If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Machine Gun Kelly says he was "supposed to" be in Sinners, but turned down the audition because a slur was in the script
"They had me set up to do the audition," says Kelly of Ryan Coogler's vampire period piece, but his discomfort with the script meant it never happened

Popverse's top stories
- San Diego Comic-Con quietly renewed its contract with the City through 2027, but even they are openly talking about 2028 being a turning point thanks to the LA Olympics
- What to Watch This Weekend: Jason Momoa as a Hawaiian war chief, Tom Brady invades real football, and reality romance veterans clash in Perfect Match
- Five Nights at Freddy 2 has a secret weapon for making the animatronics real: Muppets creator Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Machine Gun Kelly might've just been in the biggest horror movie of 2025, had the audition for the film not required him to say the N word. Yes, the rapper and former life partner to Megan Fox stated recently that he was on track to be in Ryan Coogler's blockbuster vampire flick Sinners, however, he declined the audition because of his discomfort with the language his would-be character used.
Kelly made the reveal in a recent interview on The Pat McAfee show, as reported on by Billboard. The topic came up when the rapper was talking about wanting to do more work in film.
"Like Sinners, I was supposed to be in that," Kelly said. “The vampire, they had me set up to do the audition — it’s the one that’s in the house, so he’s the second vampire, the one that the guy comes and eats the family. In the audition, he has to say the 'n-word' and I wouldn’t do it."
In case you're wondering, the vampire to which Kelly is alluding is Bert, played in the film by Peter Dreimanis. And to his point, Bert is revealed to be a vile racist just a few minutes into his first onscreen appearance, when audiences catch a glimpse of a white KKK hood in his house. The good news? Bert dies horribly.
Spoilers, I guess.
Sinners is streaming on HBO Max now.
In the immortal words of Danny Elfman, "Life's no fun without a good scare." Join Popverse's weekly explorations of the best opening moments of horror cinema in The Coldest Open, and then check out:
- The best horror movies of all time, according to horror aficionado Greg Silber
- The most underrated horror movies from the past couple years
- All the new and upcoming horror movies for 2025 and beyond
And much gore. Er, more. Much more.
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.

Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.