Pharrell Williams admitted he doesn’t “do politics” and thinks other celebrities should stop supporting politics.
The pop star offered her two cents when asked about the upcoming election in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
When asked if the “Happy” singer would lend his music to either side, Williams said he’s staying on the sidelines.
“I don’t do politics,” the singer/songwriter, record producer and non-profit founder said in the interview published last Wednesday.
“I actually get angry sometimes when I see celebrities trying to tell you off [who to vote for].”
He added that while there are celebrities with opinions he respects, he generally doesn’t like stars sharing their views.
“I am one of those people [who says]”What the hell? Shut up. Nobody asked you,” Williams said.
Celebrity endorsements have been in the headlines, especially Taylor Swift’s gesture to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris after last week’s debate.
“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for rights and causes that I believe need a warrior to stand up for,” Swift said in an Instagram post.
Williams said it’s more about “action” for him.
“I prefer to stay out of the way and obviously I will vote how I will vote. I care about my people and I care about the country, but I feel like there’s a lot of work to be done, and I’m really about action,” Williams said.
Williams discussed two nonprofits he founded: YELLOW, a 501(c)(3), which focuses on educational equality, and Black Ambition, which helps black and Hispanic entrepreneurs by investing in promising startups.
“Those are the things I lean on,” Williams said. “I’m not an activist, but I believe in action. But I do believe in activists, and you need everyone.”
He admitted that he is not sure if he would “ever vote for the far right”.
“I won’t do that,” he said.