Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon and Scream star Melissa Barrera were each dropped by Hollywood companies after making comments on the Israel-Hamas war that some deemed anti-Semitic.
Spyglass Media Group, the production company behind the upcoming Scream VII, acknowledged Barrera’s exit from the horror franchise.
The Mexican-born actress, who starred in In the Heights and the two recent Scream installments, had posted statements on Instagram Stories calling the war “genocide and ethnic cleansing.”
Photo: AFP
“Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp,” she wrote.
Spyglass said in a statement that its position “is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.”
Late on Wednesday, Barrera posted a statement on Instagram Stories about her firing.
“First and foremost I condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” she wrote.
“I believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism,” she added. “I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence. I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom.”
A spokesman for the United Talent Agency (UTA) said Sarandon, the five-time Oscar nominee, is no longer represented by the agency. Sarandon’s exit from UTA followed comments she has made about Israel, most recently in an appearance at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York on Friday last week.
“There are a lot of people 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 said, according to the New York Post.
The Post reported that Sarandon joined the crowd in chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — a slogan some see as anti-Semitic because it suggests the eradication of Israel.
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