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 was criticized 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 Times that the 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 Klompas, co-founder of the pro-Israel nonprofit Boundless Israel on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Industry grapples with how to respond to Israel-Hamas war
The agency’s decision to drop Sarandon comes as the entertainment industry is grappling with how to respond to the Israel-Hamas war.
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.”
The news of Sarandon being dropped by UTA was first reported by Page Six.
Senior editor Ryan Faughnder contributed to this report. (TNS/Los Angeles Times)