Agency drops Sarandon over comments on conflict
LOS ANGELES — As tensions continue to mount in Hollywood over the Israel-hamas war, United Talent Agency has dropped actor Susan Sarandon as a client after comments she made about the conflict.
Sarandon came under criticism earlier this month for her remarks at a Pro-palestinian rally in New York. The actor, who has starred in movies including “Thelma & Louise” and “Dead Man Walking,” called for a cease-fire, according to the New York Post.
“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,” Sarandon said at the rally, according to the Post.
UTA on Tuesday confirmed to the L.A. Times that the “Thelma & Louise” and “Blue Beetle” actor was no longer a client. The Beverly Hills agency declined further comment.
“When Susan Sarandon said that Jews ‘are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country’ she was saying that American Jews have it coming — that we don’t deserve to live free from harassment and assault,” wrote Aviva Komplas, co-founder of pro-israel nonprofit Boundless Israel on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The agency’s decision to drop Sarandon comes as the entertainment industry is grappling with how to respond to the Israel-hamas war.
The Writers Guild of America decided not to weigh in on the issue because there was a lack of consensus among its members, upsetting some Jewish writers who felt the union should issue a statement following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack.
At Century City-based Creative Artists Agency, a prominent agent, Maha Dakhil, resigned her board seat and stepped back from her role as co-head of the motion picture department, after she was criticized for sharing a social media post that accused Israel of genocide. She deleted her post and later apologized. Still, Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin dropped her for rival agency WME.
Sarandon and her representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.
“There’s a terrible thing that’s happened where antisemitism has been confused with speaking up against Israel,” Sarandon told the New York Times earlier this month. “I am against antisemitism. I am against Islamophobia.”