Hillary Swank, a two-time Oscar winner, reportedly became upset with a mother who was bringing her seriously ill sons to Disneyland through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Okay, so this is a bit awkward! Last week at LAX, I had a bit of a misunderstanding. I saw someone who I thought was taking a picture of me, and honestly, I reacted a little strongly. I said, ‘I hope you enjoy that picture!’ to Jada Bafus, but it turns out I was mistaken! It’s a good reminder that assumptions aren’t always correct, and sometimes a little grace goes a long way. We all have those moments, right?
Bafus, who traveled from Spokane, Washington, was at the airport baggage area, ready to take his seven-year-old son, Mason, to a theme park near Anaheim.
Mason and his younger brother, Jack, both have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a serious and currently incurable disease that weakens their muscles and heart.
Last week’s trip was a treat for Mason, with Jack tagging along too.
The situation became unpleasant when Bafus pulled out her phone to call her husband, Bryan, while Swank was nearby.
‘At baggage claim, I was walking next to Hillary Swank,’ Bafus said.
‘And I did a double take on her because it’s Hillary Swank and I am a fan of her movies and stuff.
I pulled out my phone because I was distracted and looking for my Make-A-Wish kids and my husband.
I meant to call him, but I think I pulled my phone out at a bad moment. She assumed I was trying to take her picture, and she was already having a rough day.
She said she hoped I liked the picture, but I told her I hadn’t been taking one – I was actually trying to call my husband. She seemed upset and walked away quickly.
Bafus continued: ‘It was just the wrong, wrong place one time.’
Honestly, it really bothered me when it happened. I was just beginning my son’s Make-A-Wish trip – she wouldn’t have been aware of that, of course – but it was one of the first times I’d ever met a celebrity, and the whole thing struck me as kind of funny, in a weird way. It just felt a little off, especially given the circumstances.
She explained that it’s easy to underestimate what others are dealing with, and she was simply an overwhelmed mother trying to manage the challenges of traveling through LAX airport.
Swank reached out to Bafus on Instagram to apologize for her actions, explaining she was concerned about her toddler twins being photographed.
The actress had a son and daughter, Aya and Ohm, in 2023, but she hasn’t posted any pictures of their faces on her Instagram account, where she has 1.6 million followers.
Bafus shared Swank’s apology messages with the Daily Mail but asked for them not to be reproduced.
Bryan Bafus wondered why an award-winning actress – who’d won Oscars for both Boys Don’t Cry and Million Dollar Baby – seemed so upset about having her photo taken at a busy airport known for paparazzi.
As someone who works in the public eye, or if your job involves being filmed, I honestly believe it’s reasonable to expect that people might also take your picture. It just comes with the territory, you know?
Jada wasn’t specifically trying to get pictures of her, but responding to negativity is just part of the job when you’re a public figure – it’s just how things go. We don’t have any hard feelings about it.
We weren’t looking for any benefit from it. It was more of a reaction like, ‘Wow, that was something unexpected!’
‘It was unexpected at the start of our trip.’
Bafus was surprised that Hilary Swank spoke to him directly, saying it was a really unexpected moment.
Bafus shared her experience on Instagram, where it was re-shared millions of times.
On Monday, Swank apologized to her and then followed up with a message offering to help with their sons’ illnesses.
The couple stated they don’t hold any resentment towards Swank and that the incident didn’t ruin their Disneyland vacation.
‘They treated us so well,’ Jada said of the Disney and Make-A-Wish staff.
From the moment they landed at the airport until the end of their trip, the family felt like they were given special, first-class treatment.
Cast members need to be able to identify Make-A-Wish children because they approached us while we were walking around and invited us on the ride. We were allowed to ride as much as we wanted and were also given access to the lightning lanes for our entire group.
At the Web Slingers ride in California Adventure, Mason received special assistance. Staff took him behind the scenes and fitted him with Spider-Man-themed wrist devices, allowing him to experience the ride in a more immersive way. It was great to see them go the extra mile for him.
Mason was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in 2023 when he was just four years old.
Before receiving his diagnosis, he had already had three brain surgeries to treat Chiari malformation, a condition he was born with where brain tissue extends into the spinal canal.
Jack was diagnosed three months later, at only 18 months old.
Families affected by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy often see their sons living into their late 20s, though most boys begin using a wheelchair between ages 10 and 13.
Jada and Bryan are using social media to help people learn about the disease, and they’re optimistic that the FDA will approve new treatments soon.
We’re not necessarily aiming to cure this form of muscular dystrophy, but rather to manage it so patients can live full, normal lives within their expected lifespans,” Jada clarified.
Hilary Swank started her acting career with a role on the TV show Evening Shade in 1991. She gained widespread recognition in 1999 with her performance in Boys Don’t Cry, where she played a transgender character who was bullied. This role earned her the first Academy Award of her career.
Hillary Swank won an Oscar for Best Actress in 2005 for her role as a boxer in the movie Million Dollar Baby, directed by Clint Eastwood.
She’s among a select group of just 15 actresses who have won the award multiple times, placing her in company with legends like Meryl Streep, Bette Davis, Vivian Leigh, and Olivia de Havilland.
Hilary Swank currently resides in a beautiful $3.5 million house on the coast in Bellingham, Washington, located roughly 20 miles south of Canada.
She married her second husband Philip Schneider in 2018 and welcomed their twins five years later.
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2025-12-11 01:08