Actress Penelope Cruz and her husband Javier Bardem have roused the fury of Hollywood producers, with pledges made to snub the Spanish couple.
Oscar-winner Bardem and Cruz signed an open letter speaking against "the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli occupation army".
The letter accused Israel of "advancing on Palestinian territories instead of withdrawing to the 1967 borders […] Gaza is living through horror… while the international community does nothing."
The Spanish letter was signed by 100 leading figures in the film industry, including director Pedro Almodovar.
One top producer who has worked with Cruz says he privately has vowed not to hire her again, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Another top Hollywood executive also privately expressed his disapproval, saying he’s "furious at Javier and Penelope" and wasn’t sure about working with the Spanish couple again.
Relativity Media chief executive Ryan Kavanaugh was the only studio head willing to go public with his views: "As the grandson of Holocaust survivors, I know that anyone calling what’s going on in Israel ‘genocide’ vs. self-defense is either ignorant and shouldn’t be commenting or is truly anti-Semitic."
Cruz’s clarified that she only wished to promote “peace in both Israel and Gaza.” This was met with a “collective eye roll” by the top executives.
Bardem on the other hand wrote, “My signature was solely meant as a plea for peace. Destruction and hatred only generate more hatred and destruction.”
“While I was critical of the Israeli military response,” Bardem wrote, “I have great respect for the people of Israel and deep compassion for their losses. I am now being labelled by some as anti-Semitic, as is my wife (Cruz) – which is the antithesis of who we are as human beings. We detest anti-Semitism as much as we detest the horrible and painful consequences of war.”
Read more at ONTD: Oh No They Didn’t! – After accusing Israel of genocide, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem have been blacklisted