Josh Hutcherson says Taylor Swift fans threatened him after ‘not a Swiftie’ comment
'The Hunger Games' star says he respects Swift but her music is not his preference
Josh Hutcherson said he was targeted with online backlash after revealing he is not a fan of Taylor Swift’s music, claiming some of the singer’s fans went as far as threatening him.
Speaking to GQ Hype, the 33-year-old actor said the controversy began during a photoshoot with his I Love LA co-star Jordan Firstman, when he was asked about being a Swift fan.
“I got some heat because I did a photo shoot with Jordan, and Jordan asked me something about being a [Taylor Swift fan], and I was like: ‘Oh no, I’m definitely not a Swiftie,’” Hutcherson said.
He said the comment quickly escalated into intense online backlash.
“All of a sudden it garnered this: ‘F*** him! He’s a monster! Destroy him! He’s short! He hates her because he’s short!’” he recalled.
Hutcherson added that while he respects Swift as an artist, her music simply isn’t for him. “It’s just like, whoa! I think she’s great. Her music is not my kind of music,” he said.
The actor said the experience reinforced his decision to stay away from social media. “That is why I don’t want to be online. I don’t need that energy,” he said.
He also noted that avoiding online platforms helps him as an actor. “If people know you more, you can’t disappear into characters,” he explained. “They see you as: ‘Oh, that’s Josh.’”
Hutcherson rose to global fame as Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games franchise, opposite Jennifer Lawrence, but said his career trajectory made him realise how quickly success can shift in Hollywood.
“I didn’t learn rejection ever. I knew only success from the age nine to, like, 24,” he said on the Dinner’s On Me podcast. “Then kind of post-Hunger Games world.”
He added that after the franchise ended, work became less predictable. “It was just like a string of no one calling, not getting any offers, auditioning, but not getting cast,” he said.
Before The Hunger Games, Hutcherson appeared in films including Zathura: A Space Adventure, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and The Kids Are All Right.