11 Stars Reveal Their True Thoughts on Cancel Culture

While it has been argued that cancel culture was originally intended to hold people accountable for their actions, some believe it has spiraled from a public call out to a social media mob mentality.

For celebrities, the fear of being canceled has become a constant fixture in their lives, with many often worrying that a single sentence could end their careers.

Read on to find out what these stars said about cancel culture…

1. Lizzo

Lizzo recently shared her thoughts about cancel culture, admitting that she believes that it has become “misused.” While she seems to be supportive of the original concept of cancel culture, she says it’s no longer what it was intended to be.

“This may be a random time to say this but it's on my heart.. cancel culture is appropriation. There was real outrage from truly marginalized people and now it's become trendy, misused, and misdirected,” she wrote on Twitter. “I hope we can phase out of this & focus our outrage on the real problems.”

2. Chris Rock

Chris Rock believes that cancel culture has negatively impacted the world of comedy. In his opinion, the current environment has led to too much "unfunny" and "boring" comedy with comedians that are afraid to make jokes. He explained that comedians definitely understand when a joke doesn’t hit well and that they don’t need to be canceled for it.

"It’s weird when you’re a comedian because like, when you’re a comedian, when the audience doesn’t laugh, we get the message. You don’t really have to cancel us because we get the message. They’re not laughing. Our feelings hurt. When we do something and people aren’t laughing we, like, we get it," he said in an interview with “The Breakfast Club.”

3. Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston says people need to be more forgiving amid a culture where people are constantly canceled. He explained that when people are apologetic for their wrongdoings, society should reconsider completely writing someone off.

“We live in this ‘cancel culture’ of people erring and doing wrong -- either on purpose or by accident -- and there’s less forgiveness in our world. I think we’re unfortunately in a coarser environment. I think our societies have become harder and less understanding, less tolerant, less forgiving,” he told AP. “Where does forgiveness live in our society? Where can we accept someone’s behavior if they are contrite, if they are apologetic and take responsibility? I think we need to take a second look at that, exhale, and realize that asking forgiveness and receiving forgiveness are not weaknesses, but are human strengths.”

4. Jameela Jamil

Jameela Jamil has faced her fair share of criticism in the media and says that other celebrities need to reevaluate what cancel culture actually is. She explained that many celebs are quick to say they are being canceled when instead they’re actually just being called out.

“We need to separate what’s been canceled and what’s being called out. Celebrities are such snowflakes. They don’t know how to take criticism, because they’ve never been criticized before. So when they’ve just been called out, they’ll cry cancel culture, but that’s not very helpful because it muddies the waters to what cancellation is,” she said during an address at Harvard, adding, “Cancellation means being de-platformed, having your rights taken away, your job taken away, your finances being harmed. That mostly happens to civilians, not celebrities. I got canceled 45 times in February. All of my shows got recommissioned, I landed a huge campaign and my book deal remains. I’m f--king fine."

5. Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber shared his thoughts about cancel culture in his song "Afraid to Say” off of his 2021 EP “Freedom.” On the track, Justin questioned why society can’t allow someone to grow instead of automatically canceling them.

“What have we done with society / When everybody’s getting canceled? / And can’t there be room for maturity? / ’Cause writing ’em off is not the answer / Do we got the room to make mistakes? / Are we judged for everything we say? / I wanna grow but I'm afraid / And will it always be the same?” Justin sings on the song.

6. Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin spoke out about cancel culture around the time his wife Hilaria was being condemned for her alleged lies about her heritage and upbringing. The actor shared that he thought cancel culture wasn’t solving any problems and was just destroying peoples’ lives for no reason.

“I think cancel culture is creating more problems than it solves. It’s like trolling. It’s like a giant mile-long net and you’re catching a lot of people, many of them deserve it and a few of them, more than a few, who don’t. Or they don't deserve to have their careers and their lives destroyed,” Alec said in an Instagram video.

7. Kelly Rowland

In early 2020, Kelly Rowland shared her thoughts about cancel culture, writing that she believed God was the only person who could judge her.

"In this 'cancel culture' we live in, I am SO grateful God NEVER canceled me, and I'm sure he could've many-a-times! Let us always TRY to remember NOT to judge others. We HONESTLY don't have the space nor authority [to]! Let us remember to lead with love & kindness, the world is has enough negativity, for you to pour more into it! #STOPTRYINTOBEGOD," Kelly wrote on Instagram.

8. Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp, who has made headlines for some of his controversies, isn’t a fan of cancel culture. He says that the public is too quick to judge and no one is safe from being completely canceled for a single sentence.

"It can be seen as an event in history that lasted for however long it lasted, this cancel culture, this instant rush to judgment based on what essentially amounts to polluted air. It’s so far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe. Not one of you. No one out that door. No one is safe," he said. "It takes one sentence and there’s no more ground, the carpet has been pulled. It’s not just me that this has happened to, it’s happened to a lot of people. This type of thing has happened to women, men. Sadly at a certain point they begin to think that it’s normal. Or that it’s them. When it’s not."

9. Kelly Osbourne

In 2020, Kelly Osbourne got candid about cancel culture when discussing what she had learned over the course of the pandemic about racism and oppression faced by minorities. Kelly shared that she thought it was important for people to be able to make mistakes while learning and not have to live in fear of being canceled.

“I didn't know what was really going on in this country because I just thought that simply being not racist was enough. It's not, it's actually not, you have to be actively not racist and educate yourself and learn, and don't be afraid to make a mistake! Everybody's so afraid of cancel culture," Kelly told Extra. “I say f--k cancel culture, it's all about counsel culture. Educate people, teach people. A gentle nudge in the right direction is so much better than a public execution.”

10. Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato admits they’ve been canceled so many times that they don't let it affect them anymore. They added that they don't believe being canceled is actually real and called for there to be more forgiveness.

“I’ve been canceled so many times, I can’t even count…the hashtag #DemiIsOverParty, that whole thing…One, it’s not real. I don’t think anyone was ever officially canceled, otherwise certain people wouldn’t have Grammys, wouldn’t have Oscars…certain people wouldn't be where they are in their positions. Where is the forgiveness culture?" she said on Jameela Jamil’s “I Weigh” podcast.

11. Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone didn’t hold back when she was asked about cancel culture. She shared that she believed it was the “stupidest thing” she had ever seen happen and that people’s opposing opinions should help others understand each other better.

“I think when people say things that they feel and mean, and it’s offensive to you, it’s a brilliant opportunity for everyone to learn and grow and understand each other. We all come from different ages, different cultures, different backgrounds, different things, and have had different experiences, different traumas, different upbringings, different parents, different religious backgrounds, different everything,” she said on SiriusXM's “Just Jenny” radio show. “Give people an opportunity to discuss things before you wipe out their entire person over a statement or a comment or a misunderstanding.”