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Sony hacking: Natalie Portman reluctantly embroiled in lengthy email exchange about anti-Semitism and Gaza

The actress refused to be drawn into the debate

Ella Alexander
Wednesday 24 December 2014 11:21 GMT
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Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Seacrest were among a select few to receive emails from Relativity Media CEO and The Social Network executive producer Ryan Kavanaugh about anti-Semitism in relation to the Gaza conflict.

The dialogue is the latest of emails to leaked by Sony hackers, who have published numerous cyber exchanges over the last week. The hacking culminated in Sony axing Seth Rogen film The Interview after threats, although it has now been decided that the comedy about Kim Jong Un will be screened in select cinemas after all.

“The problem is that Moore's law is kicking in,” Kavanaugh wrote in an email to Canadian Bacon producer Ron Rotholz, as reported by Gawker.

“Before the summer 50 per cent of college students supported israel, today less the 25 per cent do. There are hate crimes against heed happening in almost every major metropolitan city, now including the US.

“We have let this happen. And it's our job to keep another Hollacast [sic] from happening. Many of you may think that can't happen, that is extreme. My Grandmother told me over and over again remember no one believed it could happen and everyone thought the government would not allow it to. It took 5 years before the us stepped in, and 12 million dead.

“If you pull newspapers from pre Hollacast [sic] it seems eerily close to our world today.”

Portman, Johansson and, naturally, Seacrest, were cc’d into multiple emails about the subject, to the point Portman gets riled.

“You should not be copying me publicly so that 20 people I don't know have my personal info,” she wrote to Kavanaugh. “I will have to change my email address now.”

Kavanaugh is unrepentant.

“Sorry,” he replied. “You are right Jews being slaughtered for their beliefs and Cannes members calling for the boycott of anything Israel or Jewish is much much less important then your email address being shared with 20 of our peers who are trying to make a difference. my deepest apologies.” (Grimace emoji.)

The emails continue and Portman’s request ignored. She asks again to be removed from the chain asking, simply:

“How did I get on this list? Also Ryan Seacrest?”

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