Gene Simmons, Who Once Ripped Trump as 'Out for Himself,' Tells Mark Ruffalo and Ben Stiller to 'Shut the F--- Up' About Politics
Gene Simmons, Who Once Ripped Trump as 'Out for Himself,' Tells Mark Ruffalo and Ben Stiller to 'Shut the F--- Up' About Politics
Joyann JeffreyWed, March 11, 2026 at 8:01 PM UTC
0
Gene Simmons, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Stiller.Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty; Jamie McCarthy/Getty; Jamie McCarthy/Getty -
Gene Simmons shared his stance on celebrities who talk about politics in a new interview with TMZ
The KISS frontman says that famous people should "shut the f--- up" about the government because "nobody's interested in their opinions"
Simmons, who was recognized by Trump at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, has previously been vocal about his wavering opinions on the president
KISS frontman Gene Simmons says he's over celebrities talking about politics.
In a Tuesday, March 10, interview with TMZ, Simmons, 76, was asked what he thought about famous people like Ben Stiller taking a stand against President Donald Trump. Recently, Stiller, 60, called out the president, 79, after the White House posted a clip of his 2008 movie Tropic Thunder to seemingly justify its military actions.
"Everybody in the world should listen to what actors and comedians say, because they're so qualified," Simmons sarcastically said about the issue, before getting more blunt.
"Basically, shut the f--- up. Do your art and shut up. Nobody's interested in their opinions. That includes me, who I vote for, who I like," Simmons said. "Who the f--- do you think you are?"
"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," he continued. "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 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in 2024.Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage
Simmons then talked about Mark Ruffalo, who has often given his opinion on politics. After mispronouncing his last name as "Buffalo," Simmons then imitated a reporter, who would ask Ruffalo, 58, about politics.
"What would Mark [Ruffalo] think?" he sarcastically said, before replying, "I don't care."
At the end of the video, Simmons said he thinks it's best that celebrities don't offer their opinion on politics. He even joked that those who are interested in what famous people have to say should probably ask Kylie Jenner for her take on politics as well.
Advertisement
"Go to Kylie Jenner and ask her what she thinks of the war so far," he joked.
Donald Trump at a Miami, Florida, press conferenceCredit: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty
Simmons has had mixed views about Trump over the years. The rockstar appeared on the first season of Celebrity Apprentice in 2008 and called Trump "good for the political system" in a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone.
Then, in 2022, Simmons seemingly likened Trump's camp to "cockroaches" and said the president was "out for himself" when speaking to SPIN.
"Look what that gentleman [Trump] did to this country and the polarization — got all the cockroaches to rise to the top," he said at the time. "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."
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
More recently, Simmons expressed his gratitude to Trump when the president selected KISS as a recipient for a Kennedy Center Honor in 2025.
“KISS is the embodiment of the American dream. We are deeply honored to receive the Kennedy Center Honor," Simmons said.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
