with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a goodwill ambassador, advocating for people displaced from their homes around the world.
In 2022, Stiller traveled to Ukraine and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling the wartime leader, “You’re my hero.”
But critics say the Madison Square Garden clip showed a very different kind of reality — one where a suffering man on the street was passed by as celebrities made their way to luxury seats.
Stiller has become a familiar face at Knicks games, often shown cheering from high-profile seats near the court. In a pre-game interview with ESPN, he pushed back on the idea that he holds a season ticket.
“I don’t have a season ticket. I just get the tickets,” Stiller said. “The celebrities… the Knicks give us tickets.”
That comment only added more fuel online, where detractors slammed the image of a wealthy star heading to VIP seats while a man lay on the sidewalk just steps away.
Stiller has not publicly addressed the backlash.
