Tom Cruise Supports Agent Maha Dakhil After Controversy Over Palestine Social Media Posts
Tom Cruise showed support for his agent Maha Dakhil after she faced backlash and was made to step away from her leadership roles at talent agency CAA because she reposted Instagram Stories in support of Palestine. Despite the controversy, Tom Cruise publicly backed her, leading to her being allowed to remain an agent at the agency.
As per a report by Variety, Maha Dakhil, co-chief of the motion pictures department at CAA, was relieved of her leadership roles but was able to stay on as an agent after Tom Cruise made his support for her known to the agency.
Tom Cruise met with Maha Dakhil in person at her CAA office on November 15 to show support amid the controversy and backlash over her social media posts. A source told the portal that Tom “took the rare step of going in person to show support for his embattled agent.”
Maha Dakhil faced internal and external backlash after she posted Instagram stories supporting Palestine, including one that read, “What’s more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening.”
After facing criticism, Maha Dakhil deleted the images and issued a public apology. “I made a mistake with a repost in my Instagram Story, which used hurtful language. Like so many of us, I have been reeling with heartbreak. I pride myself on being on the side of humanity and peace,” she said in a statement to Variety in October.
Maha Dakhil is not the only one in Hollywood to divide opinions amidst the Israel-Hamas war. The Hollywood talent agency UTA dropped Susan Sarandon as a client after she spoke at a pro-Palestine rally, drawing criticism for her comments at the event.
In the midst of the controversy and backlash, Tom Cruise’s public support for Maha Dakhil showcases the impact of celebrities taking a stand on social and political issues. This incident has further ignited discussions about the boundaries of expressing opinions on social media, especially for those in the public eye.