Pharrell Williams slammed as 'out of touch' after saying he doesn't 'do politics'

Pharrell Williams' fans aren't happy with his take on celebrity political endorsements.

The 13-time Grammy winner, 51, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published last week that he doesn't "really do politics" and gets "annoyed sometimes" when celebrities tell people who to vote for.

"There are celebrities that I respect that have an opinion, but not all of them," he said. "I'm one of them people (who says), 'What the heck? Shut up. Nobody asked you.'"

Williams, who was asked whether he would allow a campaign to use his music, went on to slam stars who "get self-righteous" and said he would rather "stay out of the way," adding, "Obviously, I'm going to vote how I'm going to vote. I care about my people and I care about the country, but I feel there's a lot of work that needs to be done, and I'm really about the action."

The "Happy" singer compared himself to federal employees who "show up to work every day" and serve their country regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican is in office. But he noted that there are "some policies I lean into," such as believing that "education is important," and said he is "not sure I'll ever vote far right."

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Williams.

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Pharrell Williams' take on celebrity political endorsement sparks backlash

Williams' comments quickly drew backlash on social media, with some accusing the singer of being privileged for not feeling the need to get more involved in politics.

"Must be nice not to have to worry about the outcome," one user wrote on X.

"This is a privileged take lol," another person wrote.

Some took to the comments of Williams' Instagram to express disapproval of his position.

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"Not 'doing politics' is so incredibly privileged and out of touch," one comment read, while another asked, "Are you able to not do politics because you're so wealthy that everything is accessible to you no matter who is in office?"

Still another fan wrote, "I love your music bro. Please stop telling other adults what they can and can't speak about. It's cool for you to remain silent because the issues don't impact you and clearly you just don't care."

Despite Williams' comments, the singer expressed support for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election and appeared at one of her rallies alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders.

"Politics is not my field of expertise," he said at the time. "But I'm a human. I'm a human being with a family, a human being that shares this Earth with other human beings. This election is just too important. I couldn't sit on the sidelines and just be quiet."

In a 2016 interview with Variety, Williams said that if "all the women in this nation" voted for Clinton, "there'd be nothing to worry about," although he acknowledged she has "been dishonest about things."

"You don't realize that you're being gender biased," he said. "'I don't trust her.' But you trust (Trump)? So that worries me. ... Yes, she's a female, but she don't lie no more than any other politician does."

In 2018, Williams sent then-President Donald Trump a cease-and-desist letter for playing his song "Happy" at a political event hours after a mass shooting. "On the day of the mass murder of 11 human beings at the hands of a deranged 'nationalist,' you played his song 'Happy' to a crowd at a political event in Indiana," Williams' lawyer said in the letter, adding, "There was nothing 'happy' about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose."

The interview with Williams was published one day after Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris president. Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas, also released a video on Tuesday endorsing Harris.

Contributing: Cydney Henderson and Maria Puente, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pharrell Williams' celebrity political endorsement comments slammed