Susan Sarandon has issued an apology over controversial comments she made at a rally calling for a ceasefire amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The 77-year-old actress took to Instagram on Friday and said her phrasing -- that Jewish Americans "are getting a taste of what it is like to be Muslim in this country" -- was "a terrible mistake." Sarandon explained that she had recently attended a rally alongside a diverse group of activists seeking to highlight the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza and had not planned to speak but took the stage when she was invited to share a few words.
"Intending to communicate my concern for an increase in hate crimes, I said that Jewish Americans, as the targets of rising antisemitic hate, 'are getting a taste of what it is like to be Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence,'" she said in her statement on her Instagram account. "This phrasing was a terrible mistake, as it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution, when the opposite is true."
She added, "I deeply regret diminishing this reality and hurting people with this comment. It was my intent to show solidarity in the struggle against bigotry of all kinds, and I am sorry I failed to do so."
Following her initial remarks, Sarandon was dropped by United Talent Agency. In a statement to ET, a rep for United Talent Agency confirmed Sarandon is "no longer a client," following her remarks.
The comments sparked immediate backlash from critics who called her out and demanded she face consequences.
"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, in a post on social media platform X.
The apology came on the same day Julianna Margulies also apologized after expressing her disdain at Black and LGBTQ Americans' strong support for Palestine. The Good Wife star admonished the Black community for their boisterous support for Palestine, even though "in the civil rights movement, the Jews were the ones that walked side by side with the Blacks to fight for their rights."
"The fact that the entire Black community isn't standing with us, to me, says either they just don't know or they've been brainwashed to hate Jews," she said while on the Back Room with Andy Ostroy podcast.
In a statement to Deadline, Marguilies said she was "horrified by the fact that statements I made on a recent podcast offended the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, communities I truly love and respect."
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