KISS frontman Gene Simmons has delivered a blunt message to fellow celebrities, urging them to keep their political views to themselves.
The 76-year-old rock legend made the comments to TMZ after actor Ben Stiller objected to the White House posting a clip from his 2008 film Tropic Thunder on social media without consent.
Mr Stiller had stated he had “no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine.”
When asked about the actor’s complaint, Mr Simmons responded with heavy sarcasm: “Everybody in the world should listen to what actors and comedians say, because they’re so qualified.”
Gene Simmons told celebrities who discuss politics to ‘shut the f*** up’
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He then added more directly: “Basically, shut the f*** up. Do your art and shut up.
“Nobody’s interested in their opinions. That includes me, who I vote for, who I like. Who the f*** do you think you are?”
The musician went on to argue that ordinary Americans who work hard for their wages have no desire to receive lectures from those residing in luxury homes and travelling in expensive vehicles.
“It’s time for everybody in the entertainment industry to shut their piehole and just do your art. Nobody cares what you think. I don’t,” he declared.
Gene Simmons mentioned Mark Ruffalo as he laid into celebrities who speak out on politics
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Mr Simmons singled out actor Mark Ruffalo, whose surname he deliberately mispronounced as “Buffalo,” dismissing any interest in the Marvel star’s political commentary.
“What would Mark [Ruffalo] think? I don’t care,” he stated bluntly.
The rocker then made a sardonic suggestion that people might want to seek out reality television personality Kylie Jenner for her thoughts on current military conflicts.
Mr Simmons’ outburst comes amid a period of heightened celebrity political activism during the current awards season.
Gene Simmons launched into a furious rant
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At the 2026 Grammy Awards, singer Billie Eilish criticised US Immigration and Customs Enforcement while accepting her trophy alongside her brother Finneas O’Connell.
Her comments drew swift condemnation from Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, both of whom took issue with her decision to use the platform for political messaging.
Mr Ruffalo subsequently came to Ms Eilish’s defence, telling Mr O’Leary to “STFU” in response to his criticism.
Actor Robert De Niro has also been prominent in opposing the current administration, serving as the main speaker at a State of the Union counterprotest dubbed “State of the Swamp” in February, where he urged Americans to reject what he called “the daily atrocities of the Trump regime.”
Gene Simmons
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Despite his call for celebrities to remain silent on political matters, Mr Simmons himself has expressed varying opinions about Donald Trump over the years.
In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, he suggested the businessman was beneficial for the political system. He also appeared on the first series of Celebrity Apprentice in 2008, where he first encountered Trump.
However, his views shifted considerably by 2022. Speaking to Spin magazine, he accused Trump of causing national polarisation and allowing “all the cockroaches to rise to the top.”
In a conversation with Bill Maher on his Club Random podcast that same year, Mr Simmons explained: “The person that I saw first coming into power is not the person I saw within a year or two of that.”