Dakota Johnson is not a fan of cancel culture, blaming the modern social justice trend for “the loss of great artists.”
The actress—who has starred opposite a number of high-profile “canceled” individuals like Johnny Depp, Shia LaBeouf, and Armie Hammer—addressed this hot-button topic in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Cancel culture is such a fucking downer. I hate that term,” Johnson confessed. She explained that she believes there needs to be some opportunity for redemption for these disgraced figures, adding, “I never experienced that firsthand from any of those people. I had an incredible time working with them.” She continued, “I feel sad for the loss of great artists. I feel sad for people needing help and perhaps not getting it in time. I feel sad for anyone who was harmed or hurt. It’s just really sad.”
But Johnson also believes that despite all the accused wrongdoings, “People can change.” She said, “I want to believe in the power of a human being to change and evolve and get help and help other people. I think there’s definitely a major overcorrection happening. But I do believe that there’s a way for the pendulum to find the middle. The way that studios have been run up until now, and still now, is behind. It is such an antiquated mindset of what movies should be made, who should be in them, how much people should get paid, what equality and diversity look like. Sometimes the old school needs to be moved out for the new school to come in.” But as she suggests, the blanket concept of cancel culture doesn’t offer room for any of this nuance or subtlety.
Johnson most recently worked with LaBeouf on 2019’s The Peanut Butter Falcon. In February, the actor parted ways with his talent agency after multiple women came forward with allegations of abuse and misconduct, including FKA Twigs, who filed a lawsuit against LaBeouf in December, accusing him of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress. He has denied “each and every allegation” made by Twigs. Johnson also worked with Hammer on 2010’s The Social Network and again on 2019’s Wounds. Hammer was dropped by his talent agency and publicist after some DMs that he allegedly sent detailing graphic sexual fantasies—including rape, cannibalism, and violence—were leaked online. In March, the Los Angeles Police Department also announced that it was investigating allegations that Hammer raped a woman in 2017. (Hammer denied the allegations.) And Depp, who has been locked in an explosive legal battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard for years involving allegations of verbal and physical abuse on both sides, starred opposite Johnson in 2015’s Black Mass. (Depp and Heard have both denied each other’s claims of abuse.)
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