Joe Rogan stands by anti-vaccine COVID stance, empathizes with Ice Cube for passing on $9 million movie deal to stay unvaccinated
Joe Rogan has seemingly reiterated his stance regarding the COVID-19 vaccine during his recent discussion with Ice Cube.
In a recent edition of the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) podcast, Rogan hosted hip-hop legend Ice Cube. The UFC commentator spoke to the Los Angeles-born celebrity Ice Cube regarding the movie 'Oh Hell No,' which was to star the latter and American comedian Jack Black.
Covid-19 Vaccine Bottle Mockup https://t.co/pL2lFfXhqQ
On the JRE podcast, Ice Cube reiterated that he turned down the role because the producers wanted him to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and he refused to be forced to take the vaccine.
Ice Cube indicated that around the 2020-21 timeframe, Hollywood production houses via producers mandated every Hollywood employee to get vaccinated if they wanted to continue working.
He indicated that The Hollywood Reporter and other mainstream Hollywood news outlets publicly revealed that he wasn't vaccinated and therefore lost the aforesaid movie role. The 54-year-old criticized them for publishing his personal medical information without his consent.
Watch the podcast episode below:
Ice Cube opined that the pro-vaccine section of the socio-political realm wanted to paint him as "stupid" for refusing the vaccine and losing out on the $9 million fee he'd have earned from the movie. He opined that he'd have refused to be pressured into taking it even if he was offered $20 million.
Joe Rogan, for his part, expressed his support for Ice Cube. Rogan stated:
"And if you got injured from that vaccine, you would have paid that $20 million to be healthy again."
He added:
"Damn right. There's a lot of people out there that wish that they weren't forced into making that decision. And that's where the real lawsuits are going to come from. The real lawsuits -- since you can't sue the vaccine companies -- they're going to start suing these businesses, and they're already lining up... Without a doubt, it was a gigantic error."
Watch the duo discuss the topic in the video below:
When Joe Rogan shed light upon both sides of the COVID-19 vaccine debate
Earlier this year (2023), Joe Rogan spoke to American political personality and prominent anti-vaccine lobbyist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the JRE podcast. Rogan appeared to agree with Kennedy's views that the vaccine has caused many people autism and other complex health issues. Rogan was subsequently criticized by medical professionals over his recent assertions.
Spotify’s Joe Rogan encourages "healthy" young people not to get a coronavirus vaccine. His show is Spotify's most popular podcast.
“If you're like 21 years old, and you say to me, should I get vaccinated? I'll go no.” https://t.co/5dX98xUaHS
Alternatively, back in 2021, Rogan highlighted both sides of the COVID-19 vaccine debate on episodes of the JRE podcast. In one episode, he implied that young people don't need to take the vaccine. However, in an ensuing episode, he concurred with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines and spoke in favor of the vaccine.
It's unclear whether the UFC commentator has taken the vaccine or not. Regardless, Rogan said:
"I believe they're safe and I encouraged many people to take them. My parents are vaccinated. I just said that I if you're a young, healthy person, that you need it."