Dwayne Johnson is being called out by his Hollywood peers for choosing to stay quiet about his political views.
The Jumanji actor, 54, declared earlier this month in an interview with Esquire magazine that he wants to “keep my politics to myself” going forward. In the past, Johnson publicly endorsed former President Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election and later said that he regretted it because it sparked division with his fans.
His new resolution sparked backlash on social media from fans and celebrities alike.
“Silence is complicity,” Star Trek legend George Takei wrote Monday on Threads. Stand By Me actor Wil Wheaton replied to Takei’s post: “So disappointing to find out he is such a coward.”
Takei — who played Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu in the iconic sci-fi franchise — is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and has publicly advocated against censorship in all forms.
Johnson did not immediately return The Independent’s request for comment in response to the criticism.
The former WWE champion, who is currently on a global press tour for Disney’s live-action Moana film, said that instead of weighing in on politics, he wants to focus on “storytelling” and “creating.”
“What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep — need, not want — the main thing,” he told Esquire in the story published June 11. “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.”
He continued, “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 bulls*** that comes with it.”
The Black Adam star, who has an estimated net worth of $800 million, previously told Fox News host Will Cain that he regretted endorsing Biden because of the aftermath. He said in April 2024: “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.”
