Leading global talent agency UTA has dropped American actress Susan Sarandon from its roster after she condemned Israeli occupation crimes in Gaza and expressed support for Palestinians.
Sarandon, who won an Oscar in 1996 for her role in “Dead Man Walking,” made controversial statements about anti-Semitism during a pro-Palestinian march in New York on November 17th.
During the protest, Sarandon 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,” which was considered by the Jewish community as promoting hatred.
Sarandon urged continued support for Palestinians and thanked Jewish supporters in her speech.
She also faced scrutiny from the agency, which monitored her pro-Palestinian posts on her Instagram account, as well as her liking of other posts accused of promoting anti-Semitism, including posts by Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, who has been accused of anti-Semitism.
Previously, she had signed a letter with 40 prominent figures in global cinema of various nationalities expressing their solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Hollywood has become divided over the war between Israel and Hamas. Before Sarandon, Maha Dakhil, the co-head of the film department at the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), was removed from the agency’s board for a post in which she criticized Israel’s aggression in Gaza and expressed solidarity with Palestinians before later deleting it.
Mexican actress Melissa Barrera was also fired from the film “Scream VII” due to her support for Palestine in several posts that condemned Israeli massacres and criticized attempts to silence voices in Hollywood.
