The United Talent Agency announced Wednesday that it’s scrapping its Oscars party in protest of President Donald Trump’s immigration ban.
Instead, the company will donate $250,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union and the International Rescue Committee, and it’ll host a rally supporting immigration, per Variety.
UTA’s protest rally will “express the creative community’s growing concern with anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States,” according to a statement provided to the outlet.
The change of plans comes after an executive order signed by Trump late last month preventing refugees and individuals from seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the U.S. All signs point to an upcoming showdown in the country’s top courts.
The agency, one of Hollywood’s most popular, represents hundreds of celebrities including Angelina Jolie, Harrison Ford, Judd Apatow, Amy Schumer ― and Oscar-nominated director Asghar Farhadi, an Iranian. Last year, UTA reportedly hosted an Oscars pre-party at the home of its chairman Jim Berkus for nominated clients and industry professionals. But in light of Trump’s actions and in consideration of Farhadi ― who won’t be attending the ceremony because Iran is one of the countries the ban includes ― UTA decided to do things differently.
Celebrities across the industry initially reacted to Trump’s order with anger and harsh words of criticism, and it was a hot topic at the Screen Actors Guild Awards days later.
At the Golden Globes in early January, weeks before the ban, Meryl Streep spoke to the industry’s longtime acceptance of actors, directors, producers and writers from a variety of backgrounds.
“You and all of us in this room, really, belong to the most vilified segments in American society right now. Think about it. Hollywood, foreigners, and the press,” Streep said. “But who are we? And, you know, what is Hollywood anyway? It’s just a bunch of people from other places.”
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