While he’d be damned if you did, he was now also damned if you didn’t.
Getting canceled for making comments deemed rogue, insensitive, inflammatory or divisive, especially regarding political topics, is something celebrities have been dealing with for decades. But being criticized for staying silent is a whole new battle for stars to deal with.
Either way, “it’s a minefield,” as one longtime entertainment PR executive put it Hollywood Reporter.
“This has always been a challenge, but the thing today is that the situation is so fast-paced and you have almost no time to pull yourself together and decide what to do,” says the executive. “That’s why you get a lot of no-responses, because they’re like, ‘Okay, what do we say?'” And in the meantime, things blow up and then it’s almost impossible to respond to them. It’s like if I respond, I’ll just fuel the fire even more.
However, these non-answers are now as problematic as the responses. Actors can try whatever they want to remain apolitical, but the Internet these days doesn’t give anyone a pass.
For example, Sidney Sweeney did her best to stay out of the fray even as her ad for American Eagle jeans was drawing a firestorm of criticism from online voices claiming that the campaign’s slogan — “Sidney Sweeney has great jeans” — promoted white supremacist-style eugenics. Although she protested that she “wasn’t here to talk politics”, the actress faced a lot of controversy due to the controversy. (It didn’t help when reports surfaced that she had registered as a Florida Republican just before the 2024 presidential election.)
Jelly Roll, the rapper-turned-country star, has also been criticized online recently for avoiding politics — by R&B singer Eric Bennett, who called him “full of shit” after the “I’m Not Okay” artist told reporters backstage at the 2026 Grammys that “people shouldn’t care” about his political views.
At last month’s Berlin International Film Festival, known for its embrace of political discussion, Michelle Yeoh and Neil Patrick Harris came under fire for trying to deflect political questions. When Yeoh was asked about the US political scene at her press conference, she replied: “I don’t think I’m in a position to really talk about the political situation in the United States.” Harris gave a similar response when asked in his press conference about… Sunny dancer – A film about teenage cancer survivors – Whether the film contains a message about health care.
“Although I have my own political views, I never read this script as a political statement,” he replied.
No celebrity is safe from criticism for remaining silent, not even Taylor Swift. One of the world’s biggest pop stars is under constant pressure from fans to use her influencer platform to address issues in a timely manner. While she keeps a low profile on most controversial matters — such as with the wars between Russia and Ukraine, Gaza and Israel, and Iran and the United States — she does have occasional candid moments, such as when she publicly endorsed Kamala Harris for president in 2024.
The current political environment is not only stressful for celebrities, but also for their publicists – as they now have to be hyper-vigilant, not only when their famous client speaks out, but also when they remain silent. said a senior publicist, a partner at one of Hollywood’s leading public relations firms THR“I’m on high alert. It’s a sensitive time, and one question about Trump on the red carpet could derail a multi-million dollar campaign.” Another rep agreed, saying, “It’s not worth putting your customer in a vulnerable position. Your service can be canceled in five seconds if you do something outside of your comfort zone.”
Another veteran publicist — with Oscar-winning clients — put it more succinctly still, calling today’s press conferences a “fucking nightmare.”
“The clip can travel around the world in an instant,” she says. “if [a client] If you happen to give a rude answer, or something less enlightened, a short audio clip gives you no chance of generally pleasing the jury on social media because they don’t feel calm at all.
Although some celebrities have taken the silent route, there are also plenty of celebrities who have no problem dipping their toes into the political arena and the potential criticism that may follow, like Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, who criticized ICE at the 2026 Grammy Awards. Unsurprisingly, those on the right were quick to applaud, including Shark tank star Kevin O’Leary, who suggested to the “Wildflower” singer to “shut your mouth and just enjoy,” and Senator Ted Cruz, who said “the entertainment world is so corrupt.”
Julia previously told Louis-Dreyfus THR At a Chanel event in November 2025, she realizes that “everyone should do what suits them,” but she also has no problem balancing her activism with her public profile. She added: “I will say that I personally feel that we are going through a democratic crisis, so I believe in the need to sound the alarm about that.” “There is an urgent need now.”
Aside from online backlash, speaking out as a high-profile figure can also lead to other, much more costly, risks. Melissa Barrera has been fired Screaming 7 For a series of social media posts in the wake of the war between Israel and Hamas, Susan Sarandon was dropped by UTA after making controversial statements about the conflict.
Given all that, some celebrities more or less flip the coin when they choose to speak up, or stay silent forever.
“Let’s say your publicist says to the talent: ‘You have a choice,’” says the veteran PR expert. “You can get beaten up if you say something or if you don’t say something. Which do you choose?” “I’d rather be beaten up for not saying something than for saying something, because no one can attribute that feeling to you. They can only attribute your reluctance to discuss the topic, and that could mean any number of things that could be interpreted in any number of ways.”
However, for some, like Tig Notaro, the Oscar-nominated actress for the documentary Come and see me in the good lightThe risk of speaking frankly is worth it. “I usually try to speak up for myself and the issues and politics I believe in through the way I live my life and what I stand for,” she said. “Whether it was before Trump or now, there are moments where I feel like I need to get involved a little more, and in those moments, I feel like it’s worth the risk.” “It’s a delicate balance, but the world is already out of balance.”
