A high-ranking Hollywood talent agent for stars including Justin Timberlake and Matthew McConaughey reportedly texted “Screw the left kill all” in reaction to the recent murder of six Israeli hostages by the Hamas terrorist organization.
Brandt Joel, a top agent at WME, sent and then deleted the text to a WhatsApp group that contains other WME employees but isn’t officially affiliated with the company, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter. The WhatsApp group appeared to be for expressing pro-Israel sentiments.
Joel’s “Screw the left kill all” comment was reportedly made in response to WME’s Nancy Josephson and Katie Slater’s remarks on the tragedy of the killings.
A source told THR that Joel deleted the message a few minutes after posting it. Joel, a senior partner at WME who also represents Jason Momoa and Mahershala Ali, is a military veteran, having spent four years in the U.S. Navy and served in Iraq before becoming an agent.
Another source told THR that this isn’t the first time Joel has sent so-called “divisive” messages in the group chat.
“We have been weak every department has clients we should have fired and we didn’t and it shows we are weak and we have tolerated abhorrent behavior,” Joel reportedly once texted. It remains unclear what he meant by “abhorrent” behavior.
THR claimed that Joel’s “Screw the left kill all” comment has thrust him into a “bigotry storm” but didn’t elaborate on the possible career consequences he might face.
Hollywood has been torn apart by the ongoing war in Gaza, with numerous entertainment industry liberals siding against Israel and its military response to the unprecedented terrorist attack. But a growing vocal minority has voiced support for Israel’s right to exist and defend itself against Hamas.
Among those backing Israel are stars Debra Messing, Michael Rapaport, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gal Gadot, and Amy Schumer.
WME is owned by Endeavor, whose CEO Ari Emanuel is a major Democrat supporter and has blamed Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu for Hamas’ bloody rampage on October 7.
“From my opinion, a morally corrupt Bibi Netanyahu exposed Israel and its people to rape, death, beheadings of children, murders of fathers, mothers, grandmothers — and he did it to stay in power,” Emanuel said late last year. “I just think it’s time that we get rid of this man.”
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