Denzel Washington reveals he doesn't care about cancel culture: 'I don't follow man, I follow God'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Denzel Washington is making it clear – he wants nothing to do with cancel culture.
The Hollywood veteran opened up about the idea of being canceled during a sit-down conversation with Complex.
The actor was straightforward when asked about the notion of cancel culture, emphasizing that public approval is not what guides him.
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Denzel Washington questions meaning of 'being canceled'
When asked if he worried about cancellation, Washington was quick to push back on the term. "What does that mean — to be canceled?" he said.
When the interviewer explained that it meant losing public support, he replied, "Who cares? What made public support so important to begin with?"
The reporter noted that "followers now are currency," but Washington dismissed the idea entirely, saying, "I don’t care who’s following who."
Denzel Washington says he follows only God, not man
Washington stressed that chasing followers or public support isn’t a priority for him.
"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 continued.
He added, "You can’t be canceled if you haven’t signed up. Don’t sign up."
After leaning back in his chair, the Oscar winner laughed and admitted, "Don't get me started. My chest started hurting. You know, chest is getting tight talking about it."
Spike Lee and Denzel Washington shrug off cancel culture debate
Director Spike Lee, who sat next to Washington during the discussion, echoed his thoughts, saying, "I could care less."
The actor recently made awards history after receiving his 11th Golden Globe nomination for his role in 'Gladiator II'.
Washington later took home the award for Best Supporting Actor for portraying Macrinus in the action film.
He also clarified rumors about retirement, telling BuzzFeed, "I didn't say I was going to go into retirement. 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 added, "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."
