Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty, How Fans Turned Him Into An Icon, Raised Over USD 1.5M For His Defense
Luigi Mangione has pleaded guilty to the murder of Brian Thompson. However, despite the plea, his fans have racked up a massive amount for him even hours after the confession.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleLuigi Mangione is back in the headlines for his confession in court on August 14, 2026 (ET). According to recent reports, the young man has pleaded guilty to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Despite his admission of guilt, his fans have continued to raise money for him. So, let's take a look at how the netizens turned a criminal into a sex symbol.
Luigi Mangione has an immense fan following despite his crime
When police arrested Luigi Mangione in the murder case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson back in 2024, the internet immediately went haywire. The netizens were taken aback by Luigi's looks, and despite the fact that he was being detained for a murder at the time, the internet exploded into a frenzy. And that infatuation seems to have continued despite his admission of guilt on August 14, 2026.
For the unversed, back in 2024, when Luigi Mangione was detained in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder case, netizens were immediately bewitched by his gorgeousness. A user on X wrote, "The manhunt has now ended with investigators declaring 'too hot to convict.'" Another penned, "The healthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione is soooo HOT." A comment read, "Luigi Mangione got the full package, free him."
While the charges against Luigi Mangione were not confirmed at the time, the trend hasn't changed much, even after he pleaded guilty in court. A user on X commented, "I still like the guy." While another posted a picture of Luigi and said, "Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to charges of being extremely good-looking in case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson." A comment read, "Luigi Mangione still holds the record for one of the hottest perp walk photos ever taken."
Luigi Mangione's fans rack up money even after he pleaded guilty in court
Luigi Mangione has pleaded guilty in court for the murder of Brian Thompson. However, his supporters are still throwing money at his defense. According to TMZ, in the hours after his guilty plea was made public, Luigi's GiveSendGo fund for his legal fees increased by about USD 1,000. Fans have continued to support him as the "anti-hero" of today's world, saying, "He did what he had to do today, what he thought was best for him. We're still here with you, Luigi."
While another said, "You'll see the outside world again one day; I know you will. I'll keep writing to you." The fundraiser has been up since December 2024 and has raised more than USD 1.56 million to date. For the unversed, Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to interstate stalking resulting in death and stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death on August 14, 2026, as he admitted in court that he killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson with a gun he made from a 3-D printer.
Following his plea, Luigi Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, explained during a press conference after the plea that Luigi "endured years of severe, debilitating pain, following a broken back, while struggling to navigate our health care and health insurance systems. He believed that the system had failed him and destroyed his life." His team also filed a motion to dismiss the state murder case against him on double jeopardy grounds since he's already copped up to federal charges in a case they say is "basically a carbon copy".
What are your thoughts on Luigi Mangione's fan following? Let us know.
PC: ABC7, X, 13WMAZ/YT
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