UPDATE 12/3/23 10:48 a.m. — Susan Sarandon has addressed her controversial comments about the Gaza conflict.
“Recently, I attended a rally alongside a diverse group of activists seeking to highlight the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza and call for a censure. I had not planned to speak but was invited to take the stage and say a few words,” she wrote via Instagram on Friday, December 1. “This phrasing was a terrible mistake, as it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution, when the opposite is true. As we all know, from centuries of oppression and genocide in Europe to the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, PA, Jews have long been familiar with discrimination and religious violence, which continues to this day.”
The actress continued: “I deeply regret diminishing this reality and hurting people with this comment. It was my intent to show solidarity in the struggle against bigotry of all kinds, and I am sorry I failed to do so. I will continue my commitment to peace, truth, justice, and compassion for all people. I hope that we can meet with love and willingness to engage in dialogue, especially with those with whom we disagree.”
Original story continues below:
Susan Sarandon was dropped by the United Talent Agency for her controversial remarks about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
A spokesperson for UTA told the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, November 21, that the agency was no longer representing Sarandon, 77. The Oscar winner has yet to address the situation. Sarandon and UTA have yet to respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
Sarandon made headlines for a speech she gave at a pro-Palestine rally in New York City on Friday, November 17.
“There are a lot of people 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,” Sarandon told the crowd according to video obtained by the New York Post.
Journalist Asra Nomani, who is Muslim American, slammed Sarandon’s comments.
“Please don’t minimize the experience of Jewish Americans by sanitizing the hell that it is for Muslims living in Muslim countries and vilifying America for the life — and freedoms — she offers Muslims like my family,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, November 20. “Go, live like a Muslim woman in a Muslim country. You will come back to America and kiss the land beneath your feet.”
Before her partnership with UTA was terminated, Sarandon had been with the agency since 2014. She was previously represented by ICM Partners.
Sarandon isn’t the only star who has spoken out about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Several actors, comedians and musicians penned an open letter to President Joe Biden calling for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, which began after the terrorist group Hamas killed more than 1,200 Israelis in a coordinated attack on October 7. In addition to Sarandon, stars including Drake, Jennifer Lopez, Gigi Hadid, Zayn Malik, Rachel McAdams, Oscar Isaac, Bradley Cooper, Ben Affleck, Kristen Stewart, Channing Tatum, Quinta Brunson, Sandra Oh and Joaquin Phoenix signed the petition, according to the Artists 4 Ceasefire website.
“We ask that, as President of the United States, you and the US Congress call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost,” the letter read. “More than 5,000 people have been killed in the last week and a half – a number any person of conscience knows is catastrophic. We believe all life is sacred, no matter faith or ethnicity and we condemn the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians.”
The group implored world leaders to “honor all of the lives in the Holy Land” by ending the bombing in Gaza, facilitating “the safe release of all hostages” and allowing humanitarian aid to reach the region urgently.
The letter concluded with celebrities expressing their “pain and mourning” for those affected by the war and the desire to “stop more bloodshed.”
