Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on Tuesday was roundly criticized after confirming earlier this month that he will no longer publicly discuss politics, catching flak from “Star Trek” icon George Takei and “Stand By Me” star Wil Wheaton — who called him a “coward.”
Johnson was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood for several years and has arguably curated a nonconfrontational persona regarding politics, even as President Donald Trump launched mass deportations, lethal immigration raids, de facto coups and a war on Iran.
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“I’ve learned I’m going to keep my politics to myself,” Johnson told Esquire magazine in an interview published earlier this month. “There are moments when, hey, there’s nothing we can’t talk about. If I’m wrong, I’ll tell you I’m wrong.”
The former wrestler continued at the time, “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 ******** that comes with it.”
The “Jumanji” star was skewered Tuesday by Takei, an outspoken critic of Trump and his administration who shared an article about Johnson’s comments on social media and wrote on Threads, “Silence is complicity.”
Wheaton commented, “So disappointing to find out he is such a coward.”
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Takei was born in Los Angeles, California, to Japanese parents in 1937. They were forcibly interned by the U.S. government during World War II under the administration of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt after Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. He was 5.
Johnson has made a fortune in Hollywood following his transition from professional wrestling into acting. While he has donated money to causes and has stood up for the rights of others, he has nonetheless uttered nary a word about the harmful policies of the Trump administration.
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Johnson, seen here at the 8th Annual American Black Film Festival Honors in February. Richard Shotwell/Invision/Associated Press
He did tell Fox News in 2024 that he regretted endorsing former President Joe Biden in 2020, stating 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.”
Johnson argued his endorsement had caused division among his fans — or customers.
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During his Esquire interview, the actor mentioned Bruce Springsteen, “who I love,” routinely calling out Trump mid-concert. He recalled thinking, “Oh, then why don’t they talk?” Johnson argued that, while he isn’t sure “where that goes,” communication is “an important step.”
Read Johnson’s full interview at Esquire.
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