Susan Sarandon accuses Hollywood of blacklisting her over pro-Palestinian comments amid Israel’s bombardment of Gaza

Susan Sarandon is speaking out about her alleged blacklisting from Hollywood over pro-Palestinian comments she made in the midst of Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza.

The 79-year-old actress — who previously said she doubted she would ever be able to work in the United States again — said Friday in a press conference in Barcelona, Spain, that she had lost her talent agency representation over her remarks calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

‘I was fired by my agency specifically for marching and speaking out about Gaza — for asking for a ceasefire — and it became impossible for me to even be on television,’ she said a day before the 40th Goya Awards were held on Saturday in Barcelona, according to video of the press conference.

‘I don’t know lately if it’s changed, [but] I couldn’t do any major film, anything connected with Hollywood,’ she continued.

Sarandon added her alleged Hollywood blacklisting was so extreme that even foreign filmmakers were being urged not to work with her.

‘This Italian director that just hired me, he was told not to hire me,’ Sarandon said. ‘So that’s still recently. He didn’t listen, but they had that conversation.’

The pressure to not hire her allegedly limited her to working outside of the major studios.

‘So right now, I kind of specialize in tiny films with directors who have never directed and are independent films, and films that are in Europe or in Italy. So that’s the main reason I haven’t been working as much,’ Sarandon said.

However, she expressed gratitude for the warmer reception she had received in Spain, and she saluted a fellow actor who said he had also been blacklisted. 

‘In a place where you feel repression and censorship, to see Spain and to see the president and what he says, and the support that he’s giving about Gaza, and to have actors like Javier Bardem come forward with such a strong voice is so important to us in the United States,’ Sarandon continued.

“When you turn on the TV and you see how strong Spain is and how clear that you are morally about these issues, it makes you feel less alone, and it makes you feel that there is hope because of you all. You just don’t hear that on television in the United States,’ she added. 

Sarandon previously reflected on being dropped by her agent and her fears over never working in Hollywood again in November 2024.

The year before, she was dropped by her Hollywood representative, United Talent Agency, which is run by Jewish CEO Jeremy Zimmer, for her comments.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show star caused controversy after she claimed Jewish people ‘are getting a taste of what it feels like to be Muslim’ amid the war with Hamas at a rally in New York City.

She then apologized for her remarks, saying that she had not planned to speak at the rally, but had been invited to address the crowd, and had intended to ‘highlight the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza.’

In an interview with The Times of London in late 2024, Sarandon reflected on how the controversy led to the departure of her agent and how she is no longer able to star in mainstream studio films. 

She told the publication: ‘I was dropped by my agency, my projects were pulled. I’ve been used as an example of what not to do if you want to continue to work.

‘There are so many people out of work right now since November of last year… who have lost their jobs as custodians, as writers, as painters, as people working in the cafeteria, substitute teachers who have been fired because they tweeted something, or liked a tweet, or asked for a ceasefire.’

Asked if she would ever be offered a big film role again she replied: ‘I don’t know. Not anything in Hollywood.’ 

Back in July 2024, Sarandon apologized for her remarks, saying her ‘phrasing was a terrible mistake’ while covering the latest issue of Elle Spain.

She also reiterated her desire to end the ‘genocide’ in Gaza, saying she had long been motivated to stand against injustice.

Covering the magazine, the actress explained that her position has a famous actress is a ‘loudspeaker’ allowing her to bring visibility to social issues.

Accepting that by speaking out she has ensured her blacklisting by a large part of the industry, Sarandon insisted that everyone had to come together to stop Israelis and Palestinians dying, because ‘no one deserves to die this way.’

She said: ‘Injustice has always hurt and angered me. I grew up in Washington in the 60s, with the Vietnam War hovering over that time and assassinations like Kennedy or Martin Luther King Jr. overshadowing our culture.

‘I didn’t have to force myself to educate myself in this sense, it was the only plausible option. 

‘That’s why I’m so surprised by the misinformation that exists today, at a time when we have everything within our reach. 

‘It is up to each of us to stop the genocide that is happening in Gaza, and that means that Israelis and Palestinians stop dying. No one deserves to die this way.

‘I understand that it is hard to accept that we are all part of the problem, but a war like this is only forged with our taxes, with your money and mine.

‘That’s why it’s admirable that countries like Spain, Ireland or Norway raise their voices and say: ‘We don’t want to contribute to this.”

Sarandon recalled:  ‘I realized that my profession carried with it a loudspeaker in the 70s, when the United States introduced the Equal Rights Amendment.

‘At one of the marches I was walking with Marlo Thomas, and she said to me: ‘The only way we are going to be in the news is for you to speak.’ And I did it, scared to death but I did it, because it is the way of life that I conceive.’

Sarandon has previously protested for the visibility of AIDS, to end the war in Iraq and against gun violence, even being arrested.

She was arrested in June 2018 at the Women Disobey protests for protesting against Donald Trump’s controversial migrant policy of separating children from their parents.

While her second arrest was last year at a protest to raise the minimum wage for tipped restaurant workers.

She said: ‘It will never cease to surprise me that an American thinks that someone is desperate to enter our country, when what they are really trying to do is achieve a dignified, stable and, above all, free life.’

The Rocky Horror Picture Show star previously caused controversy in November, after she claimed Jewish people ‘are getting a taste of what it feels like to be Muslim’ amid the war with Hamas at a rally in New York City.

She apologized for her remarks, saying that she had not planned to speak at the rally, but had been invited to address the crowd, and had intended to ‘highlight the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza.’

But Sarandon acknowledged that her words ignored ‘centuries of oppression and genocide in Europe’ as well as recent atrocities, such as the Tree of Life synagogue attack.

Taking to her Instagram, she said: ‘Intending to communicate my concern for an increase in hate crimes, I said that Jewish Americans, as the targets of rising antisemitic hate, ‘are getting a taste of what it is like to be Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence.’

‘This phrasing was a terrible mistake, as it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution, when the opposite is true. 

‘As we all know, from centuries of oppression and genocide in Europe, to the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, PA, Jews have long been familiar with discrimination and religious violence which continues to this day. 

‘I deeply regret diminishing this reality and hurting people with this comment. It was my intent to show solidarity in the struggle against bigotry of all kinds, and I am sorry I failed to do so.’

‘I will continue my commitment to peace, truth, justice, and compassion for all people. I hope that we can meet with love and willingness to engage in dialogue, especially with those with whom we disagree.’

Sarandon has continued to be an advocate for Palestinian rights, and proudly wore  a pro Palestinian button on the red carpet on Thursday for the New York premiere for her new film The Fabulous Four.

In April, she joined a host of film stars and directors donating memorabilia and time to a Cinema for Gaza auction to raise funds for humanitarian relief in Palestine, including Paul Mescal, Olivia Colman, Ayo Edebiri, Tessa Thompson, Louis Theroux, Jonathan Glazer and Stellan Skarsgård.