Susan Sarandon is speaking out after her controversial comments at a pro-Palestinian rally led to her being dropped by her talent agency last month.
The actress and activist, 77, released a statement on Instagram on Friday, addressing remarks she made at a Nov. 17 rally in New York and apologizing for saying American Jews were “getting a taste of what it feels like to be Muslim in this country.”
“I recently attended a rally with a diverse group of activists who wanted to highlight the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza and called for a ceasefire. I wasn’t planning to speak, but I was invited to come on stage and say a few words,” Sarandon began.
“In order to express my concern about the rise in hate crimes, I said that Jewish Americans, as targets of growing anti-Semitic hatred, are ‘getting a taste of what it’s like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence. This wording was a terrible mistake, because it implies that until recently Jews were outsiders in the persecutions, when the truth is just the opposite,” she continued.
Sarandon added: “As we all know, from centuries of oppression and genocide in Europe, to the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jews have long been familiar with discrimination and religious violence that continues to this day. I deeply regret that I downplayed this reality and hurt people with this comment. My intention was to show solidarity in the fight against bigotry of all kinds and I’m sorry I didn’t manage to do that.”
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Susan Sarandon released a statement on Instagram Friday, addressing her comments at a pro-Palestinian rally in November.
Susan Sarandon/Instagram
Susan Sarandon has been dropped by a talent agency because of controversial statements at a pro-Palestinian rally
Sarandon ended her statement by pledging to continue to follow humanitarian values and conduct an open dialogue on complex issues.
“I will continue my commitment to peace, truth, justice and compassion for all people. I hope we can meet with love and a willingness to dialogue, especially with those we disagree with,” she wrote.
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Susan Sarandon speaks at a pro-Palestinian rally and march in Union Square on November 17, 2023 in New York City.
Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
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Sarandona’s statement and apology comes after PEOPLE confirmed last month that her agency, UTA, dropped her after her controversial comments were widely circulated in late November.
After the Hamas attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and about 240 Israelis were taken hostage, the Israeli government launched airstrikes on Gaza, in which 14,800 people have been killed so far, writes CNN. Amid the conflict, data reported by ABC News in early November showed that incidents of bias against the Jewish and Muslim communities were on the rise.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) released a statement on November 9 saying that in the month since the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas, “large numbers of Americans, including public school and college students, doctors and other workers, protesters and mosques” filed reports of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) announced on October 24 that anti-Semitic “incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault” increased by 388% between October 7 and 23, compared to a year ago.
A seven-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended on Friday. During the ceasefire, Israeli hostages kidnapped during the October 7 Hamas attack were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
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