While it’s been damned if you do, now it’s also damned if you don’t.
Being canceled for making comments considered too rogue, insensitive, inflammatory or divisive, specifically on political topics, is something celebrities have been dealing with for decades. But getting criticized for staying silent, that’s a whole new battle stars are having to deal with.
Either way, “it’s a minefield,” as one longtime entertainment PR executive put it to The Hollywood Reporter.
“It’s always been a challenge, but the thing is, today it’s rapid fire and you have almost no time to gather and decide what to do,” says the exec. “So that’s why you’re experiencing so many non-responses, because they’re like, ‘Well, what do we say?’ And in the meantime, things explode and then it’s almost impossible to respond. It’s like, well, if I respond, I’m just gonna set it on fire further.”
Those non-responses, though, are now as problematic as the responses. Actors can try all they want to remain apolitical, but these days the internet isn’t giving anyone a pass.
Sydney Sweeney, for example, did her best to stay out of the fray even as her American Eagle jeans ad was stirring up a storm of criticism from online voices claiming the campaign’s tagline — “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” — promoted white-supremicist-style eugenics. Despite her protestation that she was “not here to speak on politics,” the actress has faced plenty of heat from the controversy. (It didn’t help when reports surfaced that she had registered as a Republican in Florida just before the 2024 presidential election.)
Jelly Roll, the rapper-turned-country star, was also recently slammed online for avoiding politics — by R&B singer Eric Benet, who called him “full of shit” after the “I Am Not Okay” artist told reporters backstage at the 2026 Grammys that “people shouldn’t care” about his political opinions.
At the Berlin International Film Festival last month, which is known for embracing political discussion, Michelle Yeoh and Neil Patrick Harris were blasted for trying to deflect political questions. When asked about the U.S. political landscape at her press conference, Yeoh replied, “I don’t think I am in the position to really talk about the political situation in the U.S.” Harris offered a similar response when asked at his presser for Sunny Dancer — a movie about teenage cancer survivors — whether the film had a message about health care.
“While I have my own political opinions,” he answered, “I never read this script as a political statement.”
No celebrity is safe from criticism for staying quiet, not even Taylor Swift. One of the biggest global pop stars is constantly pressured by fans to use her influential platform to address timely issues. While she practices the silent treatment for most controversial matters — such as with the wars between Russia and Ukraine, Gaza and Israel, and Iran and the U.S. — she has her occasional outspoken moments, like when she publicly endorsed Kamala Harris for president in 2024.
The current political environment is not only exhausting for the celebrity, but also their publicists — they now have to be hypervigilant not only when their famous client is speaking out but also when their remaining tight-lipped. One top publicist, a partner at one of Hollywood’s premier PR firms, told THR, “I am on high alert. It’s a sensitive time, and one question about Trump on a red carpet could derail a multi-million dollar campaign.” Another rep agreed: “It’s just not worth it to put your client in a sensitive position. You can get canceled in five seconds by weighing on in something out of your comfort zone.”
Still another veteran publicist — with Oscar-winning clients — put it more succinctly, calling today’s press conferences “a fucking nightmare.”
“A clip can travel around the world in an instant,” she says. “If [a client] happens to give a flippant answer, or something less informed, the short soundbite gives you no chance to please the jury at large on social media because they have no chill, ever.”
Though some celebs have taken the silent route, there are also plenty of A-listers who have no problem dipping their toes in the political pool and the potential criticism that might follow, such as Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, who slammed ICE at the 2026 Grammys. Unsurprisingly, those on the right were quick to clap back, including Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, who suggested the “Wildflower” singer “shut your mouth and just entertain,” and Sen. Ted Cruz, who said that “the entertainment world is deeply corrupt.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus previously told THR at a Chanel event in November 2025 that she understands “everyone has to do what is comfortable for them,” but that she also has no problem balancing activism with her public profile. “I will say that I feel personally that we’re in a democratic crisis so I believe in ringing an alarm about that,” she added. “There’s an urgency right now.”
Aside from online backlash, being outspoken as a notable figure can also introduce other, far more costly risks. Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream 7 for a series of social media posts in the wake of the Israel-Hamas War, and Susan Sarandon was dropped by UTA after making controversial remarks about the conflict.
Given all that, some celebs are more or less flipping the coin when they choose to speak, or forever hold their peace.
“Let’s say your publicist says to the talent, ‘You have a choice. You can get shithand for saying something or for not saying something, what do you choose?’” says the PR veteran. “I’d rather be hammered for not saying something than for saying something, because no one could down the line attribute that sense of it to you, they can only attribute your hesitancy to discuss the topic, and that could mean any number of things that could be interpreted any number of ways.”
For some, however, like Tig Notaro, Oscar-nominated actress for the documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, the risk of being outspoken is worth it. “I typically try and speak up for myself and causes and the politics I believe in by the way I live my life and what I get behind. Whether it was before Trump or now, there are moments where I have felt like I need to engage a little more, and in those moments, I feel like it’s worth the risk,” she said. “It is a delicate balance, but the world is already out of balance.”
