‘He’s Such a Coward’: Dwayne Johnson Faces Backlash Over Comments on Politics

Dwayne Johnson sparked a firestorm after revealing why he refuses to talk politics publicly. Two Star Trek and Stand By Me stars didn’t hold back after the actor’s recent magazine comments reignited a fierce online debate.

Actors Wil Wheaton and George Takei criticize Dwayne Johnson’s political stance

Actors Wil Wheaton and George Takei publicly criticized Dwayne Johnson after he declared he would keep his political views private. Takei wrote on Threads that “Silence is complicity,” responding to Johnson’s recent Esquire interview, according to Variety. Wheaton then replied to Takei’s post by calling the decision deeply disappointing.

“So disappointing to find out he is such a coward,” Wheaton wrote on the platform. Johnson made the original comments during a wide-ranging Esquire profile published earlier this month. He currently promotes the live-action Moana film on a global press tour for Disney.

Johnson told the magazine that he prioritizes his creative work over political discourse. “What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep — need, not want — the main thing,” he said. He added that storytelling drives him every morning when he gets out of bed.

The actor also expressed frustration with the broader political climate in the country. “Politics is omnipresent and it’s forever. I don’t like it. I hate it at times. I hate the slinging. I hate all the bullshit that comes with it,” Johnson told Esquire. He still maintained openness to private conversations about disagreements between public figures.

Johnson previously endorsed Joe Biden for president during the 2020 election cycle. He later told Fox News in 2024 that the endorsement caused division among his fans. “At this level of influence, I will keep my politics to myself. It is between me and the ballot box,” he said at the time.

Jennifer Lawrence faced similar criticism last fall while promoting Die My Love. She told The New York Times that celebrity endorsements do not sway voters. The Oscar winner instead channels her political beliefs through her production company’s projects.

Source: Comingsoon.net