Former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz responded sharply to actor Alan Ritchson's recent comments in GQ magazine, where the "Reacher" star called him a "motherf---er" and declared them adversaries.
The exchange began when Ritchson, who attended high school with Gaetz in Niceville, Florida, criticized his former classmate in a GQ interview promoting "Reacher" Season 3. The actor expressed shock that Florida's panhandle continues to support Gaetz, questioning his character and closed-door promises about pardoning criminals.
Gaetz quickly took to social media platform X to dispute Ritchson's characterization of their past relationship. "Hollywood apparently changes people," Gaetz posted, claiming they were never adversaries during their school days. He stated that while he focused on winning debate championships, Ritchson pursued acting, and that the actor "was always very nice to me (and everyone)."
In a follow-up post, Gaetz suggested Ritchson's comments were merely an attempt to gain "Hollywood attention," adding a pointed reference to "steroids."
The public spat comes after Ritchson revealed his political aspirations in the interview, saying he considered entering politics to "outdo somebody like [Gaetz] for good" but felt he wasn't "duplicitous enough to succeed in politics."
Gaetz recently ended his tenure as Florida's 1st congressional district representative in late 2024. His departure followed a House Ethics Committee investigation that concluded he violated House conduct rules. Gaetz has consistently denied all allegations against him.
The dispute continues to unfold as Ritchson promotes the latest season of "Reacher" on Prime Video.