Fox News 2023 Year In Review with Bill Hemmer
2023 was another turbulent year, marked by political dysfunction at home and two major world conflicts. America’s Newsroom anchor Bill Hemmer looks back at the top headlines of the past 12 months.
The entertainment industry typically falls on the left side of political issues, but the Israel-Hamas war has divided Hollywood in a way no other issue has.
Hundreds of stars have taken stances in support of Israel, while others have lobbied for a quick cease-fire, supported the cause of the Palestinians and criticized Israel's actions. Regardless of which side they are on, celebrities have faced strong backlash and even lost jobs or support within Hollywood.
Christian Toto, host of The Hollywood in Toto Podcast, spoke to Fox News Digital and stated, "It's been fascinating to watch Hollywood stars scramble to respond to both the horrific Oct. 7 attacks and its aftermath…. The stakes are suddenly high, and stars understand there could be real consequences moving forward."
Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon was dropped as a client of UTA, a major Hollywood agency, after she made shocking comments that American Jews are getting a "taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim" at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City last month.
Susan Sarandon speaks on the stage during the Magna Graecia Film Festival 2023 at Arena on August 02, 2023, in Catanzaro, Italy. (Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images)
"There are a lot of people that are afraid, that are 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," Sarandon said.
Her comments received intense backlash, including from Muslim American writer and education activist Asra Nomani, who called out Sarandon in a thread on X about how her parents experienced a life of freedom and opportunity in the United States that they wouldn't have been allowed while living in a Muslim country.
THESE CELEBRITIES HAVE SPOKE OUT IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIANS AMID HAMAS TERROR
"This is a ‘taste’ of life for a Muslim family in America," Nomani wrote on X. "Please don’t minimize the experience of Jewish Americans by sanitizing the hell that it is for Muslims living in Muslim countries and vilifying America for the life — and freedoms — she offers Muslims like my family."
Toto, a conservative film critic and author, opined on the backlash to Fox News Digital: "Sarandon is a legendary star and an Oscar winner, so any attempts to silence her are unexpected. Plus, what she said was poorly thought out but hardly atypical in Hollywood, Inc. Stars routinely put their feet in their mouths or speak without knowing all the details."
Sarandon later apologized for her comments in a statement posted on social media, calling them a "terrible mistake."
Actress Melissa Barerra is an up-and-coming actress who has starred in such films as "In the Heights," as well as the two most recent "Scream" movies. She was fired from the upcoming "Scream 7" over social media posts she made about the war between Israel and Hamas.
Melissa Barrera previously starred in "Scream" and "Scream VI." (Getty Images)
On Instagram in October, the Mexican-born star made comments like "I too come from a colonized country" and "Palestine will be free." She also stated on October 22, "Western media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that? I will let you deduce for yourself."
In a statement, Spyglass Media Group explained the firing, "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 hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people," Barrera wrote after the dismissal. "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."
In the days after October 7, Playboy terminated former porn star Mia Khalifa after she made what they described as "disgusting and reprehensible comments" about the attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, who Khalifa referred to as "freedom fighters."
Playboy terminated former porn star Mia Khalifa after she made what they described as "disgusting and reprehensible comments" about the attack on October 7. (Getty)
"If you can look at the situation in Palestine and not be on the side of Palestinians, then you are on the wrong side of apartheid and history will show that in time," she wrote on X.
"At Playboy, we encourage free expression and constructive political debate, but we have a zero tolerance policy for hate speech," Playboy wrote on an email addressed to its creator community. "We expect Mia to understand that her words and actions have consequences."
The Lebanese-American adult film performer, who was once PornHub's highest-ranked star, has long referred to Israel as an "apartheid" state.
Khalifa was also publicly fired from a psychedelic mushroom company over her post asking someone to tell the "freedom fighters in Palestine to flip their phones and film horizontal," which Red Light Holland CEO Todd Shapiro described as "such a horrendous tweet."
"Consider yourself fired effective immediately," Shapiro wrote in response to her post.
On the side supporting Israel's actions, beauty mogul and reality TV star Kylie Jenner lost about 800,000 Instagram followers after she shared a post that read "Now and always, we stand with the people of Israel!" with a picture of an Israeli flag. She was slammed for the comment and quickly deleted the post.
Jenner was slammed for her pro-Israel post, which she quickly deleted. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)
"Stranger Things" star Noah Schnapp has faced threats of cancellation over his strong statements in support of Israel, including posts on social media where he posed with stickers reading "Zionism is Sexy" and "Hamas is Isis" and other statements like "You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism."
The 19-year-old Jewish actor faced new criticism for his pro-Israel stances after he was included on the Forbes' 30 Under 30 list, Newsweek reported.
‘STRANGER THINGS' STAR SUPPORTS ISRAEL IN STRONG STATEMENT, SLAMS THOSE JUSTIFYING VIOLENCE
Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who served for two years in the Israel Defense Forces in her 20s, spearheaded the Hollywood screening of a 47-minute video of the atrocities committed by Hamas during the October 7 surprise attack on Israel.
The screening prompted violent protests and was criticized as "insensitive" to Palestinians.
Jewish Actress and comedian Amy Schumer, who has been particularly outspoken in her support of Israel since Hamas' terror attack on October 7, said she has lost a number of friends over her stance. Schumer also trended on X after she posted a video clip of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. denouncing antisemitism and asserting Israel's right to exist, which was widely criticized.
Amy Schumer has been particularly outspoken in her support of Israel since Hamas' terror attack on October 7. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
"I’m sad to have lost so many friends these last few weeks but feel powerful and free knowing I stand for the truth and will fight for it always," Schumer wrote in a post to Instagram last month. "I’m a proud Jewish woman and have every right to be. Head high. Spirits high. Love to my fellow brothers and sisters."
Toto concluded to Fox News Digital that celebs may be in a no-win situation: "Stars have only set themselves up for criticism. They weigh in on almost everything, so when they fall silent on a monumental issue like Hamas and terrorism, it speaks very loudly."
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