"Tom Byron is my friend. JJ Michaels is my friend. I haven't heard from him. I don't know what he believes. A couple of other have called but I haven't called them back"
About this Quote
The most telling move is the slide from "friend" to "him" to "a couple of other", as if the people involved are turning into categories in real time. That drift reads like someone trying to stay out of a factional blast radius: affirm the personal, avoid the political, keep the specifics blurry. "I don't know what he believes" isn't just ignorance; it's strategic insulation. In a scene where reputations travel faster than conversations, belief becomes the volatile substance you claim you can't verify.
Then comes the quiet confession that makes the whole thing work: "I haven't called them back". The quote isn't only about being out of the loop; it's about choosing to remain there. Wallice is describing avoidance as a survival tactic - not heroic, not villainous, just familiar. The subtext is anxiety about being pinned to someone else's stance, someone else's scandal, someone else's side. It's the sound of a public-facing person trying to keep friendships intact while keeping his own fingerprints off the mess.
Quote Details
| Topic | Friendship |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Wallice, Marc. (2026, January 16). Tom Byron is my friend. JJ Michaels is my friend. I haven't heard from him. I don't know what he believes. A couple of other have called but I haven't called them back. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/tom-byron-is-my-friend-jj-michaels-is-my-friend-i-105028/
Chicago Style
Wallice, Marc. "Tom Byron is my friend. JJ Michaels is my friend. I haven't heard from him. I don't know what he believes. A couple of other have called but I haven't called them back." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/tom-byron-is-my-friend-jj-michaels-is-my-friend-i-105028/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Tom Byron is my friend. JJ Michaels is my friend. I haven't heard from him. I don't know what he believes. A couple of other have called but I haven't called them back." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/tom-byron-is-my-friend-jj-michaels-is-my-friend-i-105028/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.






