How comments on Israel-Hamas War have affected Hollywood celebrities
Hollywood has been left divided ever since the Israel-Hamas War broke out after October 7. Following Hamas's attack on Israel and the Jewish country's retaliation, several Hollywood celebrities have come forward to voice their opinion on the ongoing war. Among these are also celebrities who had to pay a price for sharing posts or their comments. Here are some of the key instances.
Tom Cruise's manager Maha Dakhil
Maha Dakhil was made to put down her papers at the talent agency CAA after she posted: "What's more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening." Dakhil found support in one of her clients, Tom Cruise who, per Variety, stepped in to save her from the firing. He let the agency know that Dakhil had her support.
Melissa Barrera
Actor Melissa Barrera was cast in Scream 7 to reprise the lead role of Sam Carpenter. Unfortunately, the actor was later dropped from the cast after she received backlash over her social media posts on the ongoing deadly war. The production house, Spyglass Media Group, in their statement, said they have "zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate."
Susan Sarandon
Dead Man Walking actor Susan Sarandon's agency UTA reportedly decided to part ways with her. In a pro-Palestine rally in the US, Sarandon said, "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."
Tara Strong
Tara Strong was also shown the exit from Boxtown, an upcoming animated series after she put out controversial comments regarding the war situation. The makers took to X to announce that Strong is no longer associated with the show. "We believe that our public platform gives us a duty to be careful when it comes to hateful messages and misinformation online."
Gal Gadot
Though there's been no threat to her jobs, Hollywood biggie Gal Gadot drew flak over the screening of Hamas's October 7 attack. The Israeli actor reportedly organized a screening of the attack titled Bearing Witness to the October 7th Massacre. Major criticism also came to actors Noah Schnapp and Amy Schumer for their individual pro-Israel stances, including boycott calls for Stranger Things.
