‘Reacher’ star Alan Ritchson says studios pressured him to curb political remarks

“Reacher” star Alan Ritchson said studio executives have repeatedly pressed him to stop discussing politics publicly, a comment that surfaced days before he and his wife announced their divorce.

Speaking on stage at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto in late August, Mr. Ritchson said studio bosses have called him directly over his political commentary. “You know how many phone calls I get from studios like, ’Would you shut the fuck up, please? Stop talking in public,’” the actor said, according to video of the appearance reported by Breitbart. He went on to invoke Jeffrey Epstein’s name, drawing cheers from the crowd, though he didn’t elaborate on the reference.

The remarks came about a week before Mr. Ritchson and his wife of two decades, Catherine Ritchson, announced their separation in a joint Instagram post.

“After twenty years together, Cat and I have decided to end our marriage and continue alongside one another in a different way,” the couple wrote, adding that their three sons “will always be the center of our world.” Court records reviewed by AOL show Mr. Ritchson had actually filed for divorce nine months earlier, in December 2025, and the couple reconciled in March before going public with the split in September.

A pattern of political remarks

Studio unease with Mr. Ritchson’s political commentary follows a string of profanity-laced remarks he’s made over the past two years. In July, on the “Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast, Mr. Ritchson delivered a tirade about the slow release of the Epstein files, saying “these fucking rapists” should be held accountable and separately referring to President Trump as “that bitch,” alleging — without evidence — that he is “all up into 13-year-olds.”

Multiple outlets, including Rolling Stone, characterized the remarks as Mr. Ritchson calling Mr. Trump a “rapist,” though the exchange, reviewed in full by Blaze News, shows the word “rapists” and the reference to Mr. Trump came in separate, adjacent statements rather than one direct sentence. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded in a statement emailed to Blaze News: “Just as President Trump has said, he’s been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein. … By releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request, signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and calling for more investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends, President Trump has done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone before him.”

Mr. Ritchson has also sparred publicly with Rep. Matt Gaetz, a former high school classmate. In a 2025 GQ interview, he called Mr. Gaetz “that motherfucker” and said the two are “adversaries.” Mr. Gaetz disputed that characterization, writing on social media that the two were never adversaries and suggesting Mr. Ritchson was seeking attention.

Separately, on the “Armchair Expert” podcast in July, Mr. Ritchson recounted director Guy Ritchie telling him the world would be better if “everybody should wake up in a pool of their own teeth and blood,” and said he’d come to agree with the sentiment amid his frustration with Mr. Trump and the Catholic Church. Breitbart characterized the remarks as justifying political violence against Mr. Trump and his supporters; in the portion of the exchange available in reporting on the podcast, Mr. Ritchson did not use the word “violence” himself, framing the comment instead as holding onto anger rather than “letting go” of resentment toward those he considers his political adversaries.

Neighbor altercation resolved without charges

Mr. Ritchson also made headlines in March after video surfaced of him striking a neighbor, Ronnie Taylor, during a confrontation in his Brentwood, Tennessee, neighborhood. According to bodycam footage that circulated on TikTok and was posted by TMZ, Mr. Taylor stepped into the street to block Mr. Ritchson’s motorcycle and pushed him twice before Mr. Ritchson punched him. The Brentwood Police Department later said it had reviewed the evidence and determined Mr. Ritchson’s actions were in self-defense, closing the case without charges.

The actor has separately spoken about his own mental health, revealing in a 2024 Hollywood Reporter cover story that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder following a 2019 suicide attempt.