Here Are The Celebs And Public Figures Who Have Faced Serious Repercussions For Posting About Palestinians

“My family has felt to be in danger. But I cannot be silenced any longer. Fear is not an option. The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence."

On Oct. 7, 1,200 Israelis were reportedly killed — the majority of them civilians — in attacks by Hamas. Over 15,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including at least 6,000 children, have reportedly been killed in retaliatory attacks. The Gaza Strip has had water, food, fuel, and electricity cut off, with one UN expert warning that civilians had no safe place to go.

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Amid the escalating conflict, many people have reported being fired or professionally reprimanded for voicing support for Palestinians. So here are some of the public figures who appear to have also faced some immediate consequences:

1. Melissa Barrera:

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The actor was dropped from Scream 7 following a number of social media posts where she referred to what was happening in Gaza as "genocide," "ethnic cleansing," and "like a concentration camp."

“Western media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself,” she wrote in October. “We don’t need more hate. No Islamophobia. No antisemitism.”

A spokesperson for Spyglass Media Group, the company behind Scream, subsequently told Variety, “Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech."

“I condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” Melissa subsequently wrote on Instagram, per Rolling Stone. “As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about, and to lend my voice to those in need.”

2. Susan Sarandon:

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Susan was dropped by the United Talent Agency following her appearance at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York. While condemning antisemitism and Islamophobia, she reportedly said, “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, so often subjected to violence."

3. Melanie Martinez:

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While performing in Paris, Melanie's backup dancers unfurled a Palestinian flag. According to footage from the event, her microphone was then cut off. It is possible that it was an unrelated technical error. 

4. Tom Cruise's longtime agent, Maha Dakhil:

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After the Oct. 7 attack, CAA issued a statement saying that it “stands with the people of Israel, the Jewish community, and all innocent victims in the face of horrific acts of terrorism."

“What’s more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening,” Tom Cruise's agent at CAA, Maha, reportedly posted on Instagram. She further shared an image that read, “You’re currently learning who supports genocide,” captioning it, “That’s the line for me.”

She subsequently apologized for the Instagram posts after her coworkers reportedly complained that they were antisemitic, and resigned from a board position and another leadership role. “I made a mistake with a repost in my Instagram story, which used hurtful language. Like so many of us, I have been reeling with heartbreak. I pride myself on being on the side of humanity and peace," she told Variety in a statement.

Cruise reportedly went in person to support his agent, potentially mitigating further fallout. 

5. Bella Hadid:

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“My family has felt to be in danger. But I cannot be silenced any longer. Fear is not an option. The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence. We are not brave — they are,” Bella reportedly wrote in her first statement on Instagram following the Oct. 7 attacks. Indeed, the Palestinian-Dutch model and her sister Gigi Hadid have both received death threats following their support of Palestinians in recent weeks.

"I had so many companies stop working with me," Bella said in 2022 regarding her previous support of Palestinians. "I had friends that completely dropped me, like even friends I had been having dinner with at their home on Friday nights, for seven years, like now just won’t let me at their house anymore.”

6. Viet Thanh Nguyen:

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The Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist, whose work will be the basis of an upcoming HBO series, was pulled at the last minute from an event at the 92nd Street Y in New York City after he signed a letter critical of Israel. The letter calls for an "end to the violence and destruction in Palestine," stating, "Neither Israel, the occupying power, nor the armed groups of the people under occupation, the Palestinians, can ever be justified in targeting defenseless people."

“We are a Jewish institution that has always welcomed people with diverse viewpoints to our stage,” the 92NY said in a statement. “Given the public comments by the invited author on Israel and this moment, we felt the responsible course of action was to postpone the event while we take some time to determine how best to use our platform and support the entire 92NY community.”

Viet referred to it as a "cancellation." Writing on Instagram as to why he signed the letter, Viet explained, "I hope there is a moral consensus that killing civilians is wrong, whether Hamas does it or whether Israel does it. I try to keep space in my mind and heart for all the victims and their loved ones. We share a common humanity."