Sirius XM faces boycott from celebrities over Steve Bannon's return

Seth Rogen, John Leguizamo, and Melissa Etheridge aren't having it.
 By 
Shannon Connellan
 on 
Sirius XM faces boycott from celebrities over Steve Bannon's return
Steve Bannon speaks with former ESPN Analyst Curt Schilling talks about his ESPN dismissal and politics during SiriusXM's Breitbart News Patriot Forum at the SiriusXM Studio on April 27, 2016 in New York. Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Steve Bannon might be looking forward to his return to radio, but celebrities like Seth Rogen, John Leguizamo, and Melissa Etheridge are promising a boycott.

The former chief strategist for President Donald Trump has rejoined the Sirius XM radio team as a host on the Breitbart News Daily show on conservative station Patriot — and folks are fuming.

Announced last Tuesday, the executive chairman of alt-right website Breitbart News Network has returned to Sirius XM as a regular host along with editor-in-chief Alex Marlow. Bannon has previously hosted the Breitbart News Daily show which premiered in late 2015, and he covered the 2016 GOP nomination.

Bannon has denied that he is a white supremacist, but he boasts enough discriminatory quotes to pretty much get him over the line, Bannon was one of Trump's most controversial White House appointees for his strong connections with the so-called alt-right, a white nationalist movement that also includes racists and populists, alike.

Yet, Sirius XM has invited him back with open arms, but that's led to some backlash.

"During the 2016 campaign, Steve empowered SiriusXM Patriot listeners to have a voice and be part of the electoral process," said Dave Gorab, Sirius XM's vice president and general manager of talk programming in a glowing press statement. "The result was a lasting bond between Steve and his audience, who have eagerly anticipated and awaited his return to radio."

Bannon's recruitment has drummed up serious outrage from both the public and celebrities like Rogen, who cancelled a press appearance for The Disaster Artist on Sirius XM in protest.

Musician Melissa Etheridge, who's a regular contributor and host on Sirius XM's music channel, Volume, said she would leave her show, "Melissa's Basement," as a result of Bannon's appointment.

Actor John Leguizamo, who is actively anti-Trump on his Twitter account, also said he'd be boycotting the service.

Members of the public are following suit, with many calling Sirius XM to cancel their memberships as a direct response to Bannon's placement.

"From the moment I left the White House, getting back behind the microphone was very important to me," Bannon said in a press statement. "To get on the road outside the Beltway and to spend time with the great men and women of America is an honor."

Honestly, the last thing the "great men and women of America" need is Bannon with a microphone. Just look at that track record.

A photo portrait of a journalist with blonde hair and a band t-shirt.
Shannon Connellan
UK Editor

Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror.

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