The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
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The gala at the Academy Museum, which was set to welcome a star-studded roster of talent on Saturday, has canceled its planned red carpet following recent violence in Israel.
A statement sent to the press on Thursday afternoon said: “The Academy Museum condemns all forms of hatred and cruelty and supports the lives of innocent Israelis and Palestinians affected by the ongoing violence.” Out of respect for the devastating conflict and the losses Lives Abroad, the Academy Museum has decided to cancel the red carpet at its annual fundraising gala on Saturday, October 14.”
The event itself – which this year honors Meryl Streep, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey and Sofia Coppola and is co-chaired by Ava DuVernay, Dr. Eric Esrailian, Halle Berry and Ryan Murphy is standing – will continue as planned with a dinner and awards ceremony at the museum. The red carpet was already scheduled to be limited and limited to photos only and no interviews during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. It was also reported that studio executives who previously attended the gala would not attend this year due to the walkout and have given their seats back to the museum.
It is the first major Hollywood carpet drop following the Palestinian terror group Hamas’ attack on Israel over the weekend. Dozens of top stars were expected, including Andrew Garfield, Angela Bassett, Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Greta Gerwig, Ke Huy Quan, Kerry Washington, Kim Kardashian, Lupita Nyong’o, Mahershala Ali, Margot Robbie, Mark Ruffalo, Pedro Pascal, Quinta Brunson , Reese Witherspoon, Selena Gomez and Tom Hanks.
The Academy Museum Gala is the museum’s premier annual fundraising event, raising critical funds to support museum exhibitions, educational initiatives and public programs, including exhibitions, K-12 programs and access initiatives serving the public. The four awards presented at this year’s gala reflect the museum’s ongoing mission to promote the understanding, appreciation and preservation of films and to contextualize and challenge dominant narratives surrounding cinema. The evening will be moderated by Rolex.