In an unofficial Jewish affinity group showing solidarity with Israel, WME’s Nancy Josephson and Katie Slater, among others, remarked on the tragedy of the murders.
Per screenshots obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Joel then texted in response to the news, “Screw the left kill all.” He deleted the message a few minutes later.
Joel told the group this week that he wanted to address what had happened, expressed remorse for what he had done, said he deeply regretted it and holds himself responsible.
He said he did this in an emotional and irrational moment when he was heartbroken at the news about the hostages.
Though his original brief message lacked clarity, Joel noted his text was directed at Hamas, the terrorist organization.
Joel apologized for a lack of judgment, said he had created a big distraction and put a target on the group.
In the aftermath of the text’s fallout, Mahershala Ali has been reassigned and may be leaving the agency.
The agent also represents Justin Timberlake, Jason Momoa and Matthew McConaughey.
Nobody took a stand on this chat that I’m aware of except Richard and addressed it.
Thankfully there are very few outliers yet we have not fired one and it’s shameful.”
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that WME’s Brandt Joel met via Zoom with representatives from the motion picture and talent departments to offer an explanation and apology for the comment he made on an unofficial WME WhatsApp group chat that he later deleted.
After news broke on Sunday that Israel’s military had recovered the bodies of six hostages killed by Hamas militants in Gaza, Joel’s incendiary text went viral and thrust him into the spotlight.
WME’s Nancy Josephson and Katie Slater, among others, commented on the tragedy of the killings in an unofficial Jewish affinity group demonstrating support for Israel. Joel then texted in reaction to the news, “Screw the left kill all,” according to screenshots that The Hollywood Reporter was able to obtain. After a few minutes, he removed the message.
Joel said to the group this week that he wanted to talk about what had happened, that he held himself accountable, and that he sincerely regretted what he had done. He claimed that after learning about the hostages, he became extremely upset and acted irrationally. He removed it when it became apparent that he had crossed a boundary.
Joel pointed out that his text was addressed to the terrorist group Hamas, despite the fact that his initial message was not very clear.
Joel said he had caused a major distraction, expressed regret for his lack of judgment, and made the group his target. As per the source, he expressed his love for the company and his coworkers and mentioned that he would seek out alternative perspectives and counseling to deal with his impulsive behavior.
Mahershala Ali may be leaving the agency after being reassigned due to the backlash against the text. Matthew McConaughey, Jason Momoa, and Justin Timberlake are also represented by the agent.
Joel has a history of sending polarizing texts in the group chat, according to a source who spoke with THR last weekend. In one such text, Joel claimed that WME had been “weak” to its clients for speaking out against the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Joel texted, “Every department has clients we should have fired and we didn’t and it shows we are weak and we have tolerated abhorrent behavior.” It’s unclear, though, which clients Joel was specifically referring to, or what behavior he considered “abhorrent.”. “.
Joel went on, “This is all polyanna crap.”. With the exception of Richard, no one else that I know of addressed this conversation. While we have not terminated any employee, it is regrettable that there are thankfully very few exceptions. “.
