Dwayne Johnson is catching flak on social media after he told Esquire magazine earlier this month that he will no longer speak publicly on politics. “Star Trek” icon George Takei is one of the Hollywood voices criticizing Johnson’s stance, writing on Threads: “Silence is complicity.”
“So disappointing to find out he is such a coward,” replied “Stand By Me” actor Wil Wheaton.
Johnson, who is currently embarking on a global press tour for Disney live-action “Moana” film, notably told Fox News in 2024 that he regretted endorsing Joe Biden for president in 2020 because it caused division amongst his fans, adding at the time: “My goal is to bring this country together. I believe in that. There will be no endorsement. At this level of influence, I will keep my politics to myself. It is between me and the ballot box.”
The blockbuster actor expanded on his newfound aversion to political talk by telling Esquire this month: “What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep — need, not want — the main thing. And the main thing for me, the thing that in the morning I swing my legs out of bed and I run towards, is creating. It’s art. It’s storytelling. I’ve learned I’m going to keep my politics to myself. There are moments when, hey, there’s nothing we can’t talk about. If I’m wrong, I’ll tell you I’m wrong. Or if I feel like I got a leg up and this is the right way to go, I’ll share it with you. 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.”
