When it comes to the controversial remarks made by his former co-star Ricky Schroder on COVID-19, Alfonso Ribeiro isn’t keeping his sentiments within.
When speaking about his collaboration with The Original Donut Shop’s SNICKERS coffee flavour, the 50-year-old tells Folks, “It’s hard to not slide down the rabbit hole if you are with certain people.” He does represent half the country, and you are a product of your culture.
In the 1980s sitcom Silver Spoons, the two co-starred for five seasons and developed close friendships over time. In 2014, when Ribeiro was a contestant on the show, Schroder, now 52, said on Facebook, “Going to see my old pal Alfonso Ribeiro on Dancing with the Stars tonight.”
But after Schroder became more outspoken about his opinions on COVID-19 precautions, including calling Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl “an ignorant punk” and picketing with other anti-vaxxers at events where a shot against the virus was required in order to enter, their friendship dynamic appears to have changed.
It also didn’t end there. The actor was seen arguing with a Costco clerk in a video from May 2021 about the store’s mask policy, which was in force for the entire state of California.
Did you not hear the news? When told he couldn’t enter the business without covering his face, Schroder questioned. You don’t need to wear masks, according to nationwide Costco.
Alfonso Ribeiro explains how Eddie Murphy and Courteney Cox provided inspiration for the “Carlton Dance” in the film “Fresh Prince.”
The worker then explained that was not the case to the former child star, who was wearing a Blue Lives Matter baseball cap, but Schroder wouldn’t listen and persisted in his argument. “So, if they permit us, if they give it to us, are our monarchs and other leaders going to pay attention to these people? Our economy was decimated by them. Our culture was decimated by them. Our state was devastated by them. And all you’re going to do is follow their guidelines.”
Twitter users cited further contentious statements made by Schroder after he urged his followers to boycott Costco and demand membership refunds.
The Golden Globe winner once contributed to Kyle Rittenhouse’s bail after he was accused of two charges of murder during a Wisconsin Black Lives Matter demonstration. Rittenhouse was then put on trial for the allegations and found not guilty.
Ribeiro, who played the title role in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, is also aware that Schroder is not the only person who holds extreme political views.
Which half of the group you’re speaking to will have an opinion about what your opinion is, right? Rbeiro declares. “Unfortunately, or luckily, depending on the viewpoint, half the country agrees with him and half the country disagrees.”
“Does that render it lawful? Is it incorrect?” He goes on. “It’s an opinion, and everyone has the right to one, whether it’s correct or incorrect, good or horrible. You don’t have to listen to it if you don’t want to; it’s just an opinion. It thus is what it is, correct?”
Throughout his prosperous career, Ribeiro has maintained his modesty and sense of reality, which he thinks begins at home.
The father of three explains, “Here’s what I’ll say: Most kid stars don’t have their parents around. “My parents were there, and I think it was incredibly significant for my development from an adolescent to a young adult.”
Ribeiro claims that his upbringing gave him the skills to listen and be receptive to what others have to say.
We all live in a very bizarre environment, especially at this point in this nation’s history, says Ribeiro. “I was fortunate to have parents with whom I can still have fascinating, insightful, and motivating conversations today, even though it’s not always simple or the most straightforward approach to things. That keeps me up to date on various viewpoints.”
