VENICE, Italy — US actress Susan Sarandon said Sunday she was still having roles “taken away” from her in Hollywood because of her outspoken criticism of Israel over the Gaza war, and blamed “Zionists” for the hit to her career.
The “Thelma & Louise” star was dropped by her agency UTA in November 2023, shortly after the Hamas-led October 7 onslaught that sparked the war in Gaza, over controversial remarks at a pro-Palestinian rally which she later said she regretted.
Speaking at the Venice Film Festival, where she has a role in Italian film “The Echo Chamber,” she claimed the “narrative” around the Gaza war and the United States’ support for Israel had “completely changed.”
“There’s a lot of things that people are aware of now,” the Oscar winner told a press conference, referring to the extent of US financial and military aid for Israel. She mentioned “the ties of Zionists with America in our politics.”
“In terms of the power structure, I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still,” she added.
