Actor Steven R. McQueen makes rare public appearance after almost 7 years

Steven R McQueen makes his first appearance in 7 years in Paris while attending a 'The Vampire Diaries' fan event. (Instagram)

Soon after riding the high of his role in ‘The Vampire Diaries,' actor Steven R. McQueen, who played Jeremy Gilbert, Elena’s younger brother, disappeared from the public eye. The 38-year-old has stayed away from the limelight for years; he was last spotted in public almost seven years ago.

However, he recently made a rare appearance at fan festivals, and the internet can't get enough of him.

Steven R. McQueen attends fan festival after 7 years

According to recent updates from fans of 'TVD,' the actor recently attended a fan meeting, going back to his roots in the fictional town of Mystic Falls. He attended the Forever Mystic Falls Fan Meet on October 3 and 4 and was accompanied by his co-stars from the TV show, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, and Riley Voelkel.

The event was held in Paris.

Not only that, but the actor has also stayed inactive on his social media account; however, he recently took to the stories section of his Instagram page and shared a photo of a gym bike without any caption. Many photos of the actor were shared online by fans and netizens alike, showing the actor in a buzz cut, along with a pair of blue jeans and a flannel button-up shirt.

He interacted with fans at the venue and even signed memorabilia and ‘The Vampire Diaries’ merch for fans who were in attendance.

He even posed with fans for photo ops and selfies and sweetly interacted with everyone.

Fans react to Steven R. McQueen’s rare public appearance

Fans posted online about the photos of McQueen attending the ‘TVD’ event, expressing their shock and awe at the 38-year-old star. One person wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), “I just want to give him a hug and tell him that it's okay," while another person commented, “Seeing videos of Steve McQueen at the TVD event is making me feel so maternal."

Many people also criticized the actor, who stepped away from Hollywood in 2020 for gaining weight; however, many ‘TVD’ fans were quick to come to his defense. One person added, “Steven R. McQueen, I adore you, and anyone who has something to say about your weight can rot in hell <3."Another fan of the actor shared, “So happy that Steven R. McQueen was finally present for a convention but extremely disappointed in the TVD fanbase that is shaming him for how he looks now. People grow, change, and life happens and can cause depression and everything in between. It doesn’t take anything to be kind. Just imagine if that were you and people were shaming you the way some are shaming him. Would you be so kind to return for future events? Probably not, and that’s what sucks because after one single event we may not see him out again, and that breaks my heart.

”On the work front, Steven R. McQueen's last on-screen role was as Federal Marshal Cal Breaker in the 2020 film ‘The Warrant.'