It seems Zachary Levi has drawn the ire of the Internet cancel culture after responding to a tweet he made on Jan. 29, 2023, where he simply wrote “Hardcore agree.”
Those two words were in response to Lyndon Wood asking, “Do you agree or not, that Pfizer is a real danger to the world?” Now social media is blowing up with the hashtag #CancelZacharyLevi.
Without even specifically mentioning the COVID-19 vaccine, he has outraged people enough to now be boycotting his upcoming Shazam! Fury of the Gods film that’s due out on March 17, 2023.
Pfizer is one of several biopharmaceutical companies who created a vaccine for COVID-19. Throughout the years, the company has had many successes and failures. Pfizer mass produces penicillin, Advil, Robitussin and even vitamin C. It is also the brand behind Bextra, Protonix, Prempo, Chantix and Depo-Testosterone.
The Shazam! actor later followed with a second tweet to an article on the United States Department of Justice website, with the comment, “Just one example of what I’m referring to…”
The Department of Justice article was in regards to Pfizer being required to pay $2.3 billion for fraudulent marketing back in 2009. The company, which already had the anti-inflammatory drug Bextra pulled from shelves, had attempted to rebrand the drug under another name.
Levi’s former interviews are now being examined with a fine-tooth comb, with people taking him to task on social media for a wide variety of perceived transgressions.
A Twitter user by the name of @sagesurge created a post on Jan. 29, claiming Levi is, “A transphobe who appeared on the 700 Club, a Trump Republican Christian network that has HATES minorities & gays for existing.” The post has been viewed more than 5.9 million times.
Separating the facts from the fiction was simple, since Levi’s IMDB profile fails to mention the 700 Club. The closest interview we could find was a November 2022 interview with Christian Broadcasting Network News, the company that serves as the production company for The 700 Club. During his CBN News interview, the actor opened up about his private life and painful childhood. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actor also promoted his book Radical Love: Learning to Accept Yourself and Others, while opening up about his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts.
In 2020, he shared a balanced message on Instagram regarding the results of the 2020 presidential election, which also angered people despite his message of unity.
“My hope and prayer is that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris answer that very call, in the same way I hoped and prayed that Donald Trump would do the same. But regardless of how our leaders may lead, we have all the capability in the world to treat each other with humanity, and grace, and patience, and kindness, and compassion, and humility, and love.”
Despite his measured message of prayer for both sides, some people accused him of being pro-Trump, which is a death knell for a celebrity in this day and age. Levi took to Twitter on Nov. 7, 2020, denying claims that he is pro-Trump, stating just the opposite.
“I am no fan or supporter of Trump, and I find his behavior to be vulgar, callous, narcissistic, and lacking empathy. And while I’m not a Conservative, I know many who backed 45 not because they liked him, but because he was the only candidate they felt cared about their needs.”
No matter what Levi’s views are, in the court of public opinion, it seems he has been found guilty.