Oscar winner and progressive activist Susan Sarandon has been dropped by the agency UTA after her comments at a pro-Palestine rally, reports LA Times.
At a rally in New York City on Nov. 17 the actress said, “There are a lot of people that are afraid, that are afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence.”
Some have criticized the comment as antisemitic while others have lauded Sarandon for publicly showing Palestinian support whilst calling for a ceasefire. Regardless of Sarandon’s history of activism for progressive causes, she was dropped by UTA after being a client since 2014.
These are not the only comments without consequences though as Hollywood grapples with the tense social and political fallout of the ongoing war waging between Israel and Palestine. Deemed a humanitarian crisis by the United Nations with a death toll of upwards of 11,000 Palestinians and more than 1,200 Israeli deaths, the industry struggles to address the war.
Industry figures like CAA agent Maha Dakhil, who represented A-list clients like Tom Cruise, Natalie Portman and Reese Witherspoon, has resigned from the agency’s board for her comments criticizing Israel. “Scream” lead actress Melissa Barrera was also just dropped from “Scream VII” after a series of social media posts denouncing Israel.
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