“Reacher” star Alan Ritchson didn’t hold back in a recent GQ interview, where he opened up about his turbulent relationship with former high school classmate and controversial politician Matt Gaetz. The actor, known for his physical roles and intense presence on screen, got even more intense when discussing Gaetz—calling him an “adversary” and questioning how he continues to receive support from voters despite his scandals.
“That motherf**ker. We are adversaries,” Ritchson said, making it clear that their tension dates back to their school days in Florida. While he didn’t go into detail about the exact nature of their conflict, he expressed disbelief over Gaetz’s political endurance. “It’s shocking to me that the panhandle of Florida continues to vote for somebody—knowing everything we know about him… He’s just not a good dude.”
Ritchson even admitted the feud made him briefly consider entering politics himself, just to “outdo” Gaetz. But in the same breath, he acknowledged his own aversion to political games. “There’s part of me that wants to get into politics… and there’s part of me that’s like, I’m not duplicitous enough to succeed,” he said. He praised Bernie Sanders for his integrity, but questioned how much lasting change such figures actually achieve.
Gaetz Fires Back with High School Memories
Never one to let criticism slide, Matt Gaetz responded quickly via social media. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Gaetz painted a very different picture of their shared past. “Hollywood apparently changes people!” he wrote. “Alan was a year behind me in high school and we were both on the Speech and Debate Team.”
Gaetz dismissed the idea they were ever adversaries and instead suggested Ritchson had been friendly and respectful back then. He even threw in a nostalgic anecdote, claiming Ritchson’s mother—who worked at the school—liked him enough to invite him to a family party. “At her invitation, I even went to his dad’s retirement party from the Air Force,” Gaetz shared, recalling karaoke performances at a bar in Niceville.
The back-and-forth drew plenty of attention online, with supporters and critics of both men chiming in. One user summed up the divide, tweeting, “I loved Reacher but as soon as this guy got into politics it went on my no-go list. Why can’t actors just act?”
While Ritchson’s honesty struck a chord with many, others viewed it as another example of Hollywood celebrities wading into politics. Still, one thing’s for sure—this high school grudge has followed both men into adulthood, and neither seems willing to let it go quietly.
