Imagine being canceled for saying nothing remotely offensive.
Or, to be more accurate, nothing at all.
Some stars appearing at the Berlin Film Festival haven’t been officially canceled, but their lack of hot takes sparked the oddest controversy in some time.
Michelle Yeoh declined to speak about U.S. politics during a press conference at Berlin Film Festival, instead shifting the focus to cinema.
“I don’t think I am in the position to really talk about the political situation in the U.S., and also I cannot presume to say I…
— Variety (@Variety) February 13, 2026
The short version? Share the opinions we want to share … or else. And keeping silent isn’t an option.
What opinions?
- Israel committed genocide against the Palestinian people
- ICE agents are the modern-day Gestapo
- No one is illegal on stolen land
Get the drift? Except several stars have recently refused to take the Legacy Media’s bait.
Actors Michelle Yeoh and Neil Patrick Harris refused to get political despite prodding from reporters at the Germany film event. Separately, comic actor Kevin James shared a similar sentiment while promoting his new rom-com hit, “Solo Mio.”
Some tried to wriggle free but ended up feeding the clickbait machine all the same.
“Harry Potter” alum Rupert Grint tried to dodge political questions, suggesting he’ll share more at a later date. Instead, he offered this inane comment that fueled headlines all the same.
Rupert Grint on the Rise of Fascism: ‘Obviously, I’m Against It’
The comment has a definitive, “A-List Actor Denounces Stealing Candy from Babies” vibe, no? And it took not one but two journalists to pen that story.
Stop the presses!
The Legacy Media stirred up this mess by bullying stars into taking stands on hot-button issues. The fact that some decided to avoid political answers became a narrative all its own. It got worse when Berlin Film Festival Jury President Wim Wenders suggested artists don’t necessarily need to take political stands.
The art, he argued, should speak for itself.
Now, those comments and the ripple effect from Yeoh and company forced the festival to share a public statement on the nontroversy.
Artists are free to exercise their right of free speech in whatever way they choose. Artists should not be expected to comment on all broader debates about a festival’s previous or current practices over which they have no control. Nor should they be expected to speak on every political issue raised to them unless they want to.
Heaven help the assembled stars if they defended ICE, stood up for President Donald Trump or otherwise defied the progressive narrative.
Plus, it’s a two-pronged problem. The Legacy Media enforces liberal groupthink, but so does Hollywood. The new Blacklist against conservatives proves it. Just ask Kelsey Grammer, James Woods, Dean Cain, Kevin Sorbo and dozens of other right-leaning artists who never speak up for fear of being punished.
It’s bullying, plain and simple. And it works.
Just ask Taylor Swift and Jimmy Fallon. Both superstars gave up their apolitical stances after being bullied by media outlets.
Why else would actor Ted Levine, who co-starred as a serial killer in “The Silence of the Lambs” more than 30 years ago, serve up a mewling apology this week for that film’s so-called anti-trans messaging.
It’s what the Legacy Media craved … a very belated apology for playing one of the most iconic screen villains in Hollywood history. The character wasn’t even trans or gay, but the perception that he might have been made Levine a target of sorts.
Meanwhile, members of the LGBTQ community have turned subsequent movie monsters like Pennywise the Clown and Aunt Gladys into queer icons.
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