Penelope Cruz Blacklisted? Producers Steaming Over ‘Israeli Genocide’ Comments

Penelope Cruz blacklisted?

That would appear to be the case for some Hollywood producers, who’ve worked with the actress in the past. While the majority spoke under cover of anonymity, many were said to be “furious” with Cruz and husband Javier Bardem over their statement on “the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli occupation army,” Yahoo! UK reported.

Cruz and Bardem, along with director Pedro Almodovar, signed an open letter accusing Israel of “advancing on Palestinian territories instead of withdrawing to the 1967 borders,” adding that “Gaza is living through horror… while the international community does nothing.”

More from the Yahoo! UK report:

“Relativity Media chief executive Ryan Kavanaugh was the only studio head willing to go public with his views: ‘As the grandson of Holocaust survivors, I know that anyone calling what’s going on in Israel ‘genocide’ vs. self-defense is either ignorant and shouldn’t be commenting or is truly anti-Semitic.’

“However, Kavanaugh doesn’t believe the letter will harm either of the actors’ careers as long as their films are box office hits.

“As one film producer explained: ‘I think the thing any executive or producer will try to calculate before working with Penelope Cruz or Javier Bardem in the near future is what their value is in the all-important international marketplace. And what territories they might have alienated people in by what they said. It might not be that many. But it’s really all about business.’

In a report at the end of July from The Inquisitr, Penelope Cruz tried a bit of damage control regarding the strong tone of the open letter she and Bardem signed.

“I don’t want to be misunderstood on this important subject,” she said. “I’m not an expert on the situation, and I’m aware of the complexity of it. My only wish and intention in signing that group letter is the hope that there will be peace in both Israel and Gaza. I am hopeful all parties can agree to a cease fire and there are no more innocent victims on either side of the border. I wish for unity, and peace.”

With the new reports surrounding her possible blacklisting, that statement apparently didn’t do the trick.

Stars do have a history of speaking out on issues before having even a rudimentary understanding of what’s going on. Do you think that’s what is going on here, or is Hollywood justified if it follows through with the idea that Penelope Cruz should be blacklisted? Share your thoughts below.

[Image via cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com]