Gene Simmons has issued a brutal message to celebrities who use their platforms to weigh in on politics, telling them to ‘shut the f**k up’ and stick to what made them famous in the first place.
The KISS co-founder did not bite that famously long tongue of his as he made it clear he has little patience for stars sharing hot takes on war, politicians, or who people should vote for.
It comes as Ben Stiller publicly criticized the White House over its use of footage from his 2008 movie Tropic Thunder.
The actor hit out after the clip appeared in a social media post tied to US military activity in the Iran conflict, making it clear he wanted no part in it.
“Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip,” Stiller wrote. “We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie.”
Ben Stiller has called for the Trump administration to take down a social media post which included a clip of Tom Cruise dancing as eccentric studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder – which he co-wrote (John Nacion/Getty Images)
While I personally agree with Stiller that you can’t be making jest of war, it was enough to spark an outburst from Simmons.
Speaking to TMZ, the rock icon did not hold back as he tore into stars who share political opinions with the public, insisting most people are not interested in hearing them.
“Basically, shut the f**k up,” Simmons said. “Do your art and shut up. Nobody’s interested in your opinions, that includes me. Who I vote for. Who I like.”
Before adding: “Who the f**k do you think you are? People in America work hard for a living and they don’t want to be lectured to by people who live in mansions and drive Rolls-Royces. It’s time for everybody in the entertainment industry to shut their pie-hole.”
Gene Simmons has told his fellow celebs to bite their tongues when it comes to speaking out about politics… despite having previously spoken about politics publicly himself (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Stiller wasn’t the only celeb to speak out following the Trump administration’s involvement in the Middle East, as Mark Ruffalo also emerged as one of the more outspoken critics of the Trump administration in recent days.
The Avengers actor has been posting about the growing tensions around Iran, including calls for people to contact lawmakers and oppose further military escalation.
In one post, Ruffalo urged followers to call their ‘Senators and Congress members to say: No war with Iran!’, adding: “Two critical votes are happening in both chambers to stop Trump’s illegal, devastating war.”
While Simmons is calling for his fellow celebs to keep it buttoned, he has previously spoken publicly about politics himself.
Back in 2016, the rockstar predicted Trump’s victory and praised him in interviews, before later admitting his view had changed.