Ice Cube this week confirmed a 2021 report that he lost a role in a $9 million movie because he refused cast members the COVID-19 vaccine they were supposed to receive.
The rapper and actor, whose real name is O’Shea Jackson, said his opposition to the film cost him his job in the Sony comedy Oh Hell No, starring Jack Black.
“I turned down a movie because I didn’t want to get fucked,” the former NWA star told the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast in an episode released Monday.
“We turned down $9 million,” he continued. “I didn’t want to get hit. Damn shot. And damn you for trying to make me see that. So, you know, I don’t know how Hollywood feels about me right now.”
“I didn’t turn him down,” Ice Cube clarified. “Those bastards didn’t give it to me because I didn’t get the shot. I didn’t refuse it. They just don’t give it to me. The COVID blow, the blow, they didn’t need it”.
The rapper said he’s “cheating” on a few different projects right now.
Despite his resistance to the vaccine, Ice Cube actually promoted mask wearing during the pandemic and donated thousands of masks to students.
He also launched a range of T-shirts to raise money for healthcare workers.
More than 12.7 billion doses of COVID vaccines have been administered to people in 184 countries, according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker. In general, the shots have been shown to be safe and effective in preventing the worst outcomes of the virus.
The people most at risk of a wave of coronavirus this winter are those who have never received the primary vaccination series, experts say.
