John Wayne, best-known for being at the top of the box office draws (especially in Westerns) spanning for three whole decades, has found himself in some controversy even after his death. With the newest Michael Jackson documentary out and in full swing, it’s no surprise that old scandals are being dug it about other well-known celebrities.
A Playboy interview from 1971 resurfaced that apparently has the state of California in turmoil (since the John Wayne Airport, named after him, is located in Orange County, CA). Keep reading to see the shocking comments that Wayne apparently made in the interview!
In the interview, Wayne was expressing his support for the Vietnam War, and some of his comments made headlines for his opinions on social issues and race relations in the U.S. at that time.
“I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility,” he said in the interview, “We can’t all of the sudden get down on our knees and turn everything over to the leadership of the blacks.”
Wayne was the star of many Western films and was also asked about Native Americans since many of them were portrayed in his films as stereotypes or villains.
He responded, “I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them, if that’s what you’re asking. Our so-called stealing of this country from them was just a matter of survival.” He said that Europeans needed new land and Native Americans were “selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.”
Survey Says… Everyone Knew
Apparently, no one was really shocked to learn that Wayne had ‘controversial’ views, but they were more shocked that he would be so open about it with such language, which is why a ‘scandal’ has emerged from it.
His son, Ethan, defends his father’s legacy and finds it unfair to have his legacy stripped from the airport under his name, but does not defend his late father’s comments. “It would be an injustice to judge someone based on an interview that’s being used out of context,” Ethan told CNN, “They’re trying to contradict how he lived his life, and how he lived his life was who he was.”
Ethan explains that his father didn’t judge people based on race, gender, or sexual orientation, and instead judge people based on how they did their job. “He took everyone at face value,” Ethan says.
The scandal erupted when a writer for the LA Times, Michael Hiltzik, distributed an op-ed reviving this old interview with Wayne and questioning if he should still have an airport named after him after the comments he made decades ago.
What do you think about this ‘scandal’? Be sure to SHARE this article with your thoughts!
RELATED: The 20 Best Classic TV Western Series From The 50s And 60s
Check out another ‘lost’ interview from 1974 with John Wayne where he discusses his political views:
Donna M Lober says
The thing I heard once about John Wayne is that he didn’t even like horses or any animals, and that really turned me off.
John Seychel says
That’s hearsay, did he say it to you, or are you just regurgitating what someone else said?
Steve R says
Its easy to rip apart a dead person that cant defend themselves
Monty Montana says
you were a friend of John’s and heard he didn’t like horses from him? You heard boy oh boy and now you’re a John Wayne expert. Grow a pair dumbass
francine geary says
They named the airport after him after he died and he had made the remarks years before he died so why change it now-years after his death??
Steven Zettlemoyer says
Sounds to me like some snowflakes got there panties in a knot over a few comments.
Monty Montana says
Exactly. Hollywood Queen City of the liberal pussies trying to ruin our country. They don’t stand for anything.
John Seychel says
That was a different time and place, tensions were high with the war, as the rich went to college and dogged the poor who were forced to go to war. Racial tensions plagued most all big cities. The media blamed it on race and was never about race, it was class, in which the rich did not want people to think. All and all, it was the rich kids going to college instead of being drafted, or bone spurs if you had enough to pay off a doctor. It was anger reflected on race instead of class. The stupid rich kids all hippy’s and dragging down the returned soldiers. It was nasty and hateful.
Bruce Ring says
John Wayne was one of the biggest hipocrites ever, While he could whole hartedly support the vietnam war, and call anyone that avoided it draft dogers, he had no problems with getting a deferment for himself during WW2, so he wouldn,t have to go. He could talk the talk, but he never walked the walk,
Daisy says
He could spell, though.
Monty Montana says
So you knew John Wayne Personally? Mind your own business and life your life stop saying shit you know nothing about
Kritikos says
Call it the Orange County Airport.
Ann Clayton says
How many of you “commentors” actually knew John Wayne?? LET DEAD MEN LIE!! The man did more in terms of Patriotism for this country than ANY OF YOU knotheads!!!! Keep your comments to what you know, which means you should not comment on ANYTHING EVER!!!
Lisa says
I don’t even believe he said that.
Once again it’s a case of libertards trying to make a white man who was a movie icon, look bad. Now they’ll probably change the name of the airport to the rodney king airport.
People are getting sick and tired of the libtard agenda of making it look like all white Americans are racist, even though I’ve seen more racism against white Americans, than can even be imagined.
But thankfully, the liberals and demoncrats are dying a slow and painful death, because enough people are tired of their lives, and utter madness that they represent and constantly spew out on the rest of us.
And I can hardly wait to see the axe fall.
Bernie news update says
His movies promoted hatred to Indians and made millions doing so. No movie no so called star created more damage to Indians than John Wayne. His name should be removes from Hollywood.
David Reckoff says
wawawawawawa piss and moan about something you no absolutley nothing about , and if you really look at his films they showed the indian in a very possitive light!
Beverly Denn says
It was a different time, and different place back then . I’m not going to judge him on what he said at that time in place. My own father also had some extreme points of view. I judge how I feel about people by their character and how they treat me as a person. Pretty sure that is how most people judge weather they want to be friends with someone OR Not.
KENNETH DANDURAND says
Sorry, but his statement about the indians is just wrong. Not illegal.
Stephen DeVoy says
Don’t judge him on what he said at that time and place? Why not? We judge Germans for what they did when fascism ruled that country. I plan on judging Trumpanzees for what they’re doing now. You don’t get a free pass at being a pig just because you surround yourself with other pigs.
Trudy says
No one has the right to judge anyone. Only God has that right.
steven says
So, we are going to look at an article that was written 50 years ago for a magazine that most people didn’t read. You cannot look at history through the politically correct lens of today. Nothing in history can stand up to that kind of scrutiny and still look good. The people of today just like to stir up the pot of discontent to see what boils over. Get a life people
Miranda Allison Young says
What he said at that time would probably be very different if you were to ask him today. Times have changed dramactically since then and his thoughts and values most likely would have also.
Ed Livesay says
Surprise, surprise… John Wayne was a man. And ALL men are imperfect. Only Jesus Christ was perfect. As Jesus said… “let he who is without sin, throw the first stone”….. I’m waiting, rectumheads!
Janet S Beaton says
I don’t think John Wayne would give a flying fig what name the call the airporthe me we asked for his name to be out on there and is that all that reporter has to do is dredge thru the past for some thing he said I think you all want to stop listening Ng to this BLM group have the forgotten Flyod pulled avgun I n a pregnant woman he was robbing. Nd this removing statues and flags is crap. Where are future generations going to.learn of their history.
hal baylor says
Try not to judge someone from the Pre-PC era using current PC Standards. Opinions were different back then. Doesn’t it strike you as odd that there was very little controversy when he made these comments. He was just a man of his time. Let it go…