Denzel Washington has brushed off questions about “cancel culture,” saying “Who cares?” and adding, “You can’t be canceled if you haven’t signed up,” during a promotional interview for his new film with Spike Lee. In the exchange, conducted by Complex News, Washington questioned the premise behind being “canceled,” then pivoted to values, saying he doesn’t measure himself by public approval or follower counts. “I don’t follow anybody… I follow God,” he said, framing his stance as one rooted in faith rather than social media currency.
The remarks came as Washington and Lee make the rounds for Highest 2 Lowest, their latest collaboration, which opened in theaters this weekend and will stream on Apple TV+ next month. The film, a contemporary riff on Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, reunites the pair nearly two decades after their last feature together and casts Washington as a New York music executive thrust into a moral crisis. Distribution is being handled by A24 and Apple, with streaming availability set for September 5.
Washington’s comments also touched on the limits of awards as a yardstick, echoing past interviews in which he downplayed the personal importance of trophies despite a long list of nominations and two Oscars. In the Complex exchange, Lee struck a similar tone of indifference toward cancellation discourse, underscoring the duo’s shared preference for craft over public temperature checks.
Reaction online centered on the actor’s admonition to “not sign up,” a phrase fans and commentators read as a rejection of chasing popularity or engaging in perpetual reputational warfare. Washington’s framing aligns with how he has often discussed work and legacy—an emphasis on purpose, mentorship, and spiritual grounding rather than the churn of daily controversy. As the new release rolls out, the remarks add another talking point to the press tour for a project positioned to introduce the Lee–Washington partnership to a new generation of viewers.
