Susan Sarandon Discusses Hollywood Fallout for Making Anti-Jewish Comments at Pro-Palestinian Rally
Actress Susan Sarandon. Photo: John Nacion/startraksphoto.com via Cover Media/Reuters Connect
Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon opened up in a recent interview about how her career was affected by offensive comments about Jews that she made at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City last year.
At a demonstration in November 2023 protesting the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the “Thelma & Louise” star, 78, accused Israel of war crimes and compared Hamas’s deadly rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7 of that year to the hardships Palestinians are facing in Hamas-controlled Gaza. She also 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.”
Sarandon apologized shortly afterward for her comments about Jews but did not mention her remarks about Israel. The “Dead Man Walking” star said her phrasing was “a terrible mistake” and that she intended to talk about the uptick in antisemitic attacks. She admitted she was wrong to imply that “until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution when the opposite is true.”
Because of her remarks at the pro-Palestinian rally, Sarandon was dropped as a client by United Talent Agency and lost a potential collaboration with an indie film production company.
“I was dropped by my agency, my projects were pulled,” Sarandon told the British newspaper The Times on Sunday, referencing the fallout. “I’ve been used as an example of what not to do if you want to continue to work.” When asked by the publication if she thinks she will get offered any more big budget movies in the future, she replied, “I don’t know,” before adding that she thinks not “anything in Hollywood.”
Also in November 2023, another actress, Melissa Barrera, was fired from the cast of “Scream 7” for sharing posts on social media that accused Israel of genocide. Around the same time, an agent at Creative Artists Agency came under fire for similar posts on social media.
“There are so many people out of work right now [since] November of last year … who have lost their jobs as custodians, as writers, as painters, as people working in the cafeteria, substitute teachers who have been fired because they tweeted something, or liked a tweet, or asked for a ceasefire,” Sarandon told The Times.
The actress is starring in low-budget movie about bowling called “The Gutter.” Describing her character, Sarandon said, “She’s a narcissist and a racist in that kind of unconscious way, and obviously a horrible mother. All of those things are so much fun to play.”
Despite the fallout from her remarks last year, Sarandon has continued to speak out against the Israel-Hamas war at rallies on Capitol Hill and at Columbia University. In April of this year, she joined anti-Israel protesters at Columbia as they chanted “Columbia, you will see! Palestine will be free!”
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