Kristen Stewart has spoken out against Donald Trump’s proposed tariff policies targeting the film industry, saying the current political climate has made it difficult for her to “work freely” in the United States.The 35-year-old actress, who rose to global fame as Bella Swan in The Twilight saga, has since focused on independent films and is preparing for the release of her directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, this February. Speaking to The Times, Stewart said she filmed the project in Latvia because producing it in the U.S. would have been “impossible.”
“Reality is breaking completely under Trump,” she said, criticizing his threat to impose steep tariffs on movies made outside the U.S. Stewart described the proposal as “terrifying,” adding that it creates instability for filmmakers and discourages creative freedom. Trump previously claimed the American film industry was “dying a very fast death” and argued that foreign productions were harming domestic movie-making.
While the tariffs have not yet been implemented, Stewart said the uncertainty alone has already had an impact. Currently splitting her time between Los Angeles and New York, Stewart admitted she may not remain in the U.S. long-term. “I can’t work freely there,” she said, though she added she doesn’t want to leave entirely. Instead, she plans to make films in Europe and release them for American audiences.
Stewart’s criticism also revives a long-running tension with Trump, dating back to 2012 when he publicly commented on her personal life during a highly publicized relationship scandal. Years later, Stewart has dismissed his past remarks as “weird” and unnecessary. The Chronology of Water opens in theaters on February 6.
