John Cena Shut Down a Viral Serenade and the Internet Had Feelings About It
It appears John Cena still wishes you didn't see him.
Internet personality Harry Daniels posted a video of himself approaching the Peacemaker star outside a café and launching into an off-key version of Taylor Swift’s “Invisible String.” Cena looked up from his phone. “How about we start with a hello,” he said, extending his hand. After a brief exchange, he asked what the singing was for. When Daniels explained that it’s his job, Cena declined. “I’m not buying what you’re selling. I’ll pass.” Daniels posted it anyway, captioning it: “I had no decorum my bad sorry John Cena.”
@harry.daniels Ok this ones on me cuz i had no decorum my bad sorry john cena #johncena #taylorswift
♬ original sound - harry daniels
Daniels is a singer and TikTok personality who built 2.2 million TikTok followers by finding celebrities in public and singing to them badly. Since 2022, the bit has landed him access toSabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, Timothée Chalamet, and, at the time, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who all had varying responses. He’s even been invited backstage at award shows to do it. It is generally seen as cringe comedy. Most of his subjects are not in on the joke, but they humorously let it happen. Yesterday’s attempt, by his own admission, went “haywire.”
The comments were mostly on the wrestler‑turned‑actor’s side. One user wrote: “Um, that’s John Cena and if you know anything about his views on being filmed without permission, that’s a massive boundary he’s made clear in the past. He wasn’t rude, he was making it clear that you should have introduced yourself first. He probably would have been happy to participate.”
This references another situation that happened last year. At Fanatics Fest in New York last June, Cena noticed a fan filming their interaction through smart glasses after posing for a photo together. He looked directly at the camera and said: “I’m a big fan of consent, right, so if you would like to take a video….” The fan apologized. Cena walked away, then came back. “I’m sorry for walking away from you. It’s all good. I’ll give you whatever you want as long as you ask.”
This incident came at an interesting time. There have been a lot of conversations about celebrity boundaries recently, with the last one happening last week after Chappell Roan went viral over allegations that her security confronted a girl who was just starstruck and nearby. Her team later clarified that the security wasn’t working for Roan at the time.
Unfortunately, the rules are being rewritten in real time when it comes to celebrity interactions during the hyper-digital age. This new era is bringing forward new modes of discussion, and we're all watching to see where the tide will lead.