Gene Simmons says stars should &x27;shut up&x27; about politics – &x27;Nobody cares&x27; Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYThu, March 12, 2026 at 1:18 PM UTC 40 Gene Simmons thinks Hollywood stars should kiss their political activism goodbye. The KISS rocker, 76, told TMZ on March 10 celebrities should quit talking politics and keep their opinions to themselves. "Everybody in the world should listen to what actors and comedians say, because they're so qualified," he quipped sarcastically before adding, "Do your art and shut up! Nobody's interested in your opinions.
Gene Simmons says stars should 'shut up' about politics – 'Nobody cares'
Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYThu, March 12, 2026 at 1:18 PM UTC
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Gene Simmons thinks Hollywood stars should kiss their political activism goodbye.
The KISS rocker, 76, told TMZ on March 10 celebrities should quit talking politics and keep their opinions to themselves.
"Everybody in the world should listen to what actors and comedians say, because they're so qualified," he quipped sarcastically before adding, "Do your art and shut up! Nobody's interested in your opinions. That includes me! Who I vote for, who I like."
He continued, "People in America work hard for their 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 piehole and just do your art. Nobody cares what you think. I don't."
Gene Simmons testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Dec. 9, 2025.
Kiss rocker Gene Simmons' life on and off the stage
Simmons made the comments in the man-on-the-street interview after TMZ asked for his thoughts on Ben Stiller recently calling out President Donald Trump and asking the White House to remove "Tropic Thunder" footage from a social media video tied to the Iran war. "We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine," Stiller wrote on X. "War is not a movie."
1 / 0KISS rock 'n' roll moments with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss
Rock legends Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss formed the band KISS in 1973 in New York. In 2023, Simmons chatted with USA TODAY about the final band's days: "It's complex. I can sit here in my hotel room and wax poetic about all of this stuff, but those are matters of the mind, the semantics emanating out of my oral passage. You can talk about something but until you're there, the matters of the heart don't kick in. There is an enormous sense of pride the band has, including Tommy (Thayer) and Eric (Singer), who have been with us more than 20 years. We're enormously proud of what we did."
In his TMZ interview, Simmons also called out Mark Ruffalo, who is known for his outspoken liberal beliefs and criticism of Trump. "What does Mark think about politics? I don't care," Simmons said.
This isn't the first time Simmons has made similar comments about stars getting political. Ahead of the 2016 election, he told Yahoo Music that entertainers should focus on entertaining.
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"I really believe democracy doesn't work well when celebrities butt their heads into places they don't belong," he said, adding, "I'd like to think people that are voting are voting their conscience and for that reason I don't think people should care who Gene Simmons is voting for."
Gene Simmons spills on solo tour, future of KISS: 'The avatars are just a placeholder'
Speaking to CNN in December, Simmons also said that his political views are nobody's business.
"Since when is who I support or not support the business of anyone except my conscience?" he asked, arguing it's "insanity" that "anybody cares" what a guy "who sticks his tongue out" for a living has to say about politics.
Gene Simmons attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Charlotte Hornets at Intuit Dome on Jan. 12, 2026 in Inglewood, California.
Simmons and his fellow KISS stars Paul Stanley and Peter Criss were honored during the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony last year, hosted by Trump. Simmons, who once appeared on "The Celebrity Apprentice," had previously been critical of the president.
"Look what that gentleman did to this country and the polarization — got all the cockroaches to rise to the top," he Spin magazine in 2022. "Once upon a time, you were embarrassed to be publicly racist and out there with conspiracy theories. Now it's all out in the open because he allowed it."
He added of Trump, "I don't think he's a Republican or a Democrat. He's out for himself, any way you can get there. And in the last election, over 70 million people bought it hook, line and sinker."
In 2012, Simmons told Noisecreep that he regretted voting for former President Barack Obama in 2008 and was "very disappointed" in the job he had done in office. He argued at the time that Mitt Romney, Obama's Republican opponent in the 2012 election, was "much more qualified."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gene Simmons says celebrities should stop talking politics
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Source: Entertainment
Published: March 12, 2026 at 07:01PM on Source: MANUEL MAG
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