Kyle Rittenhouse Not Guilty Verdict Breaks Hollywood: 'I Weep for This Country'

David NgNovember 19, 2021

Left-wing Hollywood celebrities experienced a collective meltdown after a jury in Kenosha, Wisconsin, acquitted 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of all charges on Friday. “I weep for this country,” one star lamented, while another claimed the verdict represented a victory for “white supremacy.”

Celebrities including Sophia Bush, Patton Oswalt, and Josh Gad took their cues from the establishment media by insisting on a racial angle to the verdict, even though all the parties in the case were white. Other celebrities simply vented their rage, like Alyssa Milano, who hurled expletives at her TV as the verdict was read.

“This is white supremacy in action,” Sophia Bush tweeted.

“So…the white guy goes free. Is that the message?” author Stephen King wrote.

“Fucking not guilty,” Alyssa Milano despaired.

In one bizarre instance, ABC’s Scandal star Kerry Washington paid tribute to the two men Rittenhouse shot and killed out of self-defense — Joseph Rosenbaum, a pedophile sex offender, and Anthony Huber, a habitual woman beater.

Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges on Friday following three days of jury deliberation. The 18-year-old faced two charges of murder, one charge of attempted murder, and two charges of reckless endangerment stemming from last year’s Black Lives Matter riots that saw large parts of Kenosha burn to the ground.

Rittenhouse’s attorneys argued their client acted in self-defense when he was attacked while helping to defend property against violent rioters. Rittenhouse shot and killed two rioters after they threatened him — Joseph Rosenbaum, who reached for Rittenhouse’s rifle, and Anthony Huber, who hit Rittenhouse in the head and neck with a skateboard, and reached for the rifle.

Hollywood celebrities didn’t appear concerned with the details of the case when they reacted with rage to the jury’s decision.

One Tree Hill star and left-wing activist Sophia Bush called the verdict a “miscarriage of justice,” adding: “This is white supremacy in action.

The miscarriage of justice today is enraging. This is white supremacy in action. This is hideous. He murdered people, bragged about it while throwing white power signs in a bar, and then manufactured tears to claim that despite his AR-15 HE was in danger. And he got off. Unreal. https://t.co/JnNsyQSLMu

— Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) November 19, 2021

Broadway and Peacock’s Girls5eva star Sara Bareilles lamented, “I weep for this country.”

Twitter/sarabareilles

ABC’s Scandal actress Kerry Washington used the verdict to remind people about the Black Lives Matter movement. She also paid tribute to the two rioters whom Rittenhouse shot and killed after they threatened him — Joseph Rosenbaum, a pedophile sex offender, and Anthony Huber, a habitual woman beater.

Netflix’s Colin in Black and White director Ava DuVernay took a similar approach by paying homage to Anthony Huber.

Elections matter. The lives of Joseph Rosenbaum & Anthony Huber mattered. They should be alive today. Our 1st amendment right to free speech should not cost any of us our lives. And regardless of anybody’s verdict anywhere and at anytime, Black Lives Do Matter. Today. & always ❤️ https://t.co/YNMVk8Wha5

— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) November 19, 2021

John Huber and Karen Bloom, parents of murderer #KyleRittenhouse’s victim Anthony Huber: the verdict “sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street.” pic.twitter.com/zhfMCIsXIk

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) November 19, 2021

Disney superhero movie star Mark Ruffalo said “justice weeps” after the verdict was announced.

Justice weeps bitterly today. We are coming together to heal the scars left by the wounds of this grief. We will care for each other and remember why we continue to march. @WisconsinAllIn @LeadersKenosha @blocbyblocMKE

— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) November 19, 2021

Actor-comedian Patton Oswalt appeared to mock Kyle Rittenhouse, comparing him to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

wanna be a supreme court justice

wanna murder 2 people & not go to jail better

1) cut some onions
2) be white

(MUSIC CUE: “Cherry Pie”)

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) November 19, 2021

Comedian Kathy Griffin despaired, “People suck.”

People suck.

— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) November 19, 2021

MGM’s No Time to Die star Jeffrey Wright compared the Rittenhouse verdict to the O.J. Simpson case.

OJ on the Rittenhouse verdict. pic.twitter.com/DFz4mpYIye

— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) November 19, 2021

Star Trek: The Next Generation star LeVar Burton argued there are “two kinds of justice in America!”

Tell me again there are not two kinds justice in America!

— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) November 19, 2021

TBS’s Full Frontal with Samantha Bee complained, “This is not justice.”

Acquitting Kyle Rittenhouse sends a message to future Kyle Rittenhouses that they’re free to incite violence and then claim self-defense. This is not justice.

— Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) November 19, 2021

Disney’s Frozen star Josh Gad portrayed Rittenhouse as a murderous vigilante who gunned down people protesting for racial equality, when in reality, he shot violent rioters who were threatening him.

It has now been put it out there that vigilantes can just go and kill people protesting issues like racial equality whenever they want and get away with it. Think about that for a second.

— Josh Gad (@joshgad) November 19, 2021

Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom star Viola Davis expressed her anger after the verdict was read.

Welcome to America 😡🙏🏿🙏🏿 https://t.co/mQmGH5e5J7

— Viola Davis (@violadavis) November 19, 2021

Comedy Central’s The Daily Show mocked Judge Bruce Schroeder.

JUST IN: Judge Schroeder sentences Kyle Rittenhouse to come give him a big hug

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) November 19, 2021

Netflix’s The Chair star Holland Taylor gave her approval to the New York Times’ Nikole Hannah Jones’ claim that the verdict represents the “legacy of 1619.”

Astonishing observation. https://t.co/wCuikqEuEC

— Holland Taylor (@HollandTaylor) November 19, 2021

Actor and comedian DL Hughley snarked that Rittenhouse will be a “cop in 3 years.”

#KyleRittenhouse will be a cop in 3 years! #TeamDl

— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) November 19, 2021

Scooby-Doo! actor Matthew Lillard predicted “unprecedented” levels of violence in the wake of the verdict, failing to clarify if he was referring to anti-Rittenhouse protestors who have threatened to riot in the case of an acquittal.

Not guilty. Welcome to the Wild fuckin’ West.
The violence that is coming will be unprecedented. #godsaveusall

— matthew lillard —Will block. 0-F’s-given (@MatthewLillard) November 19, 2021

Showtime’s Shameless star Emmy Rossum called the verdict a “devastating blow.”

This is a devastating blow.

— Emmy Rossum (@emmyrossum) November 19, 2021

Disney’s Hocus Pocus 2 star Bette Midler called it a “tragic day for decent, THINKING, feeling, ethical people everywhere.”

#kylerittenhouse found not guilty tho we SAW HIM kill two. Fundamentally stupid, I predict he will go on to a big career on #Fox and in #RadicalRightWing circles, which counts as a plus with them. A tragic, tragic day for decent, THINKING, feeling, ethical people everywhere.

— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) November 19, 2021

Author Stephen King saw the case in terms of race.