John Cena Discusses Backlash After Apologizing to China on Rogan's Podcast

Wrestler and actor John Cena spoke candidly with Joe Rogan about the intense backlash he faced in both the U.S. and China following his remarks on Taiwan. The discussion took place on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, where Cena revisited the decisions he made while promoting the movie F9 in 2021.

During promotion of the film, Cena told Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS that Taiwan is the first country that can watch F9. His statement triggered immediate criticism in China, where Taiwan is regarded as part of its territory, leading Cena to issue an apology video in Mandarin. In the video, he explained that he had been reading a script written by someone else and expressed regret, saying, I love and respect China and Chinese people. Im very, very sorry for my mistake.

The apology generated further controversy in the U.S., with critics accusing Cena of overcompensating for a communist nation. Speaking to Rogan, Cena admitted he still feels he made an error but also regrets how he responded immediately afterward. The thing that was the biggest kick in the nuts was when people stateside got pissed off, he said.

Rogan asked if it was because Cena had apologized, to which Cena replied, Yes. In Chinese. And I understand completely, like, bowing down to the demand of this gosh. What a shitty move by me. I should have taken a breath. Again, what did I learn? Dont be reactive. He humorously added that his reaction didnt just make things worse, it sunk the Titanic.

Cena described the backlash as so severe that he approached filmmaker James Gunn, saying he would understand if Gunn needed to remove him from the then-new show Peacemaker. Despite the tension, Cena continued filming for a second season and later appeared as his character in this years Superman movie.

Reflecting on the episode, Cena acknowledged his role in the controversy. It was my fault, he said. And I think thats when I can start to work on, like, what did I learn from this? And I could easily blame a PR, an assistant, I could say someone had a target on my back, all that stuff. I f**ked up.

Author: Riley Thompson