American rapper and actor Ice Cube has reportedly backed out of a $9 million paycheck on a movie just because he refused to get vaccinated for the coronavirus. He was supposed to star opposite Jack Black in the comedy “Oh Hell No.”
According to a report, he decided he would rather step away from the project than comply with a production mandate to get the vaccine.
The report further says that that the singer initially agreed to be in “Oh Hell No” in June which was supposed to start shooting this winter in Hawaii with director Kitao Sakurai. However, the production was reportedly pushed back as a result of an injury that Black suffered while filming a bit for the final episode of “Conan.”
Representatives for Ice Cube, Jack Black and Sony Pictures did not immediately respond.
While reports say that the rapper was reluctant to get vaccinated, he has been a strong proponent of mask advocacy throughout the pandemic. He unveiled a brand of “Check Yo Self Before You Wreck Yo Self” t-shirts that featured him in a mask, a partnership done with manufacturer Black Out designed to benefit frontline workers.
He was also thanked by Bacon College in August for donating PPE, including 2,000 face masks.
