Antonio Sabato Jr. was one of the few celebs who publicly supported Donald Trump in his 2016 bid to become president. In a new interview with Variety, Sabato says he believes his support of Trump cost him his career.
He tells Variety: “I had to sell everything. 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. 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.”
While Sabato had 30 years of acting under his belt, he says he couldn’t score new roles after the election, getting cut from a reality TV competition for his politics. Another potential project was 86d with a producer telling him directly that his “affiliation with the president” was the reason.
“I was the first celebrity to come out and talk about the president, and he had my vote from day one,” Sabato says. “I was the first one to say he was going to win. My integrity is intact. What I believe in is still intact. What doesn’t break you makes you stronger–that’s what they say. So I’m stronger than ever, and I didn’t have to lie about who I am.”
He believes there are other Trump supporters out there, who are too afraid to reveal their political beliefs. Sabato says: “I know a lot of actors who are lying about who they’re going to vote for because they don’t want the crap. They won’t want to be talked about and fired from movie sets. This is serious.”
Now, the 47-year-old is working in construction in Florida. He says: “I’m on the ground. I go on the job at two in the morning, and I’m making sure that the job is controlled and supervised by me. I’m in the car all day, driving, going through all the sites. Five days a week, nonstop.”
Sabato’s credits include Melrose Place, The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital, and roles in 40+ films. He says he plans to vote from Trump again in 2020 and predicts he’ll win by “100 million votes.”