- Aaron Sorkin fired Maha Dakhil over her comments on the Hamas attack
- Social Network’s screenwriter said Dakhil ‘isn’t an anti-Semite, she’s just wrong’
- He plans to return to rival talent agency WME, despite Dakhil’s apology
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has fired and condemned his CAA talent agent after she shared a post on Instagram calling Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Gaza “genocide.”
The writer of The Social Network and The West Wing has dumped fellow film division chief Maha Dakhil following her comments on social media in the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel.
Sorkin said Dakhil “is not an anti-Semite, she is simply wrong” about her post.
Dakhil, who also represents the likes of Tom Cruise, Reese Witherspoon and Natalie Portman, posted an image last week from a pro-Palestine account that read: “You are currently learning who supports genocide.”
She added her own caption: “What could be more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening.”
After coming under fire, Dakhil deleted the post, apologized for the comments, resigned from CAA’s internal board and stepped down from her role.
Writer Aaron Sorkin dumped CAA talent agent Maha Dakhil over comments in which she called Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Gaza ‘genocide’
Dakhil apologized for the post, deleted it and resigned from her role on the internal board of Creative Artists Agency after sharing an inflammatory post about the war between Israel and Hamas.
It wasn’t enough for Sorkin, who fired Dakhil and announced he will return to rival agency WME.
He told the Hollywood reporter: ‘Maha is not an anti-Semite, she is just wrong. She is a great realtor and I am very proud of the work we have done together over the past six years. I’m excited to return to WME.”
Sorkin is known for his shows that portray an idolized version of politics and current events, often with a heavy liberal slant. He has been with CAA since 2017 after dumping WME.
CAA was one of several Hollywood agencies to issue a statement in solidarity with Israel in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 people.
Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Gaza have killed more than 3,000 people, according to the Health Ministry.
In her apology, she said: “I made a mistake with a repost on my Instagram Story that used offensive language.
“Like so many of us, I have been plagued by heartbreak. I am proud to be on the side of humanity and peace.
‘I am so grateful to Jewish friends and colleagues who pointed out the implications and informed me further. I immediately deleted the repost. I’m sorry for the pain I caused.’
Dakhil represents a host of big names, including actress Natalie Portman, who is Jewish
Dakhil has resigned from CAA’s internal board, but continues to work with her clients, including Madonna
The talent agent also works with Tom Cruise and Reese Witherspoon
Amid the anger, Dakhil reportedly tried to organize a meeting with some of her Jewish colleagues to provide further explanations and apologize, but several colleagues were so enraged that they refused to attend, a source told The Ankler.
Dakhil again responded to her comments on Instagram, saying, “Word choice matters. Dialogue has a healing effect. As each unbearable day passes, I listen and learn more from my friends. Thank you.’
“I include all our families in my prayers… I mourn for all those who are suffering right now. I continue to mourn all the innocent lives. My mission is peace.’
Dakhil also works as an agent for Madonna, Anne Hathaway and Steven Spielberg, and signed former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground.