Julianna Margulies apologizes for claiming Black people were ‘brainwashed to hate Jews’

Actress Julianna Margulies apologized Friday for recently claiming Black people were “brainwashed to hate Jews.”

“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,” Margulies said in a statement to Deadline. 

“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,” Margulies continued. “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.”

On the The Back Room with Andy Ostroy podcast last Monday, Margulies claimed that Black people have been “brainwashed to hate Jews” and that a Black lesbian club at Columbia University put signs up saying “No Jews allowed.” She and Ostoy discussed antisemitism and the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“A, you’re black and B, you’re gay,” Margulies said. “And you’re turning your back against the people who support you?”

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Margulies’s apology follows similar remarks from fellow actress Susan Sarandon, who said she ‘regrets diminishing’ the history of antisemitism during remarks at a recent pro-Palestinian rally.

“Recently, I attended a rally alongside a diverse group of activists seeking to highlight the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza and call for a ceasefire,” Sarandon wrote in a post on Instagram. “I had not planned to speak, but was invited to take the stage and say a few words.”

The Hollywood star was caught on video last month claiming that lots of people are “afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often objected to violence” during a protest in New York City related to the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.