Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been kicked in the back while judging a skipping competition in South Africa.
The Terminator star had been attending the sports event at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, when the attack took place.
The 71-year-old former Governor of California had been posing for pictures with fans and judging the contest when the incident occurred, and looked blissfully unaware regarding what was about to take place.
Footage of the attack shows how the man ran up behind the Hollywood legend, violently drop-kicking him in his back.
The kick was so forceful the perpetrator could be seen falling to the floor, with Schwarzenegger being propelled forward into the crowd.
The man who kicked Arnie was quickly grabbed and detained, with the former Mr. Olympia leaving the convention centre shortly afterwards.
You can watch the shocking attack for yourself below:
Fans have rushed to offer words of support to Schwarzenegger following the attack, and cannot believe somebody would do such a thing to such a beloved icon.
One fan commented:
Ah I am so angry. From the moment I saw that guy creeping in I knew he was the attacker. I am actually sad.
Others were impressed by how resilient Arnie was to the kick, describing him as a ‘beast’ and ‘a tough old bastard’.
Thankfully, it appears Schwarzenegger has not been seriously hurt during the attack, with director of the Arnold Partner for Africa, Wayne Price, giving the following statement to EWN:
It was all dealt with immediately by the security team, the on-site security and also the police that was also on site. There was no problem. Arnold was not injured at all, as you can see in the video he is smiling later.
The famously muscular action hero later took to Twitter to reassure fans he was okay:
Thanks for your concerns, but there is nothing to worry about. I thought I was just jostled by the crowd, which happens a lot. I only realized I was kicked when I saw the video like all of you. I’m just glad the idiot didn’t interrupt my Snapchat.
The attacker was reportedly removed from the arena following the incident. The motivation behind the attack has not yet been stated.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via stories@unilad.co.uk
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.