Rapper/actor Ice Cube has been an enthusiastic mask promoter during the pandemic, even producing a line of mask-inspired clothing.
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But he has learned the hard way that Hollywood does not allow individual thinking.
After declining to receive the COVID vaccine at the urging of producers, Cube claims to have lost out on a role in Sony’s comedy, “Oh Hell No,” for being unvaccinated, a decision that reportedly cost him an estimated $9 million.
Ice Cube has confirmed that he lost a $9 million acting role for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Reports surfaced in October 2021 that the music artist and actor had been set to co-star alongside Jack Black in Sony’s comedy, “Oh Hell No,” but was dropped from the project. All cast members were reportedly required to be vaccinated in order to participate in production, which was planned to shoot in Hawaii at the time.
Production for the movie was scheduled to begin in winter of 2021 but was pushed back, with no new updates on a potential new release date.
Ice cube addressed the reports in a Nov. 20 episode of the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game,” saying that he lost out on the acting gig because of his stance on getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
In the Million Dollar With of Game episode he shared, “I turned down a movie because I didn’t wanna get the motherf*****g jab. I turned down $9 million because I didn’t want to get the jab. F*** that jab and f*** y’all for trying to make me get it. So, I don’t know how Hollywood feel about me right now….you know what I’m saying?”
Another person in the interview said, “But you know what? It ain’t just Hollywood no more…you can go through the streaming…streaming ain’t got nothing to do with it.”
To which Cube replies, “It’s Hollywood bro, yeah it is.”