'Silver Spoons' Actor Ricky Schroder Facing Scrutiny for $150K Donation Towards Kyle Rittenhouse's Bail

Michael Hein

11/22/2020 06:49 pm EST

Actor Ricky Schroder is under fire for his overt support of Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager accused of murdering two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse was caught on camera prowling Kenosha's protests back in August with an assault rifle illegally in his hands. Fans of Schroder's work on shows like NYPD Blue and Silver Spoons are questioning why he would help pay Rittenhouse's bail.

Rittenhouse's friends and family crowdfunded a staggering $2 million for his bail, which he paid last week. According to a report by USA Today, Rittenhouse was released on Friday afternoon. He then posed for a photo with Schroder and some of the other stars who helped signal-boost his fund-raising campaign. Schroder donated to the cause and encouraged fans to do the same, disappointing many fans in the process.

Rittenhouse still faces allegations of killing 26-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum and 26-year-old Anthony Huber and wounding 22-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz. He may also face charges for carrying an AR-15-style rifle openly while underage and for traveling across state lines with it just to attend the protest. Rittenhouse was with a militia-style group of counter-protesters at a Black Lives Matter rally in Kenosha, following the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake.

"In America, we are ALL innocent until a jury of peers decides guilt or innocence, not the Mob or Press," Schroder tweeted about Rittenhouse. "When the facts are known, many of you will owe this young man an Apology."

Given that Rittenhouse was caught on camera several times during the fateful Kenosha demonstrations, many fans doubted Schroder's assessment. Here is a look at what they had to say about his support for Rittenhouse.

Evidence

Many fans doubted Schroder's assurance that Rittenhouse would be proven completely innocent given the apparent evidence against him. They questioned how the actor could stand by Rittenhouse with all that evidence to the contrary.

Justice

Several followers pointed out that the Black Lives Matter movement itself is about justice, much like the kind Schroder was calling for in his post about Rittenhouse.

Race

Many fans doubted that Schroder and others would have supported Rittenhouse as vehemently if he had been Black, or if he had been on the other side of this divisive debate.

Middle Finger

Commenters directed middle finger emojis at Schroder, and other public figures who helped fund Rittenhouse's massive bail payment. Some were actually fearful about the idea of Rittenhouse being back on the streets.

Fans

Many of the commenters on Schoder's post let him know that they were once big fans, but said that his extreme politics have pushed them away. They wondered why Schroder would go so far to defend Rittenhouse.

Role

Some speculated that Schroder played an even bigger role in Rittenhouse's release than the public realized, noting how much more politically outspoken he has become recently. Schroder has been encouraging fans to switch to the social media app Parler, a controversial alternative to Facebook and Twitter which promises not to fact-check conservative talking points in the same way.

Family

Finally, fans noted that Schroder's controversial politics have put him at odds with his own family, in addition to a huge section of his fan base. They were sad to see him supporting Rittenhouse so publicly.

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