Over the last decade, many celebrities have used their platforms to speak out about politics, sometimes at the behest of fans pushing them to share an opinion. While many celebrities believe it is their duty to use their platform to speak out for or against policies and candidates, others are more comfortable with silence. So, here are 11 celebrities who refuse to speak out on politics, and what they said about it:
During his 2026 Grammy acceptance speech, the singer claimed that “Jesus is not owned by one political party.” In the press room later that night, he added that people shouldn’t “care to hear [his] opinion” because he’s a “dumb redneck.” He explained that growing up in a house of addiction and pandemonium, no one was discussing politics; they were simply “trying to find a way to survive.” He said, “I didn’t even know politics were fucking real until I was in my mid-twenties in jail.”
Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, has, however, spoken to Congress about the fentanyl crisis and was seen meeting Trump at a UFC event in 2024. He addressed it afterward, restating that he is apolitical and was just honored to meet the president-elect.
The actor has come under fire several times in the last few years for her personal politics. The two most notable instances were her attendance at a MAGA-themed birthday party and a controversial American Eagle ad that many viewed as an endorsement of eugenics.
In a 2026 interview with Cosmopolitan, Sweeney meekly addressed the elephant in the room, stating, “I’m not a political person. I’m in the arts. I’m not here to speak on politics. That’s not an area I’ve ever even imagined getting into. It’s not why I became who I am.”
While promoting his historical drama, The Weight, the actor gave a very blunt response when asked about celebrities’ responsibility to speak out about issues such as fascism. Instead of explaining his own reasons for staying silent, he pointed out that “The last place you probably want to look for advice in your spiritual counsel is a bunch of jet-lagged, drunk artists talking about their films.”
The country singer has successfully reached across the aisle with her music, and she refuses to let politics damage that. When she and her 9 to 5 costars, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin (both of whom are staunch political activists), appeared at the 2017 Emmy Awards, the other two women made a not-so-subtle dig at Trump; Parton deflected the joke to something less political: her breasts.
She reflected on the experience in a 2019 interview with the Guardian, saying, “You can ruin a career for speaking out,” referring to the Chicks and the backlash they received after speaking out against the war in Iraq. Parton continued, “I respect my audience too much for that… Of course I have my own opinions, but that don’t mean I got to throw them out there because you’re going to piss off half the people.”
Parton seemingly endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, saying, “I personally think a woman would do a great job [as president]. I think Hillary’s very qualified.” If Clinton were to win, the country singer said she would “certainly be behind her.” Shortly thereafter, Parton issued a statement explaining she was not endorsing either candidate and joked that maybe she should run because “they could always use more boobs in the race.”
The comedian made his stance on political discussion very clear in 2018. He said, “I don’t speak on politics, never have. I speak on what I know.” However, he is outspoken about issues such as racism, seeing the two as separate issues. After publicly supporting athletes kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality, Hart said, “That’s not politics. It’s right from wrong.”
The actor, who was politically outspoken during Trump’s first term, cited two reasons for staying silent during his second term. The main reason, she explained to the New York Times, was learning that, ultimately, “celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for.”
This made her question why she kept speaking out, saying, “I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart… If I can’t say something that’s going to speak to some kind of peace or lowering the temperature or some sort of solution, I don’t want to be a part of the problem.”
Lawrence also considered how it affected her work and the audience’s perception of it. She said, “I don’t want to start turning people off to films and to art that could change consciousness or change the world because they don’t like my political opinions. I want to protect my craft so that you can still get lost in what I’m doing.”
During a 2026 interview with Variety, the actor and comedian gave an earnest answer about his decision to stay away from politics. He simply said, “There are experts who know much more than I do. I’m just focusing on what I can do, delivering a fun, heartfelt break from the craziness of the world.” His goal as an entertainer is to “make people have fun, have hope, and get a nice escape in their day.”
Although she has spent much of her career campaigning for a staggering number of causes across the globe — including women’s and children’s issues, environmental conservation, and protections for indigenous tribes — the actor prefers to stay away from political conversations.
She told the Guardian in 2017 that just because she has this platform, it doesn’t magically make her an expert who can sway public opinion on issues like Trump and Brexit. She said, “I feel it’s best left to people who really understand the very, very complex issues…not for a second am I going to pitch in, because I don’t really know what it is that I’m talking about.”
In a 2019 interview with Rolling Stone, the singer was asked if he planned to get involved in the 2020 election. Joel said that he finds that “people resent it when they go to see you do a show and you get up on a soapbox and spout politics.” He then compared himself to fellow singer Bruce Springsteen, saying he admires people like him, “who [get] up there and [tout] a candidate. He’s a citizen, and he has a right to do that.”
That being said, just two years prior to that interview, Joel — whose family members were killed in the Holocaust — wore a yellow star on stage in protest of Trump’s calling the Charlottesville neo-Nazi marchers “very fine people.” He said, about the march, “It’s bullshit. There’s no fine Nazis. My father’s generation fought a war to put an end to Nazism… So this president missed the boat. He had a great chance to say something meaningful, and he blew it.”
The actor and ex-husband of Fergie appeared on Megyn Kelly’s podcast in 2026, where he explained that he has strong political opinions, but he keeps them to himself for fear that he might “alienate half [his] audience.” He said, “I’m here to make cool stuff… If I want to preach to you about what I believe politically, I will go run for office, which I’m not [going to do].”
11.
And lastly, Pharrell Williams
After the singer and producer said that he hates politics and called them a “magic trick that inadvertently [supports] division,” he defended the comments in a 2025 speech, calling himself a “lumpenproletariat” — an individual who is apolitical and does not care about revolutionary advancement.
Prior to that, he told the Hollywood Reporter that he finds political endorsements from celebrities annoying. He stated, “I’m one of those people [who says], ‘What the heck? Shut up. Nobody asked you.’”
How do you feel about celebrities speaking out about politics? Share your thoughts in the comments!
