- A fan apologized to John Cena after he filmed the wrestler and asked him to say his TV catchphrase.
- A clip of the encounter has gone viral, sparking a debate about how to treat celebrities in public.
A clip of John Cena telling a fan who was filming him to let him "enjoy some time" with friends is sparking debate about the etiquette of meeting celebrities.
The clip was posted to TikTok on June 27 by a user named @alex99rocks, who said that it was filmed by his friend who met the professional wrestler and decided to film him.
The person behind the camera could be heard asking Cena if he could recite his catchphrase, "You can't see me," which he is known for saying when he is wrestling against opponents on the WWE Network.
@alex99rocks my friend met john cena and decided to be a cornball @Arya ♬ original sound - alex
Cena, who appeared to be sitting at a table in a restaurant, responded to the person by saying, "How about I enjoy some time with my friends?" The fan then apologized and the video cut out.
The TikTok received 442,000 views and drew a mixed response as people began to share their opinions on whether it was appropriate for the fan to film and interact with the wrestler while he was with friends.
Some people said they thought Cena was being rude by turning down the fan's request, but others praised him for appearing to set boundaries for his own privacy, saying they thought the fan should not have disturbed Cena while he was trying to enjoy recreational time.
Although the clip is short and it is unclear whether the person filming asked permission to film Cena before recording, some people suggested that it might have been better if the fan did not approach Cena with a camera in his hand, and instead tried to interact with him without filming.
"Or maybe ask him without even recording 'Hey when you guys are done eating and about to leave may I have a picture' that's a way better approach," one user wrote.
The clip was reuploaded by various accounts on Twitter, where it incited further debate. Some people gave recognition to the fan for apologizing and appearing to stop recording after hearing Cena's response, and others said they don't think the fan did anything particularly wrong since it is common for people to approach celebrities in public.
Some viewers expressed sympathy for Cena and said they understood why he reacted the way he did, given that it is often difficult for celebrities to maintain a sense of privacy.
—T'Challa Son ( , ⛏ ) ⚙️ CΔVΞman (@Wakandanson) June 28, 2023
One user, commenting on a version of the clip that has received 13 million views on Twitter, said they thought the video was "funny to watch," but also complimented Cena's reaction, writing, "He literally must have been asked that a trillion times so to remain that calm is impressive."
Videos of famous people taken by fans who have met them often go viral on social media and elicit excited responses from internet users who say they enjoy finding out more about what their favorite celebrities are up to. However, some clips, in which the celebrity appears to be uncomfortable or as though they were not expecting to be filmed in their environment, have drawn backlash and criticism, as some people have suggested that it's not always appropriate to approach a famous person with a camera and film them without permission.
John Cena has been wrestling on the WWE network since 2002 and has also acted in movies and TV since 2000. His most recent credit is for the role of Jakob in "Fast X," the latest installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, which premiered in US cinemas on May 19.
Cena has previously spoken out about trying to maintain privacy as a public figure. In a May 2023 interview on the TODAY show, for example, he said one of the "core values" he shares with his wife Shay Shariatzadeh, who he married in 2020, is keeping information about their relationship private and only sharing updates with people in their "inner circle."
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