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\nA Fired ‘Scream’ Star, Clients Booted From Agencies and a Secret Tom Cruise Meeting: Inside Hollywood’s Divide Over Israel https:\/\/t.co\/JMpsLCgnSm<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Variety (@Variety) November 21, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Right after the Hamas attack on Israel, talent agency WME<\/b> invited Steve Leder, the rabbi from Wilshire Boulevard Temple, to visit the agency\u2019s Beverly Hills headquarters. The speech was secular but some staffers complained. WME dug in and invited Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt to speak. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, rival talent agency CAA<\/b> had already demoted<\/b> Maha Dakhil (American, of Libyan immigrant parents), because she had shared one post to her IG story and added What\u2019s more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening.\u201d<\/i> <\/p>\n
Dakhil subsequently \u201cresigned\u201d from the CAA internal board and stepped away for the time being from her position as co-head of the motion picture department. She remains an agent, with a client roster of high A-list talent. <\/p>\n
Tom Cruise<\/b> made it known to CAA that he was backing her. Cruise met with Dakhil at her CAA office on Nov. 15. A knowledgeable source says he took the rare step of going in person to show support for his embattled agent.<\/p>\n
Some CAA staff<\/b> threatened to walk over Dakhil treatment, but eventually backed down. <\/p>\n
Separately, CAA cut ties<\/b> with staffer Jouman (Jasmine) Barakat<\/b> and two clients Saira Rao and Regina Jackson<\/b> over incendiary anti-Israeli social media posts.<\/p>\n
Spyglass<\/b> quietly dropped Melissa Barrera<\/b> as the star of the next \u201cScream\u201d film, sources say, due to her social media posts<\/p>\n
Complaints were made to talent agency UTA <\/b> about Boots Riley and Ta-Nehisi Coates<\/b> regarding their remarks. <\/p>\n
More<\/b> <\/p>\nJavier Bardem and Penelope Cruz<\/b> had to clarify their position after signing a letter that called Israel\u2019s operations in Gaza \u201cgenocide.\u201d – back in 2014<\/b> <\/p>\n
Mark Ruffalo<\/b> was compelled to apologize for suggesting Israel was committing genocide – back in 2021<\/b>. <\/p>\n
Greenblatt<\/b> bullied the WGA in to releasing a vague statement because they had not taken a side in the latest conflict. <\/p>\n
Ava DuVernay<\/b> is getting grief for standing up for her agent and friend Dakhil. Dakhil is now on a \u201cJewish listening tour\u201d and has met with Leder and Greenblatt, the latter of which didn\u2019t like it that a separate news report revealed they had spoken.
<\/p>\nA lot could be said about using discretion on social media for highly emotional topics but very dark times when free speech isn\u2019t really free and is costing people\u2019s jobs and livelihoods. <\/p>\n