Italian American model, actor, and politician Antonio Sabato Jr. claimed he was blacklisted in Hollywood after publicly supporting President Trump and criticizing former President Barack Obama.
Sabato, who immigrated to the United States in the 1980s from Italy and has starred in movies and television shows such as General Hospital and Melrose Place, was vocal in his backing of Trump during the 2016 presidential election. He sparked controversy at the Republican National Convention that year, which he attended as a speaker, for saying he “absolutely” believes Obama is Muslim.
“I have the right to believe that,” Sabato said during an interview with ABC News ahead of the event. “I believe it.”
Since Trump was elected that fall, the actor has claimed multiple times that he has been passed over for roles in movies and television shows because of his political beliefs.
“I had to sell everything,” Sabato told Variety on Tuesday. “I had to pay all my debts. I was blacklisted. All my representatives left me, from agents to managers to commercial agents. I literally had to move, find a new job to survive and take care of my kids. It’s been terrible. It’s mind-blowing. It’s a disgrace.”
He added, “It’s tough, because if you’re in that environment in Hollywood and you have something to say that they don’t like, they’re going to let you know.”
Sabato told the outlet he now works long days in the construction business to pay his bills but does not regret his public support for the president. He claimed there are other conservatives like him in Hollywood, many of whom are too afraid of the potential backlash if they broadcast their views on politics.
“I know a lot of actors who are lying about who they’re going to vote for because they don’t want the crap,” he said. “They won’t want to be talked about and fired from movie sets. This is serious.”
Sabato ran for Congress in California in 2018 but lost the state’s 26th Congressional District to Democrat Julie Brownley by more than 20 percentage points. He now lives in Florida and is confident Trump will be reelected in November.
“The country is doing fantastic,” he said. “I think he’ll be elected by 100 million votes.”
