Jennifer Lawrence sparked uproar from fans as she publicly revealed her political stance amid the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian war this week.
The Oscar-winning actress, 35, spoke out in support of Palestine two years after the October 7 attacks, and said what is happening in Gaza ‘is no less than a genocide.’
Appearing at the San Sebastian Film Festival press conference on Friday to promote new movie, Die My Love, Lawrence said of Palestine: ‘I’m terrified and it’s mortifying.
‘What’s happening is no less than a genocide and it’s unacceptable, I’m terrified for my children, for all of our children.’
Lawrence also lashed out about the ‘disrespect and discourse’ in American politics, adding: ‘I mean, the kids who are voting right now at 18, it’s going to be totally normal to them that politics has no integrity.
‘Politicians lie, there is no empathy. And everybody needs to remember that when you ignore what’s happening on one side of the world, it won’t be long until it’s on your side as well.
Jennifer Lawrence sparked uproar from fans as she publicly revealed her political stance amid the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian war this week
The Oscar-winning actress, 35, spoke out in support of Palestine two years after the October 7 attacks, and said what is happening in Gaza ‘is no less than a genocide’
Lawrence’s comments were slammed by fans online after she previously praised her friend, actress and comedian Amy Schumer, for choosing to speak up in support of Israel amid the conflict – pictured together 2021
‘I wish that there was something I could say, something that I could do to fix this extremely complex and disgraceful situation. It breaks my heart.’
The star said she feared in ‘speaking out too much’ or ‘answering too many of these questions’ that ‘my words will just be used to add more fire and rhetoric to something that is in the hands of our elected officials.
‘I just want people to stay focused on who is responsible and the things that they can do and when they need to show up and vote, and not let the actors and the artists who are trying to express freedom of art, freedom of speech take the heat for the individuals that are actually responsible.’
Lawrence’s comments were slammed by fans online after she previously praised her friend, actress and comedian Amy Schumer, for choosing to speak up in support of Israel amid the conflict.
Schumer was forced to disable her Instagram comments in November 2023 after posting in support of Israel following Hamas’ deadly attack on October 7, after which Israel retaliated with airstrikes on Gaza, prompting protestors to call for a cease-fire.
Her posts received a slew of harsh comments critiquing her views, her looks, and weight.
After sharing a number of videos that explained what a ceasefire would mean for Israel, she turned off comments on the posts.
She later shared a note reading: ”Couple things. What I want is EVERY HOSTAGE BACK I want safety and freedom from Hamas for Palestinians and Israelis. I want safety for Jewish people and Muslims as well. Everyone. Just like you. I want peace.’
Smoke rises from ongoing strikes as Palestinians, carrying their belongings by vehicle or on their backs, continue to flee toward southern Gaza via al-Rashid Street after intensified Israeli attacks and ground operation amid forced evacuation orders in Gaza City on September 26
Appearing at the San Sebastian Film Festival press conference on Friday to promote new movie, Die My Love, Lawrence said of Palestine: ‘I’m terrified and it’s mortifying. ‘What’s happening is no less than a genocide and it’s unacceptable, I’m terrified for my children’
The October 7 attack by Hamas left 1,400 Israelis murdered and over 200 kidnapped – pictured the Supernova Music Festival site where the attacks happened
Fans erupted on social media and claimed Lawrence had performed a ‘back track’ after supporting Schumer last year – as well as lambasting the star for taking years to comment on the conflict
Others defended the ‘hero’ star for publicly speaking out
‘You will never see me wishing harm on anyone. Saying I’m Islamophobic or that I like genocide is crazy. So here you go by popular demand. Comments on. Please keep the below in mind.
In April 2024 Lawrence had high words of praise for Schumer, and her mettle in facing personal attacks for her activism.
‘Amy’s choice to use her voice to speak for justice puts her under immense fire,’ the Academy Award-winning actress told Variety as part of a profile on Schumer.
Lawrence continued: ‘I wouldn’t say she navigates it so much as she throws her middle fingers up and walks away from negative comments like a gas station fire in a Michael Bay movie.’
Fans erupted on social media and claimed Lawrence had performed a ‘back track’ after supporting Schumer last year – as well as lambasting the star for taking years to comment on the conflict.
One wrote: ‘Hmmm looks like a bit of a back track! Wonder what changed? Definitely hasn’t done the right thing from the start, and we knew people would try to act like they have been on the right side of history once the tide turned.’
Schumer faced huge backlash over her Israeli-Palestinian conflict remarks; seen in March 2023
She spoke about feeling ‘ashamed’ of her Jewish identity during her younger years and how she had to ‘laugh along’ with hurtful jokes to fit in
Others typed: ‘Let’s hold off on deifying celebrities that have waited so long to come to reality. Stop putting these people on a pedestal. Has the last decade not shown us that these people are as brain dead as anyone else. Their celebrity means nothing. I’m glad they have a platform to speak about Gaza, but come on guys. Don’t fall back into old habits or celebrity worship.
‘Oh now she wants to change her tune? After two years?! What was she doing defending Amy Schumer when people were angry at her for defending the settler-colonialist genocidal entity?
‘Isn’t she best friends with Amy Schumer… I’m sure I remember her defending Amy schumer’s stance on Gaza
‘No, she is NOT a hero. She was defending Amy schumer and kept silence until now. If she is not being asked about Palestinians children in that interview, she won’t utter this kind statement and kept silence in Genocide, which is complicity in it itself.
‘Hey remember when she was supporting Amy Schumer? Yeah, Jennifer, sit down.
Others defended the ‘hero’ Hunger Games actress for her comments, saying: ‘Jennifer Lawrence spoke truth with courage, naming Gaza a genocide and exposing the moral collapse of U.S. politics. Her fear reflects millions: silence feeds oppression. She reminds us responsibility lies with leaders, not artists, and justice ignored abroad will reach home soon
‘She’s absolutely right and I would love to see other celebrities with big platforms to speak up about this issue too
‘THANK YOU JENNIFER YOU ARE A HERO!’
Last year Schumer told Variety about an instance in March in which she was verbally abused, months after stating her support for Israel following Hamas‘ October 7 attack on a music festival, triggering the ongoing heightened conflict in the Middle East.
Schumer said she was in Brooklyn near the subway, working on an upcoming film titled Kinda Pregnant, when a passerby yelled at her, ‘F*** you, Amy Schumer! You’re a Zionist! You love genocide!’
The Trainwreck actress, who has past turned off her social media comments amid vitriolic remarks, said that she’s gotten used to it at this point.
‘It didn’t even raise my heart rate,’ Schumer said of the incident on the set. ‘I didn’t cry. Nothing.’
Schumer said that she ‘can’t help’ herself in making remarks that could generate controversy and a backlash against her.
‘A lot of people can help it, but I’ve never been able to,’ she told the outlet. ‘But I also want to be helpful. Do you know what I mean?’
In a later post the comedian shared a note announcing she was opening up her comments section and ‘accepting love and feedback’
Schumer wrapped up the post writing, ‘We are all in a lot of pain. What hurts the most is that we all actually love each other. You hate Jews. You don’t know why. I still love you’
In the chat with Variety, Schumer said she found inconsistencies with the public’s perception of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
‘The focus is so razor-sharp on Jewish people but not on Hamas,’ she said. ‘It’s very strange.
‘So I’d recommend people read a book – Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth by Noa Tishby. Or anything – Jewish people wrote everything down.’
