Hollywood Talent Agent Apologizes for ‘Kill Them All’ Text Message After Murder of Six Israeli Hostages
A combination picture shows undated handout images of hostages Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, and Almog Sarusi, who were kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks, and whose bodies have been found underground in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip and returned to Israel, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Photo: Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/Handout via REUTERS
An agent with the Hollywood talent agency WME apologized on Wednesday for an inflammatory comment he made in a group chat over the weekend after it was announced that the Israeli military recovered the bodies of six hostages who were kidnapped and executed by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
Brandt Joel — who represents Jason Momoa, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, and Kevin Hart, among others – said during a Zoom meeting with agents in WME’s motion picture department this week that he regrets saying “screw the left kill all” while commenting on the murder of the six hostages in an unofficial WME, pro-Israel, and Jewish affinity WhatsApp group chat, a source told The Wrap. The insider added that Joel also said when he wrote the text, which he deleted minutes later, he was broken-hearted about the murdered hostages, but also emotional and irrational due in part to the fact that his son was in Israel last year.
Joel — whose clients also include Ted Danson, Matt LeBlanc, and Justin Timberlake – said he deleted the comment from the group chat when he realized he had gone too far, the insider noted. The talent agent additionally clarified that his “kill all” comment referred only to the Hamas terrorist organization and said he has spoken with WME leaders about his actions. Joel told his colleagues he will get counseling to help with his impulsive behavior, a source with knowledge of the matter told The Hollywood Reporter.
Joel’s client Mahershala Ali has already been reassigned to a different WME agent following the controversy surrounding the “kill all” text, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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