“That I won’t accept”: Kiefer Sutherland Was Aghast ‘24’ Was Used as a Scapegoat by the USA for War Crimes Committed in Real Life

Kiefer Sutherland had already built a solid career, but when he took on the role of Jack Bauer in 24, everything changed. The show was a massive hit and turned him into one of TV’s biggest stars and, at one point, the highest-paid actor on television. But success came with controversy and 24 didn’t just entertain—it sparked heated debates about its intense interrogation scenes, with critics arguing it glorified torture. Things escalated when the U.S. military claimed the show was influencing soldiers in real life. That was where Sutherland drew the line.

Did 24 cross the line with its brutal interrogation scenes?
Kiefer Sutherland is no stranger to playing intense characters, but nothing defined his career quite like Jack Bauer in 24. The show ran for a decade and also won 20 Emmys via Television Academy. Sutherland became the highest-paid actor on television at the time, raking in $40 million for just three seasons via CBC News. But while 24 was a cultural phenomenon, it wasn’t without controversy—especially when it came to its portrayal of torture.

Jack Bauer was ruthless as he snapped fingers, electrocuted suspects, and suffocated enemies to get information. His brutal interrogation tactics made for gripping television, but in the real world, people were taking notes—and not in a good way. Critics argued that 24 glorified torture, while even the U.S. military voiced concerns.

In 2006, Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan, then the dean of the United States Military Academy at West Point, visited the 24 set to say the show was having a negative effect on young recruits. He worried that they were seeing Bauer’s methods as a legitimate way to get results and suggested the show include a storyline where torture backfires.

Sutherland, however, wasn’t having it. He could understand the criticism, but blaming 24 for real-world war crimes? That, he wasn’t willing to accept. He talked about the same in an interview with The Independent and added:

The second [Finnegan] made the comment public, as if somehow 24 was going to become your excuse for Abu Ghraib… you must be kidding me. That I won’t accept. To use 24, a television show, as a scapegoat for the behavior of the United States military is just absolutely asinine.

While the world debated Jack Bauer’s ethics, Sutherland had been quietly exploring a completely different passion—music. He had always written songs, keeping a guitar in his trailer between takes, but he was hesitant to share them. He didn’t want to be just another actor trying to be a musician.

But with encouragement from his friend Jude Cole, he finally took the leap. Together, they founded the indie record label Ironworks, and in 2016, Sutherland released his debut album, Down in a Hole.

Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland’s wedding that never happened
Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland were once Hollywood’s golden couple and had fans rooting for their happy ending. They met while filming Flatliners in 1990, and sparks flew immediately. The actress was fresh off a broken engagement to Steel Magnolias co-star Dylan McDermott and fell hard for Sutherland, who was in the middle of finalizing his divorce. It seemed like the perfect match, but behind the scenes, things weren’t so picture-perfect.

Sutherland had a reputation for partying a little too hard and even moved into a cheap Hollywood hotel for a while. Here he spent time with a go-go dancer, which, as expected, fueled plenty of rumors. Meanwhile, Roberts was dealing with the stress of wedding planning, media attention, and possibly some doubts about the whole thing.

Then, just three days before the ceremony, Roberts shocked everyone when she called off the wedding via People. And if that wasn’t enough of a twist, she didn’t just cancel; she left for Ireland with Sutherland’s close friend, Jason Patric. The runaway bride moment was straight out of a movie—years before she actually starred in Runaway Bride.

Sutherland later admitted via Rolling Stone they were both too young to get married and that, in the end, Roberts probably did them both a favor.