Actor Miles Teller informed fans on Tuesday that he has been vaccinated against COVID-19 “for a while,” after rumors about his status hit a fever pitch.
“Hey guys, I don’t usually feel the need to address rumors on here but I am vaccinated and have been for a while,” he wrote on Twitter. “The only thing I’m anti is hate.”
Teller’s brief message put an end to longstanding speculation that he is anti-vax. The rumors intensified after the actor appeared in Taylor Swift’s music video for “I Bet You Think About Me,” which was released Monday.
Questions about the “Whiplash” star’s vaccination status have been around since September, when the Daily Mail claimed production shut down on the forthcoming limited series “The Offer” after the actor allegedly refused to get vaccinated and then tested positive for COVID-19. An unnamed source told the tabloid that Teller had refused to be vaccinated or tested.
A representative for Teller told the Daily Mail that “Your facts are incorrect,” but didn’t explain further.
The shutdown on the Paramount+ series was referenced in a Hollywood Reporter feature about actors who have caused work stoppages by refusing to get vaccinated. The report, however, didn’t mention Teller by name as the person who had tested positive.
“That positive person was publicly identified as a series star who was said to be unvaccinated,” the article stated. “Sources tell THR that the stoppage resulted in a $6 million loss for the limited series about the making of ‘The Godfather.’ (A Paramount+ rep counters that the figure was below $6 million.)”
Appearing in a music video alongside a global pop superstar naturally put the focus back on Teller. Some fans on social media worried about Swift’s well-being and wondered why the actor was involved in the project.
Teller’s tweet about his vaccination status sparked discussion among people online, as they debated how long he has been vaccinated and why he had decided to announce that he was.
“Translation: ‘Taylor Swift’s PR didn’t like how my non-vaccination status has gained traction since the release of the music video of hers that I’m in, so now I’m being forced to clarify so as to not attract any bad press her way,’” one fan speculated.
“The fact that some of you believe Taylor would hire an unvaccinated person to be in her video LMAO,” a Swift defender wrote in response to Teller’s message.
Swift has yet to respond to the controversy, but the music video’s credits note that it was filmed with a “COVID safety team.”
Some also noted that Teller is friends with Shailene Woodley and her fiancé, Aaron Rodgers. The NFL star tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month and admitted he had not been vaccinated despite previously telling the press he had been.
Teller and his wife — Keleigh, who also made an appearance in Swift’s video — vacationed with the couple in May. Teller has not spoken publicly about Rodgers’ vaccination status or the related controversy.