In a fiery critique, Wil Wheaton has called out Dwayne Johnson for his recent decision to sideline his political opinions. The criticism stems from Johnson’s choice to remain apolitical, a stance that has provoked Wheaton’s ire.

Best known for his role in “Stand By Me,” Wheaton, who has been outspoken about his disapproval of former President Trump, didn’t mince words. He labeled Johnson a “coward” for opting to keep his political beliefs under wraps, a sentiment he shared with his followers Monday on Threads. His comments were a response to fellow actor George Takei’s post, which highlighted Johnson’s recent statements to Esquire magazine.

In the Esquire interview, Johnson, famed for his wrestling and acting career, explained his strategic retreat from the political arena. At 53, Johnson articulated his desire to concentrate on his professional endeavors without the distraction of political discourse casting a shadow.

“What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep — need, not want — the main thing the main thing,” Johnson stated, underscoring his intention to maintain focus on his career as a primary priority.

This decision signals a shift in Johnson’s approach, shedding light on how he plans to navigate his public persona moving forward, much to the chagrin of those who hoped he might wield his influence as a political force.

“The main thing for me, the thing that in the morning I swing my legs out of bed and I run towards, is creating. It’s art. It’s storytelling.”

“I’ve learned I’m going to keep my politics to myself,” he continued. “There are moments when, hey, there’s nothing we can’t talk about.

“If I’m wrong, I’ll tell you I’m wrong. Or if I feel like I got a leg up and this is the right way to go, I’ll share it with you.”

Johnson, who identifies as an Independent, also said he believes people with opposing political views should talk to one another instead of publicly attacking each other, adding, “I hate the slinging. I hate all the bulls— that comes with it.”

Wheaton has long been outspoken about his political views and campaigned for Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election. 

Johnson publicly endorsed Joe Biden during the 2020 election, but ahead of the 2024 race, said that he would not endorse another presidential candidate, explaining he regretted his previous endorsement because it fueled division.

Still, the “Smashing Machine” star has spoken about Trump in recent years.

Johnson condemned the July 2024 assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania, saying political violence has “no room” in America.

“Whether you love Donald, don’t love Donald, it doesn’t matter. They tried to assassinate him. There’s no room for that,” Johnson said at The Value Conference in September 2024.

“Despite it being who we were in that moment, I still believe in my core that is not who we are as a country.

“So him standing up at that moment, we wanted to see that.”

Johnson also said Trump had been a fan of his wrestling career for years and attended his matches in New York City.

During an October 2024 appearance on “Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway,” Trump revealed Johnson reached out to him after the assassination attempt.

“When I was shot, you may have heard about it, Rock called Dana White and said, ‘I want to have his number. I want to have his number. What he did is sort of incredible,’” Trump said.

“He considered it bravery. I don’t know, to me, I considered it, ‘What’s going on here?’ But it was very nice, The Rock.”

Tragedy struck in Florida on Monday when a 23-month-old boy was discovered dead inside an SUV parked outside A World of Discovery Academy. Authorities shared that the boy’s father, mistakenly believing he had dropped the toddler off at daycare, left him in the vehicle.

Responding to this tragic incident around 5:39 p.m. on Monday, both the Plantation Police Department and the Plantation Fire Department descended on the early childhood education center following a call about an unresponsive child left in a vehicle.

Upon arrival, firefighters could do no more than confirm the heart-rending news that the child had died at the scene.

Leslie Novoa, the proprietor of A World of Discovery Academy, told WSVN-TV that she and the toddler’s father made the desperate call to 911 after the child was tragically found in the backseat of the family SUV.

“This is hard for the parents, hard for us,” Novoa told the station. “This is sad to see this family – a wonderful family – to go through so much pain.”

Novoa said the father arrived at the daycare to pick up his son before realizing the child had never been dropped off.

“Unfortunately, the dad arrived to pick up his child, and when he arrived to the parking lot, he realized he forgot the child,” she said. “He never dropped off the child at the school.”

Novoa said she has known the family for six years and described them as loving parents whose three children attended the daycare.

“Like I said before, they’re a very loving family, and unfortunately, this happened,” Novoa said.

The daycare later released a statement expressing condolences and pledging support for the family.

“Our primary responsibility is the safety and well-being of our students and their families,” the daycare wrote.

“We communicated with our school community as soon as possible, and we remain in contact with our families to provide support during this incredibly difficult time,” it continued. “This student and their family are beloved members of our community. At this time, our focus is on supporting those grieving this immense loss.”

According to Kids and Car Safety, formerly KidsAndCars.org, about 40 children die in hot cars each year in the United States. The organization says roughly half of those deaths occur after a parent or caregiver unintentionally leaves a child inside a vehicle.

Plantation police said the circumstances surrounding the child’s death remain under investigation.

Katy Perry’s latest musical endeavor, the single “Watch It Burn,” has not quite ignited the success she might have hoped for. This recent release seems to have landed far short of expectations, marking yet another difficult chapter for the pop superstar.

Her fans anticipated a triumphant return to her pop-rock roots with “Watch It Burn,” but the track has struggled to make a significant impact. Instead of dominating the charts, it has barely made a ripple, signaling a harsh setback in what was intended to be a grand comeback.

Debuting last Friday, Perry’s single missed the mark on Spotify’s top 200 streaming charts, both globally and in the US, casting a shadow over its performance in a highly competitive music landscape.

As reported by news.com.au, the song’s most successful moment was reaching No. 127 in Brazil, a far cry from the global chart dominance Perry once enjoyed.

This lackluster performance comes even after Perry’s significant promotional efforts, which included a high-production music video release and live debuts at major music festivals such as Rock in Rio Lisboa on June 20 and O Son do Camiño in Spain on June 18. Despite these efforts, “Watch It Burn” has yet to set the music world alight.

