Pharrell Williams admitted he doesn’t “do politics” and believes other celebrities should stop giving political endorsements.
The pop star offered his two cents when asked about the upcoming election in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
When asked whether the “Happy” singer would lend his music to either party, Williams said he stays out of it.
“I don’t do politics,” the singer/songwriter, record producer, and nonprofit founder said in the interview, published last Wednesday.
“In fact, I get annoyed sometimes when I see celebrities trying to tell you [who to vote for].”
He added that while there are opinionated celebrities that he respects, he’s generally not fond of stars sharing their viewpoints.
“I’m one of them people [who says], “What the heck? Shut up. Nobody asked you,” Williams said.
Celebrity endorsements have been making headlines, especially Taylor Swift’s nod for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris following last week’s debate.
“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swift said in an Instagram post.
Williams said that for him, it’s more about “action.”
“I would rather stay out of the way, and obviously, I’m going to vote how I’m going to vote. I care about my people and I care about the country, but I feel there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and I’m really about the action,” Williams said.
Williams spoke about two nonprofits he founded – YELLOW, a 501(c)(3), that focuses on education equality, and Black Ambition, which helps black and Hispanic entrepreneurs by investing in promising startups.
“Those are the things I lean into,” Williams said. “I’m not an activist, but I believe in action. But I do believe in activists, and you need everybody.”
He did admit that he’s not sure if he would “ever vote far right.”
“I won’t do that,” he said.