As a seasoned Hollywood observer with years of following industry happenings, I find myself disheartened by the recent events unfolding at WME, a company I deeply respect for its roster of stellar talent. The actions of Brandt Joel, a top agent who has represented some of my favorite stars, have left me baffled and disappointed.
Joel Brandt, a prominent figure at WME and the representative for stars such as Jason Momoa and Matthew McConaughey, has found himself caught up in a controversy regarding bigotry within the company, following his sending and subsequent deletion of an offensive text to a WhatsApp group, in response to the weekend’s tragic hostage killings in Israel.
On Sunday, Israel’s military announced that they had retrieved the remains of six hostages who were murdered by Hamas militants in Gaza, among them was a captive of both Israeli and American nationality.
In an unofficial group chat among employees at William Morris Endeavor (WME), expressing support for Israel, the conversation turned to the tragic news about the hostages after someone posted President Joe Biden’s official statement on the incident. The Hollywood Reporter obtained screenshots of the chat, which revealed that WME’s Nancy Josephson and Katie Slater expressed sympathy over the killings. Following this discussion, Joel sent a message saying, “I despise the left, let’s eradicate them all.”
A source told THR that Joel deleted the message a few minutes later.
As a devoted admirer, let me share that Joel, a distinguished figure now at WME, has a remarkable roster of clients including Idris Elba, Justin Timberlake, and Mahershala Ali. Before he graced the world of agency work, Joel served valiantly for four years in the U.S. Navy, experiencing battles in Iraq. His journey to stardom as an agent was marked by his service in the military.
A confidential informant reportedly told The Hollywood Reporter that Joel has previously sent controversial messages within the group chat, including one where he criticized WME for being “weak” on clients who had voiced opinions about the ongoing conflict in Gaza. In a text, Joel wrote, “We have been every department has clients we should have fired and we didn’t, which shows we are weak, and we have tolerated abhorrent behavior.” However, it remains uncertain which specific clients he was referring to and what exact behavior he found objectionable.
Joel commented, “This is just overly optimistic talk. As far as I know, only Richard voiced an opinion on this conversation and responded to it. Fortunately, there aren’t many exceptions to the rule, but unfortunately, we haven’t dismissed any of them yet, which is disgraceful.”
The intense and violent conflict in Gaza has sparked significant discord in Hollywood, with those expressing opinions about the strife finding themselves embroiled in controversy. In late October, a few weeks after the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Southern Israel that resulted in over 1,200 fatalities and more than 200 captives, the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) faced a whirlwind of criticism following power agent Maha Dakhil’s Instagram posts. On October 18, Dakhil shared a statement from an account called Free Palestine that read, “You’re currently learning who supports genocide.” She then commented, “That’s where I draw the line.” Later, she posted a picture with the caption, “What’s more distressing than observing genocide? Observing the denial that genocide is taking place.”
Initially, Dakhil swiftly expressed regret and continued working with the firm, but was ultimately let go by her client Aaron Sorkin due to controversial social media posts. Following the controversy, she temporarily relinquished her position as co-head of motion pictures at CAA and also stepped down from the agency’s internal board. However, she has since regained a prominent role within the company.
In November, the actress Melissa Barrera, who is represented by WME, was let go from the production of “Scream VII” following a sequence of social media posts concerning the situation in Gaza. In one Instagram story, she expressed her concern saying, “Gaza is being subjected to conditions similar to a concentration camp.” She continued, “People are trapped with nowhere to escape, with no electricity or water… History seems to be repeating itself, and just like our past, the world continues to silently observe. This is genocide & ethnic cleansing.”
Initially, it appeared that WME might part ways with Barrera due to her standpoint, but according to an interview with THR in their March cover story, Barrera felt she always had backing from her representatives. “It was difficult because I was in such a confused state, but I was incredibly fortunate,” she emotionally expressed, looking back on the challenging period. “I had a lot of support from those around me: my team, particularly my publicists – they truly supported me.”
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2024-09-02 08:24