Mayim Bialik Is Disappointed Oscars Attendees Did Not Wear Ribbon Demanding the Return of Israeli Hostages
Mayim Bialik is disappointed that Oscars attendees did not wear a yellow ribbon demanding the return of Israeli hostages, she wrote in a Friday Instagram post.
The “Big Bang Theory” star and former “Jeopardy!” host said she has “opinions about a lot of things that went down at the Oscars,” but the one she was willing to share is that “every single human being” should have been calling for the hostages’ release by terrorist group Hamas.
Mark Ruffalo, Billie Eilish and Ava DuVernay, meanwhile, were among the talent on Sunday’s red carpet wearing a red pin calling for an Israel-Hamas cease-fire, a move that came after more than 400 entertainers signed Artists4Ceasefire’s open letter to President Joe Biden similarly calling for the administration to “honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza and the safe release of hostages.”
The actress also shared that her opinions included thoughts on not just the red carpet but events that took place on stage. “Zone of Interest” director Jonathan Glazer has notably faced significant pushback for his comments as he accepted the film’s Oscar in which he stated that he and others on stage refuted their “Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.” That includes public disagreement from one of the film’s executive producers, Danny Cohen.
Bialik’s post read in full, “Of course I have opinions about a lot of things that went down at the Oscars both on the red carpet and on the stage, but here’s what I’m going to say: I sure wish every single human being at the Oscars would have worn a yellow ribbon to show support for Hamas immediately returning the hostages who have been held since they were seized from their homes on October 7 — including American citizens. The cease-fire offer on the table demands the return of captive women, elderly and the injured. It has been rejected by Hamas.”
The actress captioned the post with the hashtag #BringThemHome.
Bialik’s public call-out of artists who were not visibly and publicly calling for the release of hostages at the Oscars came after months of the entertainer being quite vocal on social media following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, targeting antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiments.
In one such instance, she recorded herself emotionally reciting the final text messages of Israeli victims during the Hamas attacks. She’s faced criticism for some of her responses, including for one where she recorded herself laughing at comedian Dan Ahdoot’s routine about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Two months after the attack, Bialik was fired as the rotating host of “Jeopardy!” alongside Ken Jennings.
“Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of ‘Jeopardy!’” she wrote in the Dec. 15 announcement. “I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the ‘Jeopardy!’ family.”
An individual with knowledge told TheWrap at the time that while Sony did not provide a specific reason for Bialik’s firing, the timing of the decision points to her social media activity being a contributing factor given that she was still under contract to host the show.
A second individual with knowledge of the decision said Bialik’s social media content had “absolutely” nothing to do with her exit.
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