'Blackballed': 'General Hospital' and 'Melrose Place' Star Claims He Lost his Career for Supporting Donald Trump
Antonio Sabato Jr. claimed his support for Trump cost him his Hollywood career.
Jul. 1 2024, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
Former General Hospital and Melrose Place star Antonio Sabato Jr. claimed supporting Donald Trump cost him his career, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The former actor and model said he was "blackballed" from Hollywood after he supported the ex-president's 2016 campaign — and is now plotting a career comeback as a boxer.
Sabato said he was dropped by his agents after his speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Sabato, 52, has traded acting scripts for boxing gloves. The former soap star revealed he has signed with the owners of Celebrity Boxing after going through "a lot of growing" since being ousted by "Hollywood elites" over his endorsement for Trump, according to the Daily Mail.
The former actor faced backlash over a speech he gave at the 2016 Republican National Convention, in which he claimed Barack Obama was not a Christian, but rather a Muslim "on the bad side."
Sabato claimed he was 'blacklisted' by 'Hollywood elites' due to his support for Trump in 2016.
The speech landed the 52-year-old in hot water and he was dropped by his agents following his RNC appearance. Sabato explained he struggled for years afterward, but things are "getting better."
"If you disagree with the power of Hollywood about major key points in our country, it could get very dangerous," the former General Hospital star told the outlet. "I think it's going to be like that for the rest of my life."
Sabato said he struggled for years after supporting Trump's first presidential campaign but things are 'getting better.'
Sabato added, "They tried to blackball me and to make sure I never work in this town again, but I will continue to work and make my path."
After his RNC speech, Sabato went from working in Hollywood to driving construction equipment around Florida, where he moved his family.
Sabato also briefly tried his hand at politics in a 2018 campaign to unseat incumbent Democrat Sen. Julie Brownley for the 26th Congressional seat in California.
"Nobody was hiring me in the Hollywood world but I needed to make enough money to survive to take care of my family," the former actor explained. "I pulled up my sleeves, put my ego in check and did what I had to do."
"I was going to job sites from midnight to six in the morning and then I would actually do the job like pouring concrete from the truck. I did it all."
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Sabato has signed with Celebrity Boxing to compete in their new fighting league, 'XRumble.'
Celebrity Boxing founder Damon Feldman revealed Sabato will be joining a new professional fighting league called "XRumble," which incorporates modified versions of martial arts, boxing and bare-knuckle fighting.
"I always remembered Antonio over the years," Feldman said. "The new platform will kick off with Antonio, who will be part of this big card, and we will have another crossover match with actor David Kurzhal versus Sugar Shane Mosley. We are looking for another actor, athlete, former world boxing champion who wants to get their opportunity to fight Antonio."