Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who is of Jewish descent, expressed her disapproval of rapper Kanye West's recent antisemitic tweet while appearing on The Today Show on Monday.
"I woke up and burst into tears," Curtis said, upon reading the tweet. "Death con 3 on Jewish people? What are you doing? It's bad enough that fascism is on the rise around the world but on Twitter? On a portal to pour that in as if Jewish people haven't had it hard enough?"
The holiest day in Judaism was last week. Words matter. A threat to Jewish people ended once in a genocide. Your words hurt and incite violence. You are a father. Please stop. pic.twitter.com/8iFuKwwspw
— Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis) October 9, 2022
The day before going on the show, Curtis tweeted: "The holiest day in Judaism was last week. Words matter. A threat to Jewish people ended once in genocide. Your words hurt and incite violence. You are a father. Please stop."
"It's bad enough that fascism is on the rise around the world but on Twitter? On a portal to pour that in as if Jewish people haven't had it hard enough?"
Jamie Lee Curtis
Curtis reflected on her grandparents during the interview, who were Hungarian-Jewish immigrants.
"It's just abhorrent," Curtis continued. "I hope he gets help. I hope his children get help from him. It's terrible. If we aren't reacting, who are we What does it say about people who aren't reacting?"
Where is our @jamieleecurtis ? We need her here in the U.K. pic.twitter.com/95SJhyW7Q0
— Eye On Antisemitism (@AntisemitismEye) October 11, 2022
Other Hollywood stars react to West's statements
Jewish actress and comedian Sarah Silverman also addressed the issue of the silence of others outside the Jewish community in a statement on Twitter.
"Kanye threatened the Jews yesterday on Twitter and it’s not even trending. Why do mostly only Jews speak up against Jewish hate? The silence is so loud," she said.
Jewish actor Josh Gad retweeted Silverman's statement in agreement, adding that: "More and more, I find that antisemitism is one of the rare forms of hate towards a specific group that is seemingly met with silence by the masses.
"It’s heartbreaking standing with so many others on issue after issue & find those same allies consistently silent when we need them," he tweeted.
Kanye threatened the Jews yesterday on twitter and it’s not even trending. Why do mostly only Jews speak up against Jewish hate? The silence is so loud
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) October 9, 2022
Gad also retweeted a tweet by Pink from 2009 that said: "Kanye West is the biggest piece of shit on earth. Quote me," to which the Frozen actor said, "Thirteen years later, it’s aged like the finest of wines."
Jewish actor and comedian Michael Rapaport posted a video on Twitter criticizing the rapper, stating his regret for having defended West during his feud with comedian Pete Davidson, whose father was Jewish, when Davidson was reportedly dating his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
I’m up going DEFCON 6 Million @kanyewest S T A Y D I S R U P T I V E @iamrapaport all day everyday Disruptive Behavior ✡️✡️✡️✡️✡️✡️ pic.twitter.com/KmZcegVKiB
— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) October 9, 2022
Rapaport also alleged that the rapper is pushing the same rhetoric as congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and those who attended the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, the report said.