Dakota Johnson calls paparazzi 'invisible germs': 'It takes a lot to have a private life'

Dakota Johnson experienced booming commercial success worldwide by starring in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, but as the 32-year-old actress explained to The Hollywood Reporter as the publication's new cover star, her overwhelming fame does not give permission for paparazzi to disrespect her privacy.

"They have graduated to being sneaky, sneaky vermin into pests that you can see," Johnson said. "They’re invisible germs. They’re like COVID, horrible and deadly. They hide in cars. If you’re going to have that job, at least do it with some integrity. Get out of your car and take a picture. It’s really frightening to never know if you’re being photographed. It’s psycho. But then it’s like, 'You chose this career, deal with it.' But no, no one should have to deal with that. Luckily, I figured out ways to evade them, and I’m not giving away my secrets. But truly it takes a lot to have a private life."

Elsewhere in the profile, Johnson expressed a similar distaste for "cancel culture" in reference to her disgraced former costars Johnny Depp (Black Mass, 2015), Armie Hammer (The Social Network, '10) and Shia LaBeouf (The Peanut Butter Falcon, '19):

"I never experienced that firsthand from any of those people. I had an incredible time working with them; I feel sad for the loss of great artists. I feel sad for people needing help and perhaps not getting it in time. I feel sad for anyone who was harmed or hurt. It’s just really sad. I do believe that people can change. I want to believe in the power of a human being to change and evolve and get help and help other people. I think there’s definitely a major overcorrection happening. But I do believe that there’s a way for the pendulum to find the middle. The way that studios have been run up until now, and still now, is behind. It is such an antiquated mindset of what movies should be made, who should be in them, how much people should get paid, what equality and diversity look like. Sometimes the old school needs to be moved out for the new school to come in. But, yeah, cancel culture is such a f—king downer. I hate that term."

See more from Johnson's THR cover spread below.