Alan Ritchson says he has faced pressure from production studios to keep his political opinions to himself. The Reacher star made the claims during a panel at Fan Expo Canada earlier this month, as reported by Fox News. He suggested that his outspoken views have prompted studio executives to contact him directly and ask him to curb his public commentary.

Ritchson joked about how often those calls come in, saying studios ask him, “Would you shut the f*** up, please? Stop talking in public.” He added that his intent is not to create disorder, describing his goal as “actually the opposite of chaos.” The actor then stopped himself, telling the audience, “I’m not going to get into it.”

He went on to tie his silence to a specific figure. “Sony told me not to. And I’m not going to say anything,” Ritchson said, before adding, “Not today, [Jeffrey] Epstein.” The comment drew cheers from the audience, and Ritchson fist-bumped the moderators while declaring, “Pedos win.”

Ritchson also pointed to a specific instance where he believes political factors influenced his show. He said Amazon Prime Video decided against adapting a Jack Reacher novel in which the protagonist takes on a white supremacist militia camp.

The book, Die Trying, is the second installment in Lee Child’s series and was originally published in 1998. It follows Reacher as he becomes entangled with a radical militia group in a mountain community.

Ritchson addressed the decision on Threads after a fan expressed disappointment that the story would not be adapted. “My favourite book. Fun fact: I had it approved until someone got re-elected,” he wrote. The post appeared to suggest that President Donald Trump’s return to office played a role in the studio’s choice.

This is not the first time Ritchson has drawn attention for his politics. A professed Christian, he has previously criticized conservative Christians who support Republican politicians, and he went on a podcast rant about Epstein files earlier this year. In an April 2024 interview, he said, “Trump is a rapist and a con man,” adding that the Christian church treats him “like he’s their poster child.”

Roughly one month after those remarks, Ritchson claimed he was “met with violence” for sharing his views. He argued that generosity is a core tenet of the Christian faith, saying, “If you want to see violence flee the world, be more generous to everybody!”

Not everyone in the industry supports Ritchson’s approach. Christian Toto of Hollywood in Toto argued that the actor is hurting his own career, calling his political commentary “hysterical blather.” Toto also questioned whether Ritchson understands “how fleeting that kind of fame can be.”

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