In November, Susan Sarandon was accused of making an antisemitic speech during a pro-Palestine rally, where she talked about Islamophobia. The actress has been outspoken about the conflict for years and has been seen at a handful of protests supporting Palestine in the past few months. Although it’s not clear what she said in full at this particular demonstration — which took place on November 17 — both Variety and Deadline quoted the actress as saying, “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.” One TikTok video shows her standing on the back of a truck saying, “People are stepping away from brainwashing that started when they were kids.” She encouraged crowds to “hold Palestine in your heart, pray for the people of Palestine. Their love and resilience is unbelievable. Thank you to the Jewish community who’s come out to have our backs.”
@stephaniekeith17 Actor Susan Sarandon expresses support for Palestine and says being anti-Palestinian is American brain washing #palestine #susansarandon #protest #freepalestine #nyc
♬ original sound - stephaniekeith17
Sarandon was also criticized for later reposting a pro-Palestinian tweet from Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, who has been accused of making antisemitic comments in the past.
The following week, Sarandon was dropped by United Talent Agency, which confirmed her departure in the press but did not address whether her comments about Palestine caused the decision.
On Friday, Sarandon wrote in an Instagram statement that the phrasing of her comments was “a terrible mistake, as it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution, which is the opposite of true.” She added, “It was my intent to show solidarity in the struggle against bigotry of all kinds, and I am sorry I failed to do so.”
Reports that Sarandon had been dropped came amid a wave of corporate and cultural fallout surrounding public figures who share their views about the Israel-Hamas War, many of whom have been accused of antisemitism in their support for Palestine. At CAA, another talent agency, executive Maha Dakhil resigned from the board after reposting an Instagram Story showing footage of Israel’s retaliatory attacks with a comment she posted over the footage that read, “You’re currently learning who supports genocide.” On the same day that Sarandon left UTA, actress Melissa Barrera was dropped from the next installment of the Scream franchise, which the movie’s production company suggested was the result of her Instagram posts about Palestine.
UTA confirmed in an email to the Cut that Sarandon is no longer a client and declined to comment on her apology post.
This post has been updated.
