‘Gotham’ Star Ben McKenzie Had Great Advice For Celebrities Who Shilled For Cryptocurrency

Last week was a bad one for cryptocurrency. A scene that was already rickety got worse, with numerous digital currencies plummeting. Bitcoin, that market’s most valuable crypto, which was worth nearly $70,000 last November, dipped below $30,000 on Wednesday. Amidst the turmoil, many remembered ads from the Super Bowl in February in which no less than Matt Damon was hawking for the dodgy currency. How can Damon and other celebs who shilled for crypto regain the public’s trust? Well, another actor has an idea.

That person is Ben McKenzie, alum of The O.C. and current Gotham star, who’s made crypto — and the famous people telling cash-strapped plebeians to invest in it — a target of his ire. After crypto’s terrible week, McKenzie reached out to the likes of Damon, Reese Witherspoon, Kim Kardashian, and more, with some advice on how to rebound.

“Free advice for celebs who have profited from crypto: disclose how much you were paid, say you are sorry, and give the money to victims of crypto fraud,” McKenzie tweeted. “Career saved.”

If that didn’t motivate him, McKenzie later tweeted, he pointed out that the money they got to pitch for crypto may not stay secret forever. “Oh, and given enough time, we’re probably gonna find out how much money you were paid anyway,” he wrote. “Just in case you want a little extra motivation to do the right thing.”

Last fall, McKenzie co-wrote a piece for Slate where he slammed the rich and famous who were advertising for crypto, calling it a “moral disaster.” He also jokingly (but not that jokingly) attacked celebs who were shilling both crypto and NFTs, which are also not doing so hot. “I’m just a former teen idol standing here (alone?) asking people to consider downside risk and the possibility of fraud,” McKenzie wrote in February. “I hope I’m wrong, but pretty sure we’ll find out soon enough. Good luck folks – don’t take financial advice from celebs, including me.”