UTA, the Hollywood talent agency, has confirmed that Susan Sarandon has been dropped as a client after she participated in a pro-Palestine rally over the weekend wherein, she made controversial remarks that frightened Jews in America facing rising antisemitism are getting a "taste of how it feels to be Muslim."
According to Page Six, the comments made by the left-wing Sarandon were reportedly so hurtful and shocking to staffers at the agency that it resulted in the decision to sever ties. Sarandon, known for her roles in hit movies such as "Thelma & Louise" and her Oscar-winning performance in "Dead Man Walking," has been a client of UTA since 2014.
No Land for Controversy
Sarandon, who played a leading role in the SAG-AFTRA strike, has not yet commented on the situation regarding her departure from UTA. The United Talent Agency (UTA), led by Jewish CEO Jeremy Zimmer, reportedly ended its association with Sarandon after she made an inflammatory remark at a protest in New York City on November 17.
Sarandon said that those "afraid to be Jewish" in America are "getting a taste of what it feels like to be Muslim in America."
Aviva Klompas, the former director of speechwriting at the Israeli Mission to the United Nations, wrote: "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."
Facing Backlash
Sarandon's remarks have faced criticism from the Jewish community, and some Muslim Americans, including Asra Nomani, have used social media to convey how their lives improved upon moving to America, offering a different perspective in response to Sarandon's comments.
Sharing a photo of herself with her parents, Nomani wrote: "Hi there Susan Sarandon, this is my mom, my dad and me on the rail trail in Morgantown, West by God Virginia. let me tell you what it means to be Muslim in America.
"My dad didn't have to become a second-class indentured servant to one of the many tyrants of Muslim countries that use immigrants from India, like my family, as essential slaves... my dad got a job as an assistant professor of nutrition.
"He got rejected first for tenure but being Muslim in America meant he got a right like everybody got — his right to appeal and guess what? He won and he became a full professor.
"My mom? Being Muslim in America meant she got to live FREE with the wind in her hair, like Masih Alinejad fights for women in the Muslim nation of Iran to be able to enjoy."
Nomani went on to share her personal experience, highlighting that in America, she was able to give birth safely and freely to a baby out of wedlock, an act that could have had severe consequences, even death, in some Muslim countries.
"Where do you think I came to give birth to my baby in safety and security, without shame? West by God Virginia in the United States of America — where we enjoy equal rights as Muslim AmeriCANs, not AmeriCANTs.
"This is a "taste" of life for a Muslim family in America. Please don't minimize the experience of Jewish Americans by sanitizing the hell that it is for Muslims living in Muslim countries and vilifying America for the life — and freedoms — she offers Muslims like my family.
"Go, live like a Muslim woman in a Muslim country. You will come back to America and kiss the land beneath your feet," she said.
Some drew parallels between Sarandon's remarks and those made by Jane Fonda during the Vietnam War. Fonda earned the moniker 'Hanoi Jane' for her outspoken criticism of the American military involvement in Vietnam.
Fonda's controversial actions included traveling to the region and posing atop an antiaircraft gun, a move for which she has subsequently apologized.
"Someone please inform actress Susan Sarandon that she can open a good bottle of wine and celebrate by her private pool - another death of Jewish grandpa.
"Well, well, well. The Vietnam War had Hanoi Jane. Looks like Hamas will have Gaza Susan. She should go visit them," wrote on person.
"Hamas, which she proudly supports, just announced that one of the hundreds of innocent Israelies they kidnapped - 86-year-old Aryeh Zalmanovich - was killed in captivity. Does this please you Susan? Does this fill your heart with joy?" wrote another.
The US has seen a significant increase in both antisemitism and Islamophobia since the attack on October 7.
Many public protests in major cities, such as New York, have predominantly expressed support for Palestine. There have been instances of participants holding antisemitic signs, advocating disturbing sentiments like 'cleaning the world of Jews.'
