Ice Cube is opening up about that $9 million film role that he lost out on last year.
As previously reported by The Root, last October, the Ride Along star reportedly walked away from the upcoming film, Oh Hell No, where he was set to star opposite Jack Black. The issue? His alleged refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which was mandated at the time. Now, in a new interview on the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast, Cube confirms that he did in fact “turned down” the role because of the mandate.
“I turned down a movie because I didn’t want to get the motherfucking jab,” he said. “I turned down $9 million. I didn’t want get the jab. Fuck that jab. Fuck ya’ll for trying to make me get it. I don’t know how Hollywood feels about me right now.”
However, later on in the interview, he seemed to contradict himself by clarifying that the studio behind Oh Hell No actually didn’t extend the offer to Cube to take on the role because of his refusal to take the shot in the first place.
“Those motherfuckers didn’t give it to me because I wouldn’t get the shot,” he explained. “I didn’t turn it down. They just wouldn’t give it to me. The COVID shot, the jab…I didn’t need it. I didn’t catch that shit at all. Nothing. Fuck them. I didn’t need that shit.”
It seems, as of late, that film projects for Ice Cube don’t seem to be working out for whatever reason. Last month, we told you that the fourth iteration of the Friday movie franchise wouldn’t be moving forward after Cube revealed Warner Bros. Discovery rejected it. Maybe, just maybe, he should take this upcoming holiday break to reevaluate some of these ideas. He just might strike gold.