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Danny Trejo's Son Accuses Daily Wire Of Duping Actor Into Pro-ICE Movie
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Danny Trejo’s son says his dad was duped into signing onto a movie championing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement backed by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro and his media company, The Daily Wire. In a social media post captured by the San Fernando Sun, Gilbert Trejo addressed outrage around his father, an icon with Los Angeles’ Latino community, for appearing in the controversial thriller, “Pawn Shop.” He claims Danny did not know about the film’s pro-ICE bent until after it began shooting, and that the 82-year-old is also barred from backing out of the project or criticizing it because of his contract. The younger Trejo wrote, “He was booked on a film, it’s not pro-ice, it’s not overtly pro anything. His agent described it as ‘a complicated story about a complicated time, where everyone looks bad except you, the hardworking Mexican shop owner who just wants peace.’ He jumped at the idea of playing a good guy.” It wasn’t until two weeks into production, according to Gilbert Trejo, that his father learned who was behind the film, which follows an ICE officer barricaded inside a pawn shop amid an altercation with protesters. “My 82 year old dad has never heard of Ben Shapiro, I had to explain to him who that is, and what kind of guy he is,” Trejo wrote. “My dad contractually can’t bad mouth him, the film, or walk away without being sued for breach of contract. He couldn’t even release the statement he wanted to.” “It’s fucked up,” Trejo’s son wrote. “He’s handcuffed to this stupid project, and swaths of people have instantly turned their back on him without knowing any of the facts.” Taking aim at Shapiro, Gilbert Trejo accused the right-wing personality of getting the Mexican American community “to abandon one of their heroes, got his own name to the top of google’s searches, and made us look like angry fools lacking any nuance. He wins.” HuffPost has reached out to representatives for Danny Trejo and The Daily Wire for comment. Earlier this month, production on “Pawn Shop” was temporarily shut down after protests flared up around its set locations in the small town of Livingston, Montana. Uproar over a scene allegedly depicting the death of Renée Good, an unarmed Minnesota woman who was shot and killed by an ICE officer in January, was compounded by the fact the production was blocking access to the city’s only food pantry. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
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