'Sexiest criminal' Luigi Mangione's court appearance has female fans swooning

Luigi Mangione, the alleged murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, made his first court appearance of 2025 on Friday (Feb 21) wearing a bulletproof vest and shackles over his green sweatshirt - and that was enough to make women on the internet simp over him, once again.

It was just a court appearance as Mangione was sent back to jail shortly after. The Manhattan court was packed with women just to catch a glimpse of the murderer - who was given the title of "sexiest criminal" after his arrest in December last year.

Photos and videos shared on the social media platform X showed women taking his pictures while he was being taken to the court with his hands chained. Some were seen obsessing over the "Italian" shoes he wore during the appearance. It was even reported that some women reached the court wearing maroon shirts to recreate Mangione's look from the time of his arrest.

Internet buzz

"Luigi Mangione is one of the most beautiful looking people I've ever seen in my whole life," one X user wrote.

Meanwhile, another said, "Luigi Mangione's best photo is always the next one."

Some others seemed to condemn the authority's decision to chain his hands as one user said, "Luigi Mangione being escorted like some Batman villain is still wild to me!"

What did Mangione's lawyer say?

The hearing lasted just 30 minutes with defence and prosecutors providing their updates on the case.

Karen Agnifilo, Mangione's lawyer said that his right to a fair trial "is being infringed upon because he’s not being afforded the presumption of innocence until proven guilty…Also his rights were violated due to an illegal search and seizure".

Mangione's massive support base

Due to his looks and buzz on the internet, Mangione has bagged over $500,000 in donations for his case by his supporters, as claimed by his legal defence fund.

“I am overwhelmed by — and grateful for — everyone who has written me to share their stories and express their support. Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions,” Mangione said in a statement on the website of the defence fund.

“While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, please know that I read every one that I receive. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to write. I look forward to hearing more in the future," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)