These days, weighing in on politics can come with some real risk of backlash. And for some celebrities, that risk just isn't worth it, even if staying silent comes with backlash of its own.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is finding that out firsthand. After telling Esquire last month that he prefers to keep his political opinions to himself, the actor is now facing criticism from two of his peers. Star Trek alums George Takei and Wil Wheaton have publicly slammed Johnson over his refusal to weigh in on politics, with Wheaton going so far as to call him a "coward."
The dust-up traces back to an Esquire interview last month, where Johnson was asked directly whether he'd ever use his platform to speak out politically, the way artists like Bruce Springsteen have.
"What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep — need, not want — the main thing 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," Johnson responded. "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. [Laughs.] I hate it at times. I hate the slinging. I hate all the bullshit that comes with it," he continued. "Because when I hear you talk about Springsteen, who I love, and this idea that he's speaking directly to Trump in his concerts, my first thought as you were telling me that, in my head, I went, Oh, then why don't they talk? They should sit down and talk. I don't know where that goes, but I do know that's an important step."
Johnson's response didn't sit well with Takei, best known for playing Hikarku Sulu in The Original Series. Taking to social media, Takei posted on Threads that "silence is complicity," clearly aiming the comment at Johnson. Wheaton, who later played Wesley Crusher in The Next Generation, responded in the replies, saying he was disappointed to see Johnson act like "such a coward."
In previous times, a celebrity staying politically neutral used to be a safe, even respectable choice. But in today's politically charged climate where audiences expect public figures to take a side, silence itself gets treated as a statement, often drawing as much backlash as an unpopular opinion would.
That probably explains Johnson's approach. The less he says politically, the less risk there is of alienating any part of his audience, and the safer his movies are at the box office.