A boss at the giant talent agency that represents Meghan Markle reportedly reacted with fury when Hamas murdered six Israeli hostages, declaring: “To hell with the left, kill them all.”
Brandt Joel, a senior executive at WME, wrote the message in a pro-Israel WhatsApp group over the weekend.
But Mr Joel deleted the message minutes later in a chat that apparently also included WME CEO Ari Emanuel, the powerful Hollywood agent who personally represents the Duchess of Sussex.
Mr. Joel’s clients include Matthew McConaughey, Jason Momoa, Kevin Hart, Hugh Laurie, Mahershala Ali, Jonah Hill, John Malkovich, Ted Danson, Matt LeBlanc and Justin Timberlake.
The billionaire agent reacted angrily to a White House statement shared by the group confirming that all six Israeli hostages held in Gaza were dead.
Several colleagues called the news “heartbreaking” and “sad” before Joel declared: “To hell with the left, kill them all.”
Renée Zellweger and her agent Brandt Joel during the 2005 Venice Film Festival. Joel is at the centre of controversy over a series of WhatsApp messages
Brandt Joel, a senior WME executive, reportedly wrote this message in a pro-Israel work WhatsApp group over the weekend, but later deleted it.
WME Super Agent Ari Emanuel Represents Meghan Markle
Several colleagues were upset by the message and took a screenshot before sharing it with the media.
A source told The Wrap: “Everyone was texting each other wondering what was wrong.”
A source close to WME claims Joel has previously criticized the agency for not firing some clients.
The source told TheWrap they believed he was referring to clients who expressed support for Hamas.
He wrote: “We have been weak, every department has clients that we should have fired and we didn’t and that shows we are weak and have tolerated abhorrent behavior.”
WME declined to comment. MailOnline has asked the Duchess of Sussex for comment.
Meghan joined WME last year as part of what insiders said was a major relaunch following negative publicity over Prince Harry’s book Spare and attacks on the royals in his Netflix documentary.
He also appears to have been highly critical of WME’s failure to fire some clients.
Her agent Ari Emanuel is a key figure in the fashion industry and his wife Sarah Staudinger is the founder and designer of the luxury brand Staud, which Meghan adores.
Mr Emanuel is the boss of talent agency WME, which represents the Sussexes’ friends Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, and is said to be “the best in the business” when it comes to “corporate deals and making money”.
Ari is also “super connected” in the Middle East and considers Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a good friend.
“More and more people see Harry as a deer caught in the headlights and she’s the one driving. Ari Emanuel is going to fix that. There’s finally an adult in the room,” said one PR expert when the alliance with Meghan was announced last year.
During the pandemic, WME (owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship) created a “bubble” on an island off the coast of the Emirates, called “Fight Island,” and continued to host televised fights that generated millions through television rights and pay-per-view streaming.
“Hollywood came to a standstill and no one was making money, but Ari figured out a way to make millions, even during Covid,” a source said.
She will certainly be careful to avoid any pitfalls if she decides to link “Meghan Inc.” to her wealthy Arab clients.
The Duchess was criticised for wearing chandelier earrings shaped like “blood diamonds” given to her on her wedding day by Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the man whose regime was responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
At the time, her lawyers, Schillings, issued a strongly worded statement defending the duchess, insisting she had no idea of Prince Mohammed’s alleged involvement in the murder.
The source said: ‘Ari won’t make those kinds of mistakes. He’s very connected, tough and brilliant.
“Meghan is lucky to have him on her team. If Ari can’t turn her into a global brand, no one else can.”
WME also represents Meghan’s close friends Oprah Winfrey, Wimbledon champion Serena Williams and filmmaker Tyler Perry.
It was Perry who lent the Sussexes his Hollywood mansion when they arrived in Los Angeles after Megxit and is godfather to their daughter Lilibet.
But Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand has yet to put a single product on sale five months after its glitzy Instagram launch, prompting concerns from experts about its future.
American Riviera Orchard, which plans to sell kitchenware, jams and jellies, has so far only shared some of its products with famous friends.
Pictured: Meghan Markle speaking on stage at the Archewell Foundation Parents Summit in October.
Meghan had sought to trademark the name of her service, American Riviera Orchard, for international use ahead of a full-scale launch next year.
The brand’s Instagram page and website also remain empty and there is still no option for customers to purchase products.
Visitors are greeted by a logo and brand name displayed in gold in front of a faded background.
“If I were an investor, I would have serious concerns,” said Matt Yanofsky, a public relations and brand marketing expert. The times.
“If I were an investor, I would say, ‘You need to find a CEO with a straightforward business plan that shows profitability, or at least a revenue plan within the next 60 to 90 days.'”
“Otherwise, I will withdraw my money.”