While a tentative four-day ceasefire may have been agreed to, horrific scenes emerging from Gaza have prompted a wave of pro-Palestinian support from around the world. More than 11,000 people, including 4,000 children, have been killed in Gaza as a result of the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to Palestinian officials.
A number of celebrities have used their platforms to share opinions in support of Palestinians. Among them was Melissa Barrera, an actor who was "quietly dropped" after sharing social media posts that talked about Gaza.
Barrera isn't the only public figure to have spoken publicly about the Israel-Gaza conflict – nor is she the only one who has got in trouble as a result.
Here are some of the celebrities who have lost jobs for taking a pro-Palestine stance.
Melissa Barrera
Melissa Barrera has reportedly been dropped from the Scream franchise for sharing her concern about the conflict that had emerged across Gaza.
The Hollywood Reporter claimed that she wrote a caption saying: “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. Cornering everyone together, with nowhere to go, no electricity no water … People have learnt nothing from our histories. And just like our histories, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE AND ETHNIC CLEANSING.”
Other things that Barrera has shared about Gaza and Israel included a message on Instagram in which she urged leaders to call for a ceasefire.
"We come together as artists and advocates, but most importantly as human beings witnessing the devastating loss of lives and unfolding horrors in Palestine and Israel," she wrote in the caption.
"Please join us in demanding that Congress, @POTUS, and other world leaders call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost. We must end the bombing of Gaza, secure the safe release of all hostages, and demand adequate access for humanitarian aid to reach the people that desperately need it."
Spyglass Media and Barrera’s representatives have been approached by the Standard for comment.
Susan Sarandon
Beetlejuice star Susan Sarandon took part in multiple rallies in New York before she was reportedly dropped by her talent agency.
The 77-year-old Oscar-winning star had written on social media: "You don’t have to be Palestinian to care about what’s happening in Gaza. I stand with Palestine. No one is free until everyone is free."
A spokesperson for United Talent Agency (UTA) told Deadline that the firm wasn't working with the actor any longer.
The Standard has approached UTA and a representative for Sarandon for comment.
Bella Hadid
Bella Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, has long showed support for Palestine on her social media accounts. Throughout the years, shehas used her platform to raise awareness of what Palestinian people have endured, even before October 7.
While she didn't identify certain companies, Hadid claimed in 2022 that she's lost jobs in the past because of her views.
Hadid explained at the time: "I had so many companies stop working with me."
“I had friends that completely dropped me, like even friends that I had been having dinner with at their home on Friday nights for seven years, like now just won’t let me at their house anymore.”
Mia Khalifa
Lebanese-American media personality and former adult star Mia Khalifa was dropped by Playboy for her remarks related to October 7.
Khalifa had referred to the Hamas militants as 'freedom fighters' in a social media post. She has also shown support for Palestinians in a number of other social media messages.
According to the Mail Online, Playboy said in a statement: "We are writing today to let you know of our decision to terminate Playboy’s relationship with Mia Khalifa, including deleting Mia’s Playboy channel on our creator platform.
“Over the past few days, Mia has made disgusting and reprehensible comments celebrating Hamas’ attacks on Israel and the murder of innocent men, women and children. At Playboy, we encourage free expression and constructive political debate, but we have a zero tolerance policy for hate speech. We expect Mia to understand that her words and actions have consequences.”
