Emilio Estevez Says He’s Not An Anti-Vaxxer
Over the weekend, Deadline reported that Emilio Estevez would not be returning for the second season of the Disney+ revival series, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. Sources claimed that Emilio “declined to provide assurances” that he would comply with the show’s COVID vaccination requirement, aka bitch is probably an anti-vaxxer. Now Emilio has responded to these reports in a lengthy written statement. The first line reads: “I am not anti-vaxx. Full stop.” But Emilio doesn’t stop. He goes on for another 675 words. Damn. Well, now that he’s out of a job, maybe he should get into ghostwriting college essays?
The thesis of this essay is “Emilio Estevez isn’t anti-vaxx.” Here is his introductory paragraph:
I am not anti-vaxx. Full stop.
I take this pandemic very seriously, and I am often teased about my continued following of the safety protocols and my abundance of caution.
I want to address what transpired and clear up some falsehoods which appeared in an article regarding my decision to depart “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.”
Supporting argument #1. Emilio got COVID in March 2020:
While I can’t speak for anyone else in regards to this polarizing, sensitive issue, I have my own lived experience.
In late February 2020, at the end of shooting the pilot for the “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” in Vancouver, I wasn’t feeling 100%. I chalked it up to being on a cold set and on an ice rink day after day.
I drove to Vancouver for the pilot, due to news of “an emerging disease,” which would eventually be known as “Covid 19.” My decision to drive there and back was to avoid mass crowds and international airports. I already started wearing face coverings, gloves and using hand sanitizer. I also genuinely love driving across and around America, as anyone who knows me can attest.
En route from Vancouver to Los Angeles I became noticeably ill. Once back in L.A. I begged several doctors to be tested for this new variant of flu. I was assured that “I didn’t meet the criteria,” or “There’s no way you have it.” After multiple efforts, I finally received a car side Covid 19 PCR test on March 13, 2020. I continued to become increasingly sick, suffering from fever, sweats, brain fog and mood swings.
On March 17, 2020 I got word I had indeed contracted Covid 19. Thankfully I refrained from visiting my elderly parents and others until I received my results. I had discussions with doctors and contact tracing personnel from the L.A. County Department of Health.
Supporting argument #2. Emilio suffered from long haul COVID symptoms, but felt pressured by the show’s producers and his former reps to return to set to shoot the rest of the first season:
I suffered the summer and fall of 2020 from what we now know as “Long Haul Syndrome.”
As the show went back into production in August 2020, I reluctantly soldiered on, but was uncertain about how I would be safe on set. I questioned the wisdom of returning to make a tv show in the middle of a pandemic and how actors could be considered “essential workers.”
The show producers tried their best to assuage my fears of coming back to work. “You have natural immunity!” “You’ll be the safest one on set,” I was repeatedly told. Additionally, I was warned by my former reps about possible consequences and legal jeopardy I could face for not reporting to work as ordered.
Supporting argument #3. Emilio chose to return, but felt as though he put the legacy of The Mighty Ducks franchise ahead of his health:
So, I returned to Vancouver. I followed the Canadian quarantine mandate as well as the strict “Zone A” on set Covid protocols. I did not complain, nor did I release my diagnosis to the public. I wanted to try and preserve the show morale and be a leader, however, while still suffering from Long Haul Syndrome. The legacy of the franchise was more important to me than my own health.
In retrospect, I wrongly chose to protect the show over being transparent about having contracted Covid-19. I may have provided another public example to wit, how we are all vulnerable to this deadly disease.
The quoted “anonymous sources,” producers and show runners all know the truth.
Simply put, I am anti-bully.
My exit from the show was due to a myriad of creative differences – any other narrative is false.
To the fans of the franchise – I am as disappointed as you are.
To my “Ducks” cast and crew – have a wonderful Season 2 on the show and please know that I will miss you all.
It was an honor and a thrill to be able to return as the iconic and beloved character, Gordon Bombay, a character which has been a celebrated benchmark in my 40 year career. And I thank the studio and the producers for creating an opportunity to allow me to visit him again.
Ducks Fly Together!
Emilio… some great ideas here, but there are distracting formatting errors. You do not need to begin a new paragraph for every other sentence. Try lumping similar ideas into the same paragraph. You could have also taken this essay to the next level had you included whether or not you actually received the COVID vaccine. Phrases like “anti-bully” reminded me of Prof. Nicki Minaj’s anti-vaxx tweet about her cousin’s friend’s swollen balls. Please make this clear in the next draft! But overall, good effort.
Pic: Disney+