Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has claimed that politics was not a factor in the controversial cancellation of Boots.

In December, it was announced that the coming-of-age military series would not be renewed for a second season, despite receiving critical acclaim and becoming a viral hit on social media.

Notably, the show’s themes of queerness and toxic masculinity within the U.S. Marine Corps were condemned by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson, who described it as “woke garbage”.

Following those remarks, Boots’ viewership doubled in its second week and the series spent four weeks in Netflix’s Top 10.

Deadline later reported that the decision was not a “straightforward cancellation” and that Boots had “internal support”, prompting fans to speculate that external pressures may have played a role.

Now, Sarandos — who has served as Netflix CEO since 2020 — has addressed the cancellation publicly.