Danny Trejo, who drew backlash after it was revealed he would star in the pro-ICE film “Pawn Shop” from Ben Shapiro’s production company Daily Wire, had “never heard of” the conservative political commentator and is contractually unable to say anything negative about Shapiro — or the project — said his son, Gilbert Trejo.
Gilbert shared a post on his Instagram Story in response to the actor’s fan outcry over the weekend, addressing claims that Danny is pro-ICE or supports Shapiro’s policies. He began by saying that only two weeks into filming the project, one of the actors learned that Shapiro was involved and that father “had never heard of Ben Shapiro.” “I had to explain to him who he was and what kind of guy he was,” Gilbert wrote.
He went on to write that Danny is incapable of contractually “disparaging” Shapiro or the film. He also can’t “walk away without being sued for breach of contract. He couldn’t even issue the statement he wanted.” (Danny previously told TMZ that he is a “proud Mexican who has always been and always will be a supporter of my community. I’m also obviously pro-immigration. I’m not pro-ICE. I know where I come from and I know our struggles. I’m an actor. My job is to tell a story.”)
“It’s fucked up,” he continued. “He is handcuffed to this stupid project, and many people instantly turned their backs on him without knowing any of the facts.”
He said his father’s agent described the film as “a complicated story about a complicated time, where everyone looks bad except you, the hardworking Mexican trader who just wants peace”, to which Danny “jumped” at the idea of playing “a good guy”.
The film’s storyline reads: “When a riot in Minneapolis forces a young ICE officer to make a high-stakes arrest alone after the death of his partner, he is chased through the streets by a furious mob determined to free the prisoner and punish anyone who still upholds the law. Barricaded in a neighborhood pawn shop with a hardline Hispanic veteran and the man’s progressive, college-age grandson, ordinary men must choose between the rule of law and the chaos that wants to burn it all down in a modern siege of honor and defiance.
Read Gilbert’s full statement here.
For everyone who sees this shit with my dad…
He had been selected for a film, it’s not pro-ice, it’s not overtly pro anything. His agent described it as “a complicated story about a complicated time, where everyone looks bad except you, the hardworking Mexican trader who just wants peace.”
He jumped at the idea of playing a good guy.
About two weeks after shooting everyone, including us, we found out that Ben Shapiro was involved.
My 82 year old father has never heard of Ben Shapiro, I had to explain to him who he was and what kind of guy he was.
My father, by contract, cannot disparage it, or the film, or walk away without being sued for breach of contract. He couldn’t even release the statement he wanted.
That’s fucked up. He is handcuffed to this stupid project, and many people instantly turned their backs on him without knowing any of the facts.
Ben Shapiro made Mexicans abandon one of their heroes, put his own name at the top of Google searches, and made us look like angry, nuance-free fools. He wins.
Gn entert