Fans have been stunned by the star’s career slide, with one commenting, ‘People really have moved on from her? She was, NOT THAT LONG AGO, one of the biggest pop stars on earth.’

Another wrote, ‘It’s over’, while a third added, ‘Unfortunate, because this is the best song she’s released in quite some time honestly.’

So far, Watch It Burn has performed even worse than Perry’s last single, Bandaids, which debuted at No. 101 on the global Spotify chart before dropping off.  

During a recent appearance on the Unfamous podcast, Perry explained that she was ‘wrestling with my darkness’ on the angsty Watch It Burn following a ‘tough year’.

‘I have not given myself permission to be angry my whole life over things I should be f***ing angry about,’ she said.

‘What I’ve done is I pushed it down, but I should be f***ing angry. I’m allowed to be angry for a f***ing moment.’ 

Perry, who at one point had a string of back-to-back hits, has struggled to get her new music to connect with audiences like it once did. 

Her last two studio albums, 2020’s Smile and 2024’s 143, both tanked on the charts.

On top of that, her last few singles, including Bandaids and Lifetimes, all failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100. 

The star’s last charting single was 2024’s Woman’s World, which peaked briefly at No. 63 on the Hot 100 but was savaged by both fans and music critics alike. 

However, Perry has seen many of her old songs surge in streams thanks to viral success on social media apps like TikTok.

Her 2011 single The One That Got Away has become an unexpected mega-hit, racking up over 1.6billion streams on Spotify alone.

Another one of her Teenage Dream hits, the chart-topping ‘Last Friday Night’, is also surging back up the Spotify charts.

Daily Mail has contacted Universal Music for comment. 

It comes as Perry was forced to cancel her show at the Belgian music festival Werchter Boutique on Saturday just hours before taking to the stage.

The songstress shared a post to Instagram as she explained to fans that she had ‘no choice’ but to pull the plug on the show.

Perry had been slated to close out the festival on Saturday following Pitbull’s set, but dangerous weather conditions prevented her from doing so.

‘Sadly my set @WerchterBoutique tonight can’t happen due to a government mandated cancellation because of the incoming inclement weather and crowd safety concerns,’ she penned in the caption.

The Roar hitmaker said that she had been backstage getting ready for her show ‘when this news was delivered and they gave me no choice.’

‘I am just as unhappy as you are,’ she continued, before adding that the situation ‘is beyond my control’ and the safety of attendees is the main priority. 

‘I am sorry I can’t change the weather, and even sorrier that all of us can’t be together tonight.’ 

Perry concluded her message to fans by expressing her disappointment that she cannot celebrate her return to the festival stage after her last appearance back in 2009. 

‘I was even gonna wear the same outfit from that 2009 show again. I love you all, and please get home safe,’ the singer wrote along with a sad face emoji.  

The last-minute cancellation of Perry’s show was due to ‘severe thunderstorms’ that were predicted to hit the area.

The decision was to ‘ensure that the exit of visitors proceeds in a safe and orderly manner, allowing everyone to return home calmly. The safety and health of everyone present is always our top priority.’

The Department of Justice, alongside over a dozen state governments, has announced a proposed settlement with three of the nation’s top egg producers over allegations of price manipulation. This resolution aims to address accusations that these companies colluded to artificially alter egg prices.

This settlement follows an investigation by federal antitrust authorities and state attorneys general into claims that Cal-Maine Food, Versova/Centrum, and Hickman’s Egg Ranch engaged in coordinated efforts to hike daily egg price quotations artificially. The alleged price manipulation, which spanned from June 2022 to March 2025, reportedly resulted in increased costs for both retailers and consumers.

According to the Justice Department, these companies are major suppliers of eggs to supermarkets, restaurants, and various retailers throughout the United States.

“We are pleased that these settlements will ensure egg prices remain competitive, ultimately benefiting consumers across the nation,” stated Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Sarrine of the Justice Department’s antitrust division in a statement released on Tuesday.

As part of the settlement terms, the egg producers are obligated to donate a total of 53 million eggs to food banks and community organizations within the participating states. Additionally, they will collectively pay $3.3 million to those states, according to details from a June 29 complaint filed by federal and state authorities.

The complaint accuses Cal-Maine, Hickman’s and Versova of conspiring to submit bids to influence egg price quotations, creating the impression there was a greater demand than there actually was. The daily quotations from Urner Barry, a market reporting company, serve as a benchmark for the egg industry, shaping what retailers pay for eggs nationwide, according to the suit. 

“Every year, billions of eggs are sold with prices based on Urner Barry’s price quotations,” the Justice Department said in its statement.

Cal-Maine, a Mississippi company that bills itself as the nation’s largest egg producer and distributor, denied any wrongdoing in a statement, calling the allegations “baseless.”

Iowa-based Versova said it is “pleased the U.S. Department of Justice investigation has been resolved without any finding of or admission of wrongdoing.” 

Arizona-based Hickman’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Justice Department said the settlement, which must still be approved in court, will deter the companies from communicating with competitors to influence egg prices.

The cost of eggs has been a pain point for American shoppers in recent years. Prices hit record highs last year amid an avian flu outbreak that decimated the country’s poultry flocks. A carton of large Grade A eggs now sells for an average of $2.19, down from $6.23 in March 2025, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. 

In its statement, Cal-Maine cited bird flu and the COVID-19 pandemic as the main drivers of volatility in egg prices. Versova also pointed to the bird flu and said it was not responsible for setting prices.

“Egg farmers in the United States don’t set the wholesale price of eggs, which are a commodity product,” Versova said in a statement. “At Versova, most of our eggs are sold on grain-based contracts, which means the price our customers pay fluctuates based on the costs of grain inputs for hen feed.”

Edited by

Alain Sherter