United Talent Agency drops Susan Sarandon following her remarks at a protest for Palestine

Summary

  • United Talent Agency (UTA) dropped Susan Sarandon following remarks at a protest for Palestine.
  • UTA have been representing the notoriously pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League (ADL) since 2021.
  • The ADL launched an Entertainment and Leadership Council to “harness the power of Hollywood to help advance ADL’s mission”.
  • UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer is a “good friend” of ADL director Jonathan Greenblatt. Zimmer’s grandfather was Dore Schary, a former director of B’nai B’rith, a large Zionist organisation which founded the ADL.
  • UTA vice-chairman Jay Sures is a University of California board member and has vehemently opposed faculty expressing solidarity with Palestine.

Deadline defames Susan Sarandon as “Antisemitic”

On 21st November 2023, Deadline Hollywood reported United Talent Agency (UTA) had dropped Susan Sarandon following remarks at a protest for Palestine. The original headline referred to “Pro-Palestinian remarks”, which can be seen at this archived link. Shortly after, the headline was changed to “Antisemitic remarks” which remains on the current article. Screenshots are provided below.

The original headline mentions "Pro-Palestinian Remarks".
The original headline mentions "Pro-Palestinian Remarks".
The updated headline replaces "Pro-Palestinian Remarks" with "Antisemitic Remarks".
The updated headline replaces "Pro-Palestinian Remarks" with "Antisemitic Remarks".

What did Susan Sarandon say?

The Deadline article provides the following:

The Dead Man Walking Oscar winner has been present at several pro-Palestinian rallies where she made several remarks that included, “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.”

Longer footage of her remarks can be seen on the below video followed by our transcription.

There are a lot of people that are afraid. 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.

It’s important to listen. It’s important to have facts. Try to take a breath before you answer. And if it’s possible — have a conversation.

You don’t have to go through the entire history of that region. You can just show the babies that have been dying in incubators. The family and the love that people have for their loved ones when they’re blown to pieces. Those images are enough to show you that something is drastically wrong.

Who are United Talent Agency?

UTA are one of the largest talent agencies in the world, working across a variety of sectors in the entertainment industry.

The agency website (archived link) currently lists four people in leadership roles, who also make up the 12-person board of directors. Two key figures of the leadership team are CEO Jeremy Zimmer and vice-chairman Jay Sures.

UTA and the ADL

In May 2021, UTA agreed to become the first talent and entertainment company to represent the notoriously pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The exclusive news was provided to Deadline Hollywood. Then co-president of UTA, Jay Sures provided the following statement to Deadline regarding the partnership:

“Amid a resurgence of extremism and hate in this country, the work of ADL has never been more important, and there is a deep yearning among many of my UTA colleagues and across this industry to stand up and make a difference,” said UTA co-president Jay Sures.

“ADL’s goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. UTA’s focus will be on expanding the scale and impact of ADL’s work through partnerships with entertainment and technology platforms, as well as industry leaders and talent. Together we will stand against hate, ignorance and bigotry in all its forms.”

Using Hollywood to advance the ADL’s mission

In March 2023, the ADL announced the formation of their Entertainment and Leadership Council (ELC) whose goal is to:

harness the power of Hollywood to help advance ADL’s mission “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.”

To commemorate the launch of the council, the ADL held a special event at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. The following Instagram post by UTA shows CEO Jeremy Zimmer (2nd from left) standing next to ADL Director Jonathan Greenblatt (3rd from left).

Greenblatt delivered a speech at the event which has been fully transcribed, and mentions Zimmer on two occasions. First in shouting out the UTA:

“I want to lift up our friends from UTA who are here. All of us at ADL are proud to work closely with them and I’m particularly delighted that UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer is able to join us tonight.”

Secondly, he references Zimmer as the grandson of Dore Schary, a playwright, director, and producer who became head of production at Metro Godlwyn Mayer (MGM) in the 1950s. From 1963 until 1969, Dore was the director of B’nai B’rith, a leading Zionist organisation that founded the ADL. The relevant passage from Greenblatt’s speech is shown below:

Today, Dory [sic] often is remembered for his art as a playwright, screenwriter and director, but he also should be known for his courage and integrity as a Jew, so I’m deeply honored that Dory’s grandson and my good friend, Jeremy Zimmer, is here with us tonight and is building on Dory’s amazing legacy and taking it in bold new directions through his leadership at UTA.

Jay Sures, University of California, and Israel

UTA vice-president Jonathan “Jay” Sures serves on the governing board of the University of California (UC) known as the Board of Regents. On 9th October 2023, the board released a statement “on Mideast violence” supportive of Israel.

On 16th October 2023, the UC Ethnic Studies Faculty Council responded with a statement in solidarity with Palestine, critiquing the board’s current and historical positions. The faculty, representing over 300 members, called on the administration to:

Retract its charges of terrorism, to uplift the Palestinian freedom struggle and to stand against Israel’s war crimes against ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people.

Regent’s board member Jay Sures responded with a statement of his own on 31st October 2023 stating:

Let me be clear, I will do everything in my power to never let that happen. Full stop.