Christian actor Alan Ritchson claims studios told him not to talk politics publicly

A month after suggesting President Donald Trump was blocking the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, Christian actor and “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson said studios have been calling on him to stay quiet on politics.

Ritchson, 43, made the revelation just over two weeks ago during an interview at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, Ontario.

“You know how many phone calls I get from studios like, ‘Would you shut the f— up, please? Stop talking in public,’” Ritchson recalled about the conversations he’s been having about what he called his political rants.

“I mean, but it’s not chaos I’m after,” he explained. “It’s actually the opposite of chaos. I’d like a little — I’m not going to get into it. You don’t want to see my rants start these [expletive] politicians everywhere.”

Exercising a little restraint during the interview, Ritchson said he wouldn’t discuss politics because Sony told him not to, but he still took a dig at the unreleased U.S. Department of Justice files related to child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

“I’m not going to do it. Sony told me not to. And I’m not going to say anything. Not today. Not today, Epstein,” he quipped as the audience cheered. Ritchson then gave a fist bump to one of his interviewers before declaring, “Pedos win.”

Epstein interacted with high-profile individuals, including Trump. Although the DOJ has released millions of redacted files pertaining to Epstein, there are believed to be around 2.5 million more that have not been released. Lawmakers and victims have been pressing for the release of those unreleased files. 

Since President Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law in November 2025, the files have been released in stages. A memo issued by the DOJ and FBI last year stated that a majority of the files, which contain a significant amount of child pornography are sealed.

“Much of the material is subject to court-ordered sealing. Only a fraction of this material would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial, as the seal served only to protect victims and did not expose any additional third parties to allegations of illegal wrongdoing,” the memo stated. “Through this review, we found no basis to revisit the disclosure of those materials and will not permit the release of child pornography.”

The memo further stated there was no incriminating “client list.”

“There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,” the memo added.

A majority of Americans believe releasing the files would signal institutional accountability, justice for survivors and an end to perceived government cover-ups.

In July, Ritchson accused President Trump in a profanity-laced interview on Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast of preventing the release of the Epstein files.

“I don’t care what room they’re in — [expletive] move,” Ritchson said of the Epstein files on the podcast.

“Give me the [expletive] manila envelope. Don’t you want to see what’s in there so that we can hold people accountable. These [expletive] rapists. That b— has the keys to the nuclear codes. He’s like all up into 13-year-olds. Like, dude, what? Go to jail.”

Ritchson, who founded the faith-focused video ministry and YouTube channel InstaChurch, has previously spoken about sexual exploitation in the entertainment industry, including his sexual assault by a famous photographer during his time as a model.

During his Fan Expo Canada interview, Ritchson, who struggles with bipolar disorder, ADHD and chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, also recalled how he almost ended his life after a billionaire business partner made life difficult for him after he rejected her sexual advances.

“I'm a suicide survivor, you know. I was like in my mid-30s. I was depressed for the first time, and I was depressed because I had done everything right. I had a falling out with a business partner that threatened to call [TMZ] if I didn't go up to her hotel room at the Hotel Du Cap in Cannes when I was selling a film there,” he said.

“She was, like, blackmailing me to come up, and I was like, no, I'm not doing that,” he said. “I didn't want to do that, and I lost everything in that relationship. She was a billionaire and she tanked every bit of our business and cost me a lot.”

He said he later hired a lawyer and won a settlement but was left with “this uncertainty about what happens in life when you do good.”

“Like when you try your hardest and still, look at us now. Like I think why I'm so frustrated with the current administration and the things that we deal with now is because, like, good has such a hard time triumphing over the wicked evil ideas of the world … and it's maddening,” he said.

Ritchson said after the blackmailing episode he tried to hang himself but changed his mind just before he blacked out because he couldn’t bear the thought of his three sons growing up without their father.

“I think when you become who you really are, … it's a person who gives a lot less f's, you know. And it's I think it's somebody who really understands how important it is that we serve each other well,” he added. “And that's a hard thing to become.”