Julianna Margulies has issued an apology after facing backlash for saying the Black community has been “brainwashed to hate Jews.”
The Emmy-winning actress, best known for her roles on ER, The Good Wife, and The Morning Show, made the comment while discussing the war between Israel and Hamas on the Nov. 20 episode of “The Back Room With Andy Ostroy” podcast, according to the Los Angeles Times.
She also accused the gay community of antisemitism.
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After trending on social media, Margulies released a statement on Friday, Dec. 1, saying she didn’t mean to offend anyone.
“I am horrified by the fact that statements I made on a recent podcast offended the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, communities I truly love and respect. I want to be 100% clear: Racism, homophobia, sexism, or any prejudice against anyone’s personal beliefs or identity are abhorrent to me, full stop,” read the statement, according to Variety.
The actress added that she is “against discrimination.”
“Throughout my career I have worked tirelessly to combat hate of all kind, end antisemitism, speak out against terrorist groups like Hamas, and forge a united front against discrimination. I did not intend for my words to sow further division, for which I am sincerely apologetic,” she continued.
Margulies got fired up during the podcast interview when Ostroy mentioned the 2022 PBS documentary series, The U.S. and the Holocaust, about the United States’ response to the Holocaust.
“It should be mandatory watching, especially for the Black community, if I may, because Hitler got his entire playbook from the Jim Crow South,” she said.
The actress added, “The Nazis were watching how the Jim Crow South were treating slaves and said, ‘Oh, great call, let’s do that playbook. That’s what we’ll do to the Jews.’ Which is also why, in the Civil Rights Movement, the Jews were the ones that walked side by side with the Blacks to fight for their rights, because they know.”
Margulies, who is Jewish, criticized Black and queer people for supporting Palestinians as the war in the Middle East rages on.
“Where’s the history lesson in that? Who’s teaching these kids?” she asked. “Because the fact that the entire Black community isn’t standing with us, to me, says either they just don’t know, or they’ve been brainwashed to hate Jews.”
The actress expressed particular anger over people who are Black and queer, that haven’t voiced support for Israel.
“As someone who plays a lesbian journalist on The Morning Show,” she said, “I am more offended by it as a lesbian than I am as a Jew. Because I wanna say to them: ‘You f—ing idiots. You don’t exist. You’re even lower than the Jews. A, you’re Black, and B, you’re gay. And you’re turning your back against the people who support you? Because Jews, they rally around everybody.’”
She reminded Ostroy that gay people in some countries are put to death.
“If they stepped foot in an Islamic country,” she said, “it’s those people that will be the first people beheaded and their heads played with … like a soccer ball on the field. … And that’s who they’re supporting? Terrorists who don’t want women to have their rights. LGBTQ people get executed. Bar none, you’re dead.”
Margulies noted that she’s been a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I’m the first person to march [for] Black Lives Matter. When that happened to George Floyd, I put a black screen on my Instagram. Like, I ran to support my Black brothers and sisters,” she said.
