Celebrities such as Olivia Wilde and Natalie Portman are taking a stand against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the Minneapolis shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, the second anti-ICE protester to be shot and killed this month.
During an appearance at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, Wilde — who was promoting her film “The Invite” — wore an “ICE OUT” pin during her red carpet appearance and shared her thoughts about the “appalling” circumstances.
“We’re all here getting to celebrate something really beautiful and hopeful in film storytelling,” she told Variety. “But the world is hurting right now, and this country is hurting. And it’s appalling.”
“I’m appalled and sickened,” Wilde continued. “We can’t go another day just sort of accepting this as our new norm. It’s outrageous. People are being murdered. And, I don’t want to normalize seeing people being murdered on the internet. On film. It’s. It’s hideous. And so if we can do anything out here to support the movement to cast ICE out, to delegitimize this unbelievably criminal organization, then that’s what we should be doing.”
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Wilde said it was “inspiring” to see the anti-ICE protests happening around the country.
“I think so many Americans are [speaking out]. I mean, you see the marches happening around the country. Americans are speaking up in huge numbers, and it’s dangerous to be a protester now and people are still going out to the streets, which is incredibly inspiring.”
People on social media were quick to give their two cents on Wilde’s remarks.
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“Stunning and brave,” one user wrote on X.
“I always knew you were an amazing woman,” another quipped.
Though others weren’t as supportive.
“Boycott her,” one social media user wrote on X.
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“Give it up, posers in Hollywood. Your virtue signaling isn’t working anymore,” another wrote.
Wilde wasn’t the only celebrity to speak out against ICE at the Park City, Utah-based festival.
Natalie Portman, who was promoting her film, “The Gallerist,” opened up about the “devastating” events unfolding in our country.
“This is such a joyful community celebrating film here and we’re so excited to be showing ‘The Gallerist,’ but we’re also at a moment in our country’s history that is quite devastating,” Portman told Variety. “It’s really impossible not to talk about what is happening right now and the brutality of ICE and how it has to stop immediately. But also, there’s a beautiful community that Americans are showing right now. They’re showing up for each other, protecting each other and fighting for their freedom. It’s a bittersweet moment to celebrate something we’re so proud of on the backdrop of our nation in pain.”
One night prior, a member of Congress was allegedly assaulted in a racially charged incident Friday evening while attending a Sundance party. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., wrote on X on Saturday: “Last night, I was assaulted by a man at Sundance Festival who told me that Trump was going to deport me before he punched me in the face.”
Frost added that the suspect “was heard screaming racist remarks as he drunkenly ran off.”
Park City Police community outreach lieutenant Danielle Snelson confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that officers responded to High West Saloon after midnight, responding to a report of an assault.
Law enforcement arrested Christian Young and determined that he “unlawfully entered a private party after previously being turned away for not having an invitation. Once inside the saloon, Young assaulted Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost and a female who was attending the private event.”
Earlier this month, several celebrities who attended the 83rd Golden Globes protested ICE just days after the fatal shooting of Renée Nicole Good.
Stars like Mark Ruffalo, Wanda Sykes, Jean Smart, Ariana Grande, Natasha Lyonne and others wore pins with slogans that read, “BE GOOD” and “ICE OUT.”
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“Of course, this is for the mother who was murdered by an ICE agent, and it’s really sad. I know people are out marching and all today, and we need to speak up,” Sykes told Variety on the red carpet prior to the show. “We need to be out there and shut this rogue government down, because it’s just awful what they’re doing to people.”
The “BE GOOD” pin “aims to honor Renée Macklin Good and Keith Porter while also reminding us what it means to be good to one another in the face of such horror — to be a good citizen, neighbor, friend, ally and human,” read the campaign’s official description, via People.
Golden Globes viewers quickly reacted on social media to the red carpet political protest.
“Such bravery,” one user wrote on X.
“Bravo to those with influence standing up for what’s right,” another wrote.
However, others criticized the display.
“They are so pathetic and a bunch of hypocrites,” one X user wrote.
“If Hollywood is against it, you know to support the opposite,” another added.
