Dwayne Johnson takes Hollywood heat for keeping politics to himself

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is facing criticism from fellow actors George Takei and Wil Wheaton after reaffirming that he intends to keep his political opinions to himself, drawing accusations of cowardice while others rushed to his defense.

The dust-up traces back to Mr. Johnson’s recent interview with Esquire for the magazine’s Summer 2026 cover story, in which the actor said he has decided to stop weighing in publicly on political matters.

“What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep — need, not want — the main thing the main thing,” Mr. Johnson told the magazine. “I’ve learned I’m going to keep my politics to myself.”

He added that politics “is omnipresent and it’s forever,” saying he has grown tired of “the slinging” that comes with public political debate.

Mr. Takei wrote on Threads that Mr. Johnson’s comments had “divided fans, with some calling out his silence,” and followed up with a blunter message: “Silence is complicity.”

Mr. Wheaton, best known for “Stand By Me,” piled on with his own post on Threads, calling Mr. Johnson’s stance “so disappointing” and adding that he found him “such a coward.” Mr. Wheaton’s post was later deleted.

Comedian Matt Rife came to Mr. Johnson’s defense on X, mocking Mr. Wheaton’s “coward” comment given the actor’s physical stature. “I love how he’s a ’coward’ but could quite literally tear Wil’s throat out through his a—hole,” Mr. Rife wrote, adding, “This internet comment world is so bold.”

Mr. Johnson has not always kept quiet about politics. He endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020, marking the first time he had thrown his public support behind a political candidate despite identifying as an independent.

By 2024, though, he had changed course. Appearing with Fox News’ Will Cain that April, Mr. Johnson said he would not be making an endorsement in that year’s presidential race, explaining that his earlier backing of Mr. Biden had caused a rift with fans.

“The endorsement that I made years ago with Biden was what I thought was the best decision for me at that time,” he told Mr. Cain, adding that the fallout “tears me up in my guts back then and now.”

He said he had come to believe his goal should be bringing the country together rather than dividing it further. “I’m going to keep my politics to myself, and I think it’s between me and the ballot box,” he said.

Mr. Johnson, a former WWE champion known for the “Fast & Furious” and “Jumanji” franchises, is currently on a global press tour for Disney’s live-action “Moana.”