Seth Rogen and Sen. Ted Cruz have been engaged in a heated Twitter exchange for a few days now, sparring over everything from the Paris Climate Agreement to the Disney film “Fantasia.”
It all started on Inauguration Day, when Cruz criticized President Joe Biden for reentering the Paris Climate Agreement, to which Rogen responded: “Fuck off you fascist.”
Cruz then attached a screenshot of that interaction in another tweet, writing: “Charming, civil, educated response. @Sethrogen If you’re a rich, angry Hollywood celebrity, today’s Dems are the party for you. If you’re blue collar, if you’re a union member, if you work in energy or manufacturing… not so much.”
Charming, civil, educated response. @Sethrogen
If you’re a rich, angry Hollywood celebrity, today’s Dems are the party for you.
If you’re blue-collar, if you’re a union member, if you work in energy or manufacturing…not so much. #JobsMatter pic.twitter.com/mwtMaBKiS2
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 21, 2021
Rogen fired back, “If you’re a white supremacist fascist who doesn’t find it offensive when someone calls your wife ugly, Ted Cruz is the exact motherfucker for you,” adding, “also I’m in four unions.”
If you’re a white supremacist fascist who doesn’t find it offensive when someone calls your wife ugly, Ted Cruz is the exact motherfucker for you. https://t.co/w4zdynI2V9
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 21, 2021
The feud was reignited the next day, when Cruz quote tweeted MGM Studios’ post posing the question, “What was the first film you saw in theaters?” Cruz wrote, “Fantasia. It was playing at a film revival. It scared me; I cried – I was 4. My Mom had to take me out. Good times.”
Fantasia. It was playing at a film revival. It scared me; I cried—I was 4. My Mom had to take me out.
Good times. https://t.co/xbTrhVvSko
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 22, 2021
On Jan. 22, Rogen replied: “Everyone who made that film would hate you.”
“They’re all dead. So I think we’re good. And Walt Disney was a Republican,” Cruz responded. “Even though you behave online like a Marxist with Tourette’s (screaming ‘F U! F U!’ is really, really clever), your movies are typically pretty funny. I’m sure you hate that I enjoy them.”
They’re all dead. So I think we’re good. And Walt Disney was a Republican.
Even though you behave online like a Marxist with Tourette’s (screaming “F U! F U!” is really, really clever), your movies are typically pretty funny.
I’m sure you hate that I enjoy them. https://t.co/ImVm26QWb8
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 23, 2021
Rogen then informed Cruz that he actually does have a mild case of Tourette’s, adding: “I once again take great pleasure in telling you to go fuck yourself.” “Also VERY few cases of Tourette’s manifest in uncontrollable swearing. Most cases, like mine, manifest in twitching,” Rogen continued.
As someone who has Tourette’s in their family (and also has a very mild case himself), I once again take great pleasure in telling you to go fuck yourself. (Also VERY few cases of Tourette’s manifest in uncontrollable swearing. Most cases, like mine, manifest in twitching.) https://t.co/NJaEjMfNJt
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 24, 2021
Rogen followed that tweet up with, “All jokes aside, @tedcruz is a fascist piece of shit,” to which Cruz replied: “All jokes aside, @Sethrogen is a moron. It’s your party that believes in govt power: to shut your business, to oppress your faith & to censor your speech. Anyone who disagrees, they try to cancel. BTW, a lot of folks in Hollywood are conservative – & muzzled by the fascist Left.”
All jokes aside, @tedcruz is a fascist piece of shit.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 24, 2021
All jokes aside, @Sethrogen is a moron.
It’s your party that believes in govt power: to shut your business, to oppress your faith & to censor your speech.
Anyone who disagrees, they try to cancel.
BTW, a lot of folks in Hollywood are conservative—& muzzled by the fascist Left. https://t.co/i9o80vFtS0
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 24, 2021
This seemed to be the last straw, for Rogen, who shot back: “You literally inspired a deadly insurrection you stupid fuck.”
You literally inspired a deadly insurrection you stupid fuck. https://t.co/eoy1uUDK73
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 24, 2021
Cruz has yet to respond to this tweet, but Rogen continued to explain his dislike for Cruz, bringing up the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and Cruz’s support of Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results. “This isn’t a Twitter ‘feud.’ @tedcruz tried to overthrow our government,” Rogen tweeted. “He inspired a deadly mob to storm the Capitol. And I think that deserves ridicule. So fuck him.”
This isn’t a Twitter “feud.” @tedcruz tried to overthrow our government. He inspired a deadly mob to storm the Capitol. And I think that deserves ridicule. So fuck him.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 24, 2021
“Your lies got people killed,” Rogen added in another tweet. “You have blood on your hands.”
Your lies got people killed. You have blood on your hands. https://t.co/eoy1uUDK73
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 24, 2021
Notable members of Hollywood joined in to defend Rogen, praising him for calling out Cruz.
“Ted Cruz doing clumsy Trump cosplay is so embarrassing,” Billy Eichner wrote. “Sweetie, you don’t have *it*. You are simply NOT a star! Sorry!”
Ted Cruz doing clumsy Trump cosplay is so embarrassing. Sweetie, you don’t have *it*. You are simply NOT a star! Sorry!
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) January 22, 2021
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who costarred with Rogen in “50/50” and “The Night Before,” jumped in to help explain Rogen’s anger toward the Senator.
“Mr. Senator, as @sethrogen’s non-threatening buddy, perhaps I can translate ‘fascist’ into more charming and civil terms,” Gordon-Levitt wrote. “Your support of the former President’s attempts to baselessly overturn a democratic election is reminiscent of supporters of Hitler, Mussolini, and others.”
Mr. Senator, as @sethrogen’s non-threatening buddy, perhaps I can translate “fascist” into more charming and civil terms.
Your support of the former President’s attempts to baselessly overturn a democratic election is reminiscent of supporters of Hitler, Mussolini, and others. https://t.co/6hWkj9SKEa
— Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) January 22, 2021
Michael Herbert Schur, co-creator of “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office” who goes by Ken Tremendous on Twitter, wrote: “Hi, @tedcruz is desperate to pick a fight with @Sethrogen so everyone talks about that and not the fact that he made a bad-faith attempt to overthrow a fair election in order to cynically grab Trump’s base and run for President in 2024. Let’s focus on the latter.”
Hi, @tedcruz is desperate to pick a fight with @Sethrogen so everyone talks about that and not the fact that he made a bad-faith attempt to overthrow a fair election in order to cynically grab Trump’s base and run for President in 2024. Let’s focus on the latter.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) January 24, 2021
Representatives for Cruz and Rogen did not immediately respond for Variety‘s request for comment.