Photo by Anne Wheaton shows two face-concealed men wielding cameras poised to film patrons at the Hollywood Way U.S. Postal Service location.
By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | February 2026
Burbank, Calif. (AP) – Anne Wheaton, wife of actor Wil Wheaton known for his role as Wesley Crusher in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” recounts a harrowing encounter at a local post office where she says masked filmmakers aggressively targeted terrified seniors.
Wheaton visited the U.S. Postal Service branch on Hollywood Way in the 91505 ZIP code on Monday, spotting three men hiding their faces while shoving cameras and selfie sticks toward customers inside and out. Five individuals over 65 clustered fearfully by the entrance as the intrusion unfolded. She informed them these were likely “First Amendment auditors” chasing viral confrontations and urged ignoring the provocateurs.
According to Wheaton’s post, one woman headed to her car only to be mobbed so intensely she suffered a panic attack, dissolving into tears. A fellow patron begged staff to help, but employees refused, bound by policy. An auditor then stormed the lobby, brandishing his camera stick and invoking First Amendment rights, before slinking back outside upon silence.
Workers confirmed Burbank authorities track these repeat disruptions, echoing complaints from this site and others, but act solely on assaults. Wheaton snapped photos of two masked men by her vehicle after one charged to film her; the images capture their concealed faces and ready cameras at the entrance, validating her account.
Wheaton lamented the men’s life choices as “sad and embarrassing,” highlighting risks to vulnerable residents amid a national wave of such audits. No arrests occurred.
Safety Advice for Encounters
Stay calm and de-escalate by ignoring filmmakers completely. Avoid eye contact or reaction to starve them of content. Walk away briskly, cover your face discreetly if needed, alert staff about at-risk people, and call police non-emergency for harassment or threats since public filming is legal but assault isn’t. Document safely from afar for reports, as Wheaton did.
