Dakota Johnson Says Cancel Culture Is a "F--king Downer" After Working With Armie Hammer, Shia LaBeouf

Dakota Johnson reflected on the "loss of great artists" and her "incredible" working relationship with Armie Hammer and Shia LaBeouf in a recent interview.

By Cydney Contreras Nov 05, 2021 12:43 AMTags
Watch: Gwyneth Paltrow Bonds With Dakota Johnson at Gucci Fashion Show

Dakota Johnson may be canceled for her comments on cancel culture.

The Fifty Shades of Grey actress called the movement a "f--king downer" in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying that she understands people need to be held accountable but questioned if cancel culture is doing more harm than good. 

As someone who previously worked with Shia LaBeouf and Armie Hammer, the actress seemingly has mixed feelings in light of the abuse allegations each man has faced, sharing, "I never experienced that firsthand from any of those people." 

Dakota previously starred alongside Armie in The Social Network and the 2019 horror film Wounds, which came out the same year as her movie The Peanut Falcon, featuring the Even Stevens actor. 

Dakota said that she had "an incredible time working with them" on those projects, though her relationship with each individual was purely professional. 

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Dakota Johnson's Best Looks

More recently, Armie has since stepped away from the public eye to seek help for "drug, alcohol and sex issues," amid his ongoing divorce from Elizabeth Chambers.

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Likewise, Shia sought help for undisclosed issues, according to a December 2021 statement from his attorney Shawn Holley, which came after his ex-girlfriend FKA twigs accused him of emotional abuse. He denied the singer's allegations

Dakota said that she feels bad "about the loss of great artists," but acknowledged that some people are canceled for good reason, saying, "I feel sad for people needing help and perhaps not getting it in time. I feel sad for anyone who was harmed or hurt. It's just really sad."

But Melanie Griffith's daughter added that she believes "people can change," reflecting, "I want to believe in the power of a human being to change and evolve and get help and help other people."

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Her hope for rehabilitation has seemingly led her to believe that "there's a major overcorrection happening." Rather than outright end someone's career, Dakota said that she thinks "there's a way for the pendulum to find the middle."

"The way that studios have been run up until now, and still now, is behind. It is such an antiquated mindset of what movies should be made, who should be in them, how much people should get paid, what equality and diversity look like," she asserted. "Sometimes the old school needs to be moved out for the new school to come in."

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Nonetheless, Dakota said, "Yeah, cancel culture is such a f--king downer. I hate that term."

Dakota is not alone in her distaste for cancel culture. Taylor Swift previously told Vogue that the experience of being canceled is "a very isolating experience," while Dua Lipa said she finds the movement to be "so dangerous and toxic."

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