CAA agent Maha Dakhil, who represents a number of heavyweight clients including Tom Cruise, Natalie Portman, and Madonna, has issued an apology after sharing a series of posts on the topic of the conflict in Israel that many read as antisemitic.
“I made a mistake with a repost in my Instagram story, which used hurtful language. Like so many of us, I have been reeling with heartbreak. I pride myself on being on the side of humanity and peace,” Dakhil said in a statement provided to TheWrap.
“I’m so grateful to Jewish friends and colleagues who pointed out the implications and further educated me. I immediately took the repost down. I’m sorry for the pain I have caused,” Dakhil concluded.
On Wednesday night, Dakhil reposted a statement from the Instagram account Free Palestine. The post, which was written in response to Israel’s military response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, read “You’re currently learning who supports genocide.”
Dakhil added her own caption in her Story and wrote, “That’s the line for me.” She also shared a second post that read, “What’s more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening.” Both posts were eventually deleted from her account.
Variety, which first reported the apology, also reports the agent shared a third post on Wednesday that addressed the two preceding. She wrote, “Dialogue is healing. As each excruciating day passes, I’m listening and learning more from my friends. Thank you. I’m holding all our families in my prayers…I am grieving for everyone who is suffering right now. I continue to mourn all innocent lives. My mission is peace.” It appears that the post has also been deleted.
On Sunday, Dakhil published a lengthy post in which she wrote in part, “My heart is broken. Your heart is broken. I put my arms around all our pain. I cry for the innocent Israeli hostages who may never go home. I cry for the Palestinian children who pay the price with their sweet lives.”
“Everyone deserves to be safe. Everyone deserves to be free. Do we agree? If so, then we are on the same side,” she added.
Sources familiar with CAA reported that no one at the agency lodged an official complaint against Dakhil about her posts. CAA representatives didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.
Dakhil has worked at the agency for 18 years and is currently the Co-Head of the Motion Picture Group and Co-Head of the agency’s International Film Group. She is also a founding member of Time’s Up.
