Julianna Margulies has apologized for offensive comments she made about black people and LGBTQ supporters in Palestine, including that black people were “brainwashed to hate Jews.”
“I am appalled that the statements I made on a recent podcast insulted the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, communities that I truly love and respect,” she said in a statement. “I want to be 100% clear: racism, homophobia, sexism, or any prejudice against others’ personal beliefs or identities are abhorrent to me, period. Throughout my career, I have worked tirelessly to combat hatred of all kinds, end anti-Semitism, speak out against terrorist groups like Hamas, and forge a united front against discrimination. I did not intend my words to sow further division, for which I sincerely apologize.”
Margulies made the inflammatory comments on a Nov. 21 episode of Andy Ostroy’s podcast “The Back Room.” As the two discussed American responses to the war between Israel and Hamas, Margulies expressed anger at Black and LGBTQ people who have spoken out against Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
“You know, there was a movie being shown on the Columbia campus by this black lesbian club, and they put up signs that said, ‘Jews are not allowed,'” Margulies said, likely alluding to an incident involving the student group Lion Lez from the New York Post was involved. (According to the Post, this group’s email said: “This is FREE PALESTINE. Zionists are not invited.”)
“As someone who plays a lesbian journalist on ‘The Morning Show,'” she continued, “I’m more offended by this as a lesbian than as a Jew.” Because I want to say to them: You fucking idiots. You don’t exist. You are even lower than the Jews. A, you’re black and B, you’re gay. And you turn away from the people who support you? Because Jews rally around everyone.”
When Ostroy suggested that there was a bigger reaction to people using “the wrong pronouns on college campuses” than to the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, Margulies agreed.
“Oh my God, forget it,” she said. “It’s these kids who spew this anti-Semitic hatred and have no idea if they’ve set foot in an Islamic country – these people who want us to call them they/them, or whatever they want us to call them they name – what I respectfully really did.” It’s about acting whoever you want to be – it’s these people who are the first to be beheaded and whose heads are played with like a football. Like a football on the field. And who do they support? Terrorists who don’t want women to have their rights? LGBTQ people will be executed.”
“The fact that the entire black community doesn’t stand behind us shows to me that they either just don’t know or they’ve been brainwashed to hate Jews,” she added.
Deadline was the first to report Margulies’ apology.
There’s more to come…