Susan Sarandon gets dropped by her talent agency after divisive remarks at pro-Palestinian rally
Topics: Celebrity
Stewart Perrie
Featured Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images. Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
Topics: Celebrity
Susan Sarandon has been dropped by her talent agency after she attended a pro-Palestine rally and made some controversial remarks.
The actor has been seen at several demonstrations in New York City that were advocating for a ceasefire in the Middle East.
Gaza has been relentlessly bombed since early October after Hamas militants launched a terror attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 people.
Israel's airstrikes in besieged Gaza have killed more than 14,000 people, according to Palestinian health figures, 5,600 of which are children.
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According to Deadline, Sarandon said at one of the rallies: “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.”
The Guardian reports she also said: "People are questioning, people are standing up, people are educating themselves, people are stepping away from brainwashing that started when they were kids."
The actor encouraged others to 'be strong, be patient, be clear and stand with anybody who has the courage to speak out'.
Variety says she has also shared pro-Palestinian posts on Twitter/X, one of which was from Pink Floyd's Roger Waters 'who has been accused of antisemitism in the past', according to the outlet.
The remarks have divided opinion amongst many and, as a result, she's been dropped by talent agency UTA.
She's not the only one to face repercussions for speaking out on the bloodshed in the Middle East.
— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) November 17, 2023
Maha Dakhil was reportedly dropped as the co-chief of the motion pictures department at CAA over her posts about what is happening in Palestine.
Variety reports that one of her Instagram posts said: "What’s more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening.”
She shared another message from the Free Palestine account that said: "You’re currently learning who supports genocide."
She added as a comment: “That’s the line for me.”
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt told Variety that the comments weren't helpful.
“There’s plenty of room for criticism of Israel or to voice concerns about the ongoing war in Gaza, but that doesn’t provide celebrities and industry reps with an open license to wage unfair accusations against Israel, such as accusing it of ‘apartheid’ or ‘genocide’ or, worse, to celebrate the actions of Hamas terrorists," he said.