Danny Trejo’s Son Says the Actor Had Never Heard of Ben Shapiro Before Joining Pro-ICE Film ‘Pawn Shop’

Danny Trejo has long been a beloved figure in Hollywood and a hero to many in Los Angeles’ Mexican American community. So when news broke that the 82-year-old would star in ‘Pawn Shop’, a thriller from Ben Shapiro’s conservative media company, the Daily Wire, the reaction from many fans was swift and critical.

The film, produced by the Daily Wire and Bonfire Legend, has been described by critics as pro-ICE. Its official description follows ordinary men barricaded inside a neighborhood pawn shop with a hardened Hispanic veteran and his progressive college-age grandson, framing the story as a choice between the rule of law and chaos.

The project has faced turmoil from the start. While filming in Livingston, Montana, local residents protested the production, with some complaining it was disrupting businesses and appeared to dramatize the fatal shooting of Renée Good.

Production was temporarily suspended before shooting resumed. Shapiro criticized the suspension, calling it a violation of the First Amendment and arguing the decision was politically motivated.

Now, Trejo’s son, actor Gilbert Trejo, has come to his father’s defense. In a post shared to his Instagram Story over the weekend, and later reported by the San Fernando Valley Sun, he claimed his father had never heard of Shapiro before signing on.

According to Gilbert, the cast didn’t learn of Shapiro’s involvement until about 2 weeks into shooting. He said he had to explain to his father who Shapiro was and what kind of person he is.

Gilbert also claimed Danny is contractually barred from criticizing Shapiro or the film and cannot walk away without being sued for breach of contract. He added that his father was unable to release the statement he had wanted to share.

Gilbert explained that his father’s agent pitched the film as a complicated story about a complicated time. In that pitch, everyone looked bad except Trejo’s character, a hardworking Mexican shop owner who just wants peace.

According to his son, Danny jumped at the chance to play a good guy. Gilbert insisted the film is not overtly pro-anything, describing his father as trapped in what he called a stupid project.

He also took aim at Shapiro directly. Gilbert argued that the controversy had turned the Mexican American community against one of its heroes while pushing Shapiro’s name to the top of search results.

Danny Trejo has also addressed the backlash himself. The actor has stated that he is not pro-ICE and has stressed that he is pro-immigrant. He has said he took the role to portray a Latino veteran, not to endorse the film’s politics. His comments came as criticism of his involvement spread online.

It’s worth noting that neither the alleged contractual restrictions nor the timeline of when Trejo learned about Shapiro’s involvement has been independently confirmed. HuffPost reported that it reached out to representatives for both Trejo and the Daily Wire for comment.

The Daily Wire has not publicly responded to Gilbert’s specific claims. Supporters of the production have framed the backlash and shutdown as an attempt to silence conservative filmmaking.

The situation has sparked heated discussion online. Some fans have rallied around Trejo, while others remain disappointed by his participation in the film. Gilbert argued that many people turned on his father without knowing the facts. Whether his statement changes public opinion remains to be seen as the controversy around ‘Pawn Shop’ continues to unfold.

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