To quote Twitter’s greatest thinker, the celebs are at it again.
Early Thursday morning, actor John Cena tweeted, “If I could somehow summon the powers of a real life #Peacemaker I think this would be a great time to do so,” seemingly a reference to Russia launching a “full-scale invasion” in Ukraine. The tweet, which used an international conflict that’s already killed dozens of people to promote a television show (including using a hashtag and emoji), was met with immediate backlash, including one Twitter user who wrote, “What the fuck John? You’re a smart man, but what is happening in the world shouldn’t be use to promote your show. Empathize with the pain and terror that real and innocent people are experiencing right now. Disappointed.”
Others were equally confused:
Celebrities must be stopped. pic.twitter.com/XRFPEv9beb
— Bryn Rich (@brynrich) February 24, 2022
https://twitter.com/mItivcrses/status/1496826501014212615
can’t believe he hasn’t deleted it yet https://t.co/Ng8zwS2WnS
— jupiter (@isolatedstones) February 24, 2022
https://twitter.com/ciminobasholmet/status/1496838627963568129
using the crisis to promote your show? gross https://t.co/0vW4g2TFtV
— malik (@birdsforprey) February 24, 2022
https://twitter.com/gfweasIey/status/1496859304632422405
https://twitter.com/cosmicheard/status/1496854085533900800
https://twitter.com/cuntstrucker/status/1496840555686285313
https://twitter.com/batsybabes/status/1496830896326201352
https://twitter.com/perfidiouslol/status/1496849615332671489
with all due respect john, what the fuck is this? read the room dude. https://t.co/JZCiavgExd
— val (@invalemoonlight) February 24, 2022
This isn’t the first time that Cena has stepped in it, so to speak, while promoting one of his projects. Last year, while making the PR rounds for F9, he referred to Taiwan as a country. This upset China, which does not recognize Taiwan as such, and there’s millions in box office gross to be made in the People’s Republic, so Cena recorded a video apologizing for what he called his “mistake. I must say now, [it’s] very, very, very, very important [that] I love, and respect even more, China and the Chinese people.”
What “weird” thing will he say for Coyote vs. Acme? Stay tuned.