Ice Cube Tells Tucker Carlson Why He Walked Away from $9 Million Dollar Movie Deal Over His Refusal to Get the Covid Vaccine
Ice Cube got candid with Tucker Carlson about why he chose to not take the Covid vaccine in a new interview.
Cruising through South Central LA, Carlson and the rapper visited pivotal locations to his early life and career. At one point during their conversation, the Covid vaccine came up, a topic about which Ice Cube has been very vocal.
In November 2022, the rapper confirmed that he walked away from a $9 million dollar movie deal after refusing to get the required Covid shot to be on set for filming.
During the interview, Carlson noted how Ice Cube has always been one to go against the grain.
“I wouldn’t be here if I stayed in my lane. I just never wanted to have that life, you know, I never wanted to be controlled,” Cube said.
“How many times have you been pulled aside by people who are trying to control you?” Carlson asked.
“What they usually do is go talk to people that’s in my circle and try to get them to — try to convince them that they need to convince me that I need to take a different position,” Cube said, elaborating that the biggest topic that has come up centered on his thoughts about the Covid vaccine.
“Why wouldn’t you take the vax? You had a direct order to take it. You were told to take it,” Carlson said.
“I’m not real good with direct orders,” Cube joked, claiming that the vaccine was a “six month — rush job.”
Despite Cube’s claims that the vaccine was rushed, the American Medical Association along with other respected outlets have extensively covered the science behind the vaccine, which has been developed for over a decade.
Dr. Peter Hotez, for example, has worked with coronavirus for ten years. The research began roughly in 2002 with the initial outbreak of SARS that originated from South China and spread to Canada. In 2012 the research grew with the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome which effected large parts of the Arabian peninsula and South Korea.
Hotez has said, “All that work we did over the last decade has laid the groundwork for our current generation of COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccines for Operation Warp Speed build on our research, and my colleagues’ research over the last decade, showing how we can deliver the spike protein—it’s a 10-year R&D program just like any other vaccine.”
Vaccine programs targeting this specific strain of coronavirus were able to be jumpstarted due to the repurposing of other vaccine design methods.
“But they told you, you were safe,” Carlson said.
“I know what they said and I heard them, I heard them loud and clear. But it’s not their decision. There’s no repercussions if they’re wrong. But I can get all the repercussions if they’re wrong,” Cube replied.
He noted that he did not feel the decision was a difficult one to make.
“I wanted to be an example for my kids, you know, really make sure that they didn’t take it either. Show them that I wanted to stand on my convictions and that I was willing to lose $9 million and more because we’ve probably lost more, you know, since then,” Cube said.
Cube said it was not his intent to discourage others from taking the vaccine and was a personal choice. He even shared the struggle of watching someone he’s close to deal with negative side effects from having taken the vaccine.
“They suffer every day. And it’s hard to watch. Suffering in silence is not the answer all the time. You know, sometimes you gotta let people know what’s going on so you can actually move the needle. Choose to be vocal. If it’s true, why can’t I say it?” Cube said.
Watch above via Tucker Carlson on Twitter.
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