Bardem Denounces “Genocide” on Emmys Red Carpet, Calls for Gaza Ceasefire

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 15, 2025 - Oscar-winner Javier Bardem used his 77th Primetime Emmy Awards red-carpet appearance to condemn what he called a “genocide” in Gaza and demand a commercial and diplomatic blockade of Israel to halt the violence.

Nut Graf: Bardem’s unexpected political statement, delivered while wearing a keffiyeh scarf, underscored growing solidarity among film industry professionals with Palestinian civilians. His remarks come amid a pledge by thousands of entertainment workers to boycott companies they deem complicit in human-rights abuses.

Red Carpet Protest

• Adorned with a keffiyeh, Bardem declared, “I stand here denouncing the genocide occurring in Gaza” and invoked the International Association of Genocide Scholars’ classification of the conflict as genocide.
• He urged, “Free Palestine,” and supported sanctions and a commercial blockade of Israel until hostilities end.

Industry Boycott Pledge

• More than 4,500 actors, directors and crew members have signed an open letter organized by Film Workers for Palestine, vowing not to work with film institutions they accuse of whitewashing or enabling genocide.
• Signatories include high-profile talents who argue that corporate partnerships can’t justify or fund atrocities against civilians.

Host Reactions and Ceremony Highlights

• The evening’s host, Nate Bargatze, and presenters largely avoided politics during the telecast at Peacock Theater, but Bardem’s statement set social media ablaze.
• Fellow nominee Hannah Einbinder echoed the call for Gaza’s civilians, punctuating her acceptance speech with “Free Palestine.”

Bardem, nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for his turn as José Menéndez in Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, did not win, but his activism dominated headlines.