Denzel Washington is making his stance clear — cancel culture doesn’t matter to him.
In a candid discussion with Complex, the Oscar-winning actor dismissed the idea of being “canceled,” saying he isn’t concerned about social media approval or the number of followers he has.
When asked if he worries about cancellation, Washington pushed back: “What does that mean — to be canceled?”
While the interviewer explained it as losing public support, Washington shrugged it off: “Who cares? What made public support so important to begin with?”
The reporter suggested that “followers now are currency,” but Washington quickly replied, “I don’t care who’s following who.”
For Washington, the concept of chasing validation through followers holds little weight. “You can’t lead and follow at the same time, and you can’t follow and lead at the same time,” he said. “I don’t follow anybody. I follow the heavenly spirit. I follow God, I don’t follow man. I have faith in God. I have hope in man, but look around, it ain’t working out so well.”
He added: “You can’t be canceled if you haven’t signed up. Don’t sign up.” Washington then laughed, joking that just talking about the subject was making his chest hurt.
The actor made his comments while seated next to director Spike Lee during a conversation about their film “Highest 2 Lowest.” Lee backed Washington’s remarks, saying simply: “I could care less.”
Earlier this year, Washington earned his 11th Golden Globe nomination for his role in Gladiator II, making him the most-nominated Black actor in the history of the awards show. He went on to win the Golden Globe for best supporting actor for his performance as Macrinus.
Despite recent retirement rumors, Washington clarified in a BuzzFeed interview that he isn’t done with Hollywood just yet. “I didn’t say I was going to go into retirement,” he explained. “I said that it has to be a level of interest for me. I’m more interested in getting behind the camera, so that’s about five years out.”
Washington reflected further: “It’s very difficult. And I may have used the word ‘retire,’ but I look at life in three sections: you learn, you earn, you return. I’m in the return part of life.”
