Brandt Joel, a senior partner at William Morris Endeavor (WME), sent a violent message "Screw the left kill all" in a Whatsapp group of WME employees supporting Israel. This message is not only a direct violation of WME’s own code of conduct, it exposes the culture of hate and violence at the root of the entertainment industry.
WME executives, Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell have yet to address Joel's comments and explain how they will prevent this behavior from happening in the future. This is unsurprising considering WME’s role in perpetuating Israel’s propaganda, including representing Keshet International, one of Israel’s most powerful propaganda tools. By protecting an individual who made violent and hateful statements, WME is fostering a toxic culture — one that influences the entertainment industry and, ultimately, the media we consume. We reject that influence.
Sign the petition to WME to demand they address Brandt Joel's violent rhetoric!
Ari Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor
Patrick Whitesell, Executive Chairman of Endeavor,
We, the undersigned, demand that William Morris Endeavor (WME) take immediate action to address senior partner Brandt Joel's hateful and violent messages in a Whatsapp groupchat of pro-Israel WME employees. One message, which read "Screw the left kill all" is unacceptable and a direct violation of WME’s own code of conduct. Failing to address how this will be prevented in the future fosters a culture of violence within the agency and signals to the public that WME condones this kind of behavior. This is especially alarming given that WME is one of the most powerful talent agencies shaping the entertainment industry which risks this violent sentiment being reflected in the culture WME projects onto mainstream media.
WME’s Code of Conduct prohibits threats, intimidation, and any form of workplace violence. On pages 44-45 of the Endeavor Employee Handbook, workplace violence is defined as:
“Threats of any kind, Threatening, physically aggressive or violent behavior, such as intimidation of or attempts to instill fear in others, Other behavior that suggests a propensity toward violence, which can include belligerent speech.” Brandt Joel’s statement to “kill them all” undoubtedly falls under this definition. According to the Handbook, corrective measures should be taken. We demand WME publicly address Joel's violent rhetoric!
Patrick Whitesell himself said, “You can have all the right strategies in the world; if you don’t have the right culture, you’re dead.” Is stating that an entire group of people should be killed the “right” culture according to WME? We have no other option but to believe that, since WME still has yet to publicly address Brandt Joel's message. By protecting an individual who made violent and hateful statements, WME is fostering a toxic culture — one that influences the entertainment industry and, ultimately, the media we consume. We reject that influence.
We call on WME to immediately address Brandt Joel's violent message and explain how they will prevent this from happening in the future! No employee should be above accountability. If WME fails to act, it will enforce the precedent that hate speech and violent rhetoric have a place in Hollywood’s most powerful talent agency.