Dennis Quaid denies taking part in pro-Trump coronavirus PSA and rebukes ‘cancel culture media’

Actor insisted the video with Dr Anthony Fauci was for non-political purposes

Actor Dennis Quaid has denied reports he had participated in a taxpayer-funded ad campaign about the US government’s coronavirus response.

In the clip, captioned “NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPOLITICISED”, the Far From Heaven star said that he was disappointed in “cancel culture media” for spreading the idea.

The rumour started when Politico reported that a number of celebrities, including Quaid, had been allegedly contacted by the White House and Department of Health and Human Services to feature in a $300m (£233m) pro-Trump ad campaign, aiming to “defeat despair” ahead of the November presidential election.

Quaid said that he had only sat down for an interview and public service announcement with the director of the National Institute on Health and Infectious Diseases, Dr Anthony Fauci.

“I have to say that right now I am feeling some outrage and a lot of disappointment about a PSA and interview that I did with Dr Anthony Fauci a few weeks ago,” he said. 

“It is being used by the cancel culture media that I was doing a campaign ad and endorsement of Donald Trump and that I was paid handsomely for this by diverted CDC funds. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Quaid claimed that he had agreed to feature in the PSA to help provide useful information, and so he could interview Fauci on his Dennaissance podcast.

“The interview and the PSA were about raising awareness of COVID-19 and what we can still do to prevent lives being lost to this terrible, terrible virus,” he said. 

“It was about the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing and it was in no way political. In fact, Dr Anthony Fauci and I both talked about it before that it was not to be political, as the virus is not political. I was not paid one penny for doing this interview and neither was Dr Anthony Fauci.”