Son Says Danny Trejo 'Had Never Heard of Ben Shapiro' Before Signing On to Daily Wire's 'Pawn Shop': He Got Locked Into This Ridiculous Project

Danny Trejo, who drew fierce backlash after it emerged he would star in the pro-ICE film 'Pawn Shop' from Ben Shapiro's production company, “has never heard of this conservative political commentator and, under his contract, cannot say anything negative about Shapiro or the project,” his son Gilbert Trejo said. Gilbert shared a post […]

Danny Trejo, who sparked a backlash after he was revealed in the pro-ICE film "Pawn Shop" from Ben Shapiro's production company, The Daily Wire, said, "Never heard of this conservative political commentator and is contractually unable to say anything negative about Shapiro or the project, his son Gilbert Trejo."

Gilbert responded to an outcry from the actor's fans over the weekend by posting on his Instagram story, responding to claims that Danny is pro-ICE or supports Shapiro's politics. He began by saying that only two weeks into shooting the project, none of the cast found out that Shapiro was involved in the project, and that the father had "never heard of Ben Shapiro." "I had to explain to him who he was and what kind of person he was," Gilbert wrote. RELATED OSCAR STORIES: Rwanda picks 'Ben Imana' as first international competition Israeli-Americans protest 'Barren' as 'October 7th' screened outside New York: 'Compassion for Palestinian civilians does not require us to erase October 7th.'

He went on to write that Danny cannot contractually slander Shapiro or the film. He also couldn't "walk away without suing for breach of contract. He couldn't even issue the statement he wanted." (Danny previously told TMZ that he is a proud Mexican who has always been and will be a supporter of my community. I'm pro-immigrant. I'm not pro-ICE. I know where I come from and I know our struggles. I'm an actor. My job is to tell stories.” Popular in Variety

"It's messed up," he continued. He's handcuffed to this stupid project and a lot of people have turned their backs on him right away without knowing any of the facts.

He said that his father's agent had described the film as "a complicated story about complicated times, where everyone looks bad except you, the hard-working Mexican shop owner who just wants to chill", which Danny "jumped" at the idea of playing a "good guy".

The film's plotline reads: “When rioting in Minneapolis forces a young ICE officer to make a high-profile arrest alone after his partner is killed, he's hunted on the streets by an angry mob bent on freeing the prisoner and punishing anyone who still upholds the law. Trapped inside a neighborhood pawn shop with a hotheaded Hispanic veteran and the man's progressive college grandson, ordinary men must choose between the rule of law and the chaos that wants to burn it all down in a siege of modern honor and defiance.

For everyone who sees these things with my dad...

He was booked for a movie, it's not a fan of ice, it's clearly not a fan of anything. His agent described it as "a complicated story about a complicated time, where everyone looks bad except you, a hard-working Mexican shop owner who just wants peace."

He thought of playing the role of a good boy.

About 2 weeks after the shooting, everyone, including us, found out that Ben Shapiro was involved.

My 82 year old father has never heard of Ben Shapiro, I had to explain to him who he is and what kind of guy he is.

According to the contract, my father cannot slander him, the film or walk away without a complaint for breach of contract. He couldn't even release the statement he wanted.

Damn he's handcuffed to this stupid project and a lot of people have instantly turned their backs on him without knowing any of the facts.

Ben Shapiro forced Mexicans to give up one of their heroes, put his name at the top of Google searches, and made us look like angry idiots lacking any nuance. He wins.