Kristen Stewart Criticizes Trump As She Says She Can No Longer Work Freely In The US

Kristen Stewart has spoken out against Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs aimed at the film industry, describing them as frightening and saying she no longer feels able to work freely in the United States.

The actress became a global star after playing Bella Swan in the Twilight films and later shifted her focus toward smaller, independent projects. These include her directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, which is set to release this February.

Having grown up around Hollywood, with both of her parents working behind the scenes in the industry, Stewart has watched the movie business change over time. She explained that under Trump’s influence, the environment for filmmaking now feels unstable and limiting.

Speaking to The Times, the 35-year-old said she chose to film her upcoming feature in Latvia because making the movie in the US would have been impossible.

"Reality is breaking completely under Trump," she said. "But we should take a page out of his book and create the reality we want to live in."

She also criticized Trump’s threat to impose heavy tariffs on movies made outside the US, saying the idea alone creates fear and uncertainty across the industry.

Kristen Stewart didn't hold back when it came to criticizing Trump Olivia Wong/FilmMagic

In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump claimed that foreign countries had “stolen” the American movie business, arguing that the industry was “DYING a very fast death.”

The former president raised the idea of tariffs in September, though no such measures have been officially put into place.

At present, Stewart splits her time between Los Angeles and New York, but she admitted that arrangement may not last much longer.

She told the outlet she is “probably not” going to stay in the US long term, adding: "I can't work freely there. But I don't want to give up completely."

Instead, Stewart outlined another approach to her career, saying: "I'd like to make movies in Europe and then shove them down the throat of the American people,"

This is not the first clash between Stewart and Trump. Their history stretches back years, well before he entered politics.

Trump claimed the US film industry was dying 'a fast death' Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Back in 2012, Stewart was dating her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson when she became involved in a highly publicized cheating scandal with Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders, who was married at the time.

Both Stewart and Sanders issued public apologies. Stewart and Pattinson briefly split before reuniting later that year, though they ended their relationship for good in 2013.

During the height of the backlash, Trump, who was then a reality TV star, inserted himself into the situation. He posted multiple tweets urging Pattinson to leave Stewart, claiming she had “cheated on him like a dog.”

Trump continued with additional posts, insisting Pattinson would be better off without her.

"Everyone knows I am right that Robert Pattinson should dump Kristen Stewart," he wrote, adding that Pattinson would “thank me” later.

Years afterward, Pattinson dismissed the whole episode as strange, saying he could not understand why Trump was so invested in their personal lives.

In 2024, Stewart revisited the topic and said Trump had felt the need to weigh in on her public backlash, adding: "It's like, 'What is this 20-year-old who has no idea about life doing to this man?'"

The Chronology of Water is scheduled to arrive in theaters on Friday, February 6.