Freedom-loving Twitter users everywhere came off the top rope on Tuesday to deliver the social media version of an atomic elbow to actor and former WWE star John Cena, after he apologized to China for calling Taiwan a country while promoting his upcoming film “F9.”
Cena took to the Chinese social media site Weibo to apologize – in Mandarin -for calling Taiwan a country. China, an expected large market for “F9” and a country that views Taiwan as a part of their country, reacted badly.
“I made one mistake. I have to say something very, very, very important now. I love and respect China and Chinese people. I’m very, very sorry about my mistake. I apologize, I apologize, I’m very sorry. You must understand that I really love, really respect China and the Chinese people. My apologies. See you,” Cena explained.
The beatdown got so extreme that “John Xina” became a thing on Twitter:
John Xina looks like an emasculated cuck in his bend over video. Ultimate coward
— Feedom Fighte (@FreedomGoats) May 26, 2021
Senator Tom Cotton kept his response to Cena’s kowtow was brief but strong:
Pathetic. https://t.co/CLxCOatdDE
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) May 25, 2021
Even liberals were appalled by Cena’s apology:
How shameful, Cena.
Taiwan is a country – and a democracy. You just apologized to a dictatorship. https://t.co/rBx50uQgF6
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) May 25, 2021
Such gutlessness from @johncena. Amazing. https://t.co/5zFihN0rCh
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) May 26, 2021
Why not call a decades-long healthy and functioning democracy a country? Because much of Hollywood operates in fear of Beijing, many of its blockbuster movies dependent on the mainland Chinese market. https://t.co/2mPcNAT6R3
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) May 25, 2021
The John Cena apology is outrageous, but it exists inside a much larger problem. Over and over, Hollywood puts profits over truth, morality and patriotism by giving into Chinese government censorship.https://t.co/GOWg1UiSEW
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 26, 2021
Of course, it wasn’t just the left who were letting their thoughts be known:
Cena should be asked on his little movie promotion junket if he accepts or rejects the US State Department’s conclusion that China is engaged in genocide against ethnic and religious minorities of color in Xinjiang. So should LeBron, for that matter. https://t.co/7lLhlkOZnR
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 25, 2021
I don't think people would be dragging John Cena so hard if everyone in Hollywood would just finally admit their award show moral posing is complete bullshit, and they would all whore out their own mother to Kim Jong Un for 2 points of the North Korean Netflix revenue
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) May 26, 2021
So I guess @JohnCena is waiting for Memorial Day itself to apologize to The United States.
— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) May 26, 2021
Chinese Communist Party shill @JohnCena can’t see Taiwan pic.twitter.com/2xKrKQqaK4
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) May 26, 2021
It’s unknown what potential damage Cena’s apology could cause to ticket sales for his movie in America. It’s also unknown if Cena or any Hollywood executive cares.
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