Former Rep. Matt Gaetz has denied claims that he and Reacher star Alan Ritchson were “adversaries” in high school, but his recent comments might make them rivals now.
The drama started when Ritchson was asked about Gaetz in a recent interview with GQ. The pair attended the same Florida high school and were members of the same speech and debate team. However, according to Ritchson, the two of them didn’t see eye to eye.
“That motherf*****. We are adversaries,” the actor told the outlet. “It’s shocking to me that the panhandle of Florida continues to vote for somebody — knowing everything we know about him and the promises that he’s made behind closed doors about pardoning certain criminals — he’s just not a good dude!”
Gaetz took to X on Thursday (February 20) to hit back at Ritchson’s comments, writing, “Hollywood apparently changes people!”
Hollywood apparently changes people!
Alan was a year behind me in high school and we were both on the Speech and Debate Team.
We were not “adversaries” as I won debate championships and Alan did more acting stuff. As I recall, his older brother Eric won more often than Alan… https://t.co/7FjSf0TnDd
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 20, 2025
“Alan was a year behind me in high school and we were both on the Speech and Debate Team,” Gaetz continued. “We were not “adversaries” as I won debate championships and Alan did more acting stuff. As I recall, his older brother Eric won more often than Alan did.”
He added, “He was always very nice to me (and everyone) and his mother, the computer lab monitor, loved me. At her invitation, I even went to his dad’s retirement party from the Air Force. It was held at a karaoke bar called “lewbos” in Niceville where his dad sang sittin on the dock of the bay. I sang centerfold.”
The former congressman then returned to X late Thursday night to continue his response, going so far as to accuse Ritchson of taking steroids.
Spoiler alert:
We were not adversaries.
He’s just trying to get Hollywood attention (but not just with the steroids)
I remember the time his mom (who is wonderful) wouldn’t let me read the Ken Starr Report in 1998 in the NHS computer lab because….(you know) https://t.co/njyCf2XEjU
— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) February 21, 2025
“Spoiler alert: We were not adversaries. He’s just trying to get Hollywood attention (but not just with the steroids),” Gaetz wrote. “I remember the time his mom (who is wonderful) wouldn’t let me read the Ken Starr Report [the investigation into then-President Bill Clinton] in 1998 in the NHS computer lab because….(you know).”
When an X user asked about the steroids claim in the replies, Gaetz responded, “Yeah. I legit feel sorry for his testicles. I might have taken roids but for the increased likelihood of death….and shrunken testicles.”
Yeah. I legit feel sorry for his testicles.
I might have taken roids but for the increased likelihood of death….and shrunken testicles.
— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) February 21, 2025
Ritchson currently stars as the title character in the Amazon Prime series Reacher, the third season of which premiered Thursday (February 20). His other credits include Smallville, Blue Mountain State, Blood Drive, and Titans.
Gaetz, meanwhile, debuted his new talk show on the conservative One America News network on January 2. This came after he resigned from the House after Donald Trump tapped him as his attorney general nominee in November 2024.
However, Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for the attorney general role following allegations he paid for sex—including with a 17-year-old—and abused illegal drugs during his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives. Gaetz has denied the allegations and has not been charged.