Jamie Lee Curtis faces backlash for ‘atrocious comparison’ of Palisades fire to Gaza
The Oscar-winning actor recently donated $1 million to a fire relief fund to support Los Angeles amid raging wildfires
Jamie Lee Curtis is being condemned for likening the devastating wildfires currently ravaging the Los Angeles area to the ongoing war in Gaza.
A clip of the 66-year-old Oscar-winning actor making the remarks at a recent Q&A with her The Last Showgirl co-star Pamela Anderson for the new drama has gone viral.
“I am born and raised in the City of Angels. And the entire City of Angels is on fire, everywhere. The entire city of the Pacific Palisades is gone,” the Freaky Friday star says.
“I mean literally my neighborhood — gone. My house tonight is still there but I live in a different canyon. But the entire Pacific Palisades looks like, unfortunately, Gaza, or one of these war-torn countries where awful things have happened,” adds Curtis, who yesterday announced a $1 million donation in relief funds to support Los Angeles amid the destructive blazes.
Follow live updates on the California fires here
“And there are now fires breaking out everywhere. So it feels totally bizarre to be talking about a movie, and yet it’s a piece of art, and art will save us no matter what.”
On X/Twitter, numerous people blasted the Everything Everywhere All At Once star for comparing the wealthy LA enclave to war-torn Gaza.
“This is a completely atrocious comparison,” one wrote.
“I live in california and you would never find me comparing these fires to gaza…both tragedies but not comparable AT ALL,” wrote a second.
A third person criticized “the flippant way people talk about Gaza,” writing: “As if it wasn’t a real tragedy until those scenes started being reflected in their gated communities. It’s gross.”
“Why would she say that,” a fourth asked, while someone added: “Both tragedies but not comparable AT ALL.”
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“This comparison is inappropriate and lacks sensitivity to the actual experiences of those living in war-torn regions,” another replied.
Some were more understanding of the actor’s intent, with one arguing: “I see what Jamie Lee Curtis is saying, and honestly, I kind of get it, the fires are devastating, and sometimes you need a big comparison to really drive the point home. Sure, mentioning Gaza might stir some debate, but I think her heart’s in the right place, she’s just trying to get people to realize how bad things really are.”
“Wasn’t she the same person who posted a picture of Gazan children ducking in fear of bombs and captioned it ‘Israeli children’ then deleted it when she realized they were Palestinian?” another asked, in reference to Curtis’s 2023 Instagram mishap, in which she mistakenly posted a photo of Gazan children fleeing launched missiles to express her support of Israeli victims.
At the time, the Halloween actor addressed her “error” in a statement, saying: “I took down the post when I realized my error. The other post is a Guy Oseary repost. It’s an awful situation for all the innocent people in the line of fire.”
The Independent has contacted Curtis’s representative for comment.