An English couple discovered hallowed science fiction artifacts while cleaning their attic, which had been there since before they bought the house 24 years ago. The items included an original script, shooting schedules, and call sheets for one of the first three Star Wars movies that once belonged to Peter Mayhew, the actor who played Chewbacca. They approached an auctioneer, who decided to sell the items, believing they would be of interest to Star Wars fans.
However, the auction was halted after Mayhew’s widow, Angie, appealed via Twitter for the items to be withdrawn. The tweet created an uproar, prompting the auctioneer to pull the items from the sale. Angus Ashworth, the auctioneer, apologized for any inconvenience and expressed his willingness to work with the Peter Mayhew Foundation and the homeowners to find a solution that was amenable to all parties.
Mayhew and his then-fiancée, Angie, didn’t know what was in the attic when they sold the house and moved to the US. Mayhew was over 7 feet tall and suffering from the effects of gigantism, which caused him joint pain, muscle weakness, and enlarged organs. He couldn’t get into the attic and refused to let Angie go up. As a result, they were forced to leave the items behind.
Mayhew died in 2019 at 74 after devoting much of his later years to philanthropy, including the foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to “the alleviation of disease, pain, suffering, and the financial toll brought on by life’s traumatic events.” The foundation representatives learned about the auction after news stories about it started circulating. They appealed to the auction house privately, but after not hearing back, Mayhew’s widow tweeted her opposition. Eventually, the couple who discovered the Star Wars memorabilia agreed to donate the items to the Peter Mayhew Foundation, and the auction was canceled. The memorabilia already has a place in the “Chewie room,” a large outbuilding filled with Star Wars souvenirs.
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