After apologizing for comments made following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, Maha Dakhil, co-head of the CAA’s film department, is stepping down from her leadership role in the department. She is also stepping down from the Century City-based company’s internal agency board.
Dakhil, whose clients include Tom Cruise, Natalie Portman, Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway and others, came under scrutiny for an Instagram post that was highly critical of Israel and referred to “genocide.” That post was later deleted and the agent apologized for the comments.
“I made a mistake with a repost on my Instagram story that used hurtful language,” Dakhil wrote in an Oct. 19 statement. “Like so many of us, I suffered heartbreak. I am proud to stand on the side of humanity and peace. I am very grateful to Jewish friends and colleagues who pointed out the effects and educated me. I deleted the repost immediately. I’m sorry for the pain I caused.”
As news spread across the city, attention turned to what actions the major agency led by Bryan Lourd — which was the subject of several headlines about the comments — would take in response. While Dakhil will not head the film department, he will continue to work with clients.
The shock reflects the tense environment on social media in the weeks since the Hamas terror attack on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people and the country’s response to the Gaza airstrike. Leaders like Jonathan Greenblatt, who leads the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), have encouraged Hollywood voices to speak out strongly in favor of Israel, arguing: “Given the distorting portrayal of the world by social media algorithms, this is even more important.” These voices must come through.” Earlier this year, the ADL released a report saying that Los Angeles saw a “record-breaking” number of anti-Semitic incidents (including harassment and vandalism) in 2022.
But while major studios – including Disney, Paramount and Comcast – distributed donations to humanitarian organizations in the wake of the attack and executives like Bob Iger and Shari Redstone condemned Hamas’ actions, activists’ attention in Hollywood has been on the perceived lack of similar support for Hamas rose the Palestinian people.
In the days following the attack, a petition circulated with over 700 names from the entertainment industry signing an open letter in support of Israel, which also included signatures from top CAA executives, including Lourd and co-chairs Richard Lovett and Kevin Huvane. “The open letter calls on the entertainment community to speak out forcefully against Hamas and support Israel,” the note said.
Shortly after, a group of at least 57 A-list stars wrote a letter to President Biden calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. “We believe that all life is sacred, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and we condemn the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” the letter said.
The conflict has sparked a debate over when and how Hollywood companies should speak out on a contentious issue that has divided opinion among typically liberal executives and talent. While the Directors Guild and SAG-AFTRA released statements on October 11 and 13 deploring the first Hamas attack, the Writers Guild of America withheld comment because the board was divided over a response and ultimately did not provide any comment.