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A boss at the behemoth talent agency representing Meghan Markle allegedly reacted with fury to Hamas murdering six Israeli hostages, declaring: ‘Screw the left kill all’.
Brandt Joel, a senior leader at WME, wrote the message on a pro-Israel work WhatsApp group over the weekend.
But Mr Joel deleted the message minutes later on a chat also apparently containing WME’s CEO Ari Emanuel, the Hollywood powerbroker who personally represents the Duchess of Sussex.
Mr Joel clients include Matthew McConaughey, Jason Momoa, Kevin Hart, Hugh Laurie, Mahershala Ali, Jonah Hill, John Malkovich, Ted Danson, Matt LeBlanc and Justin Timberlake.
The millionaire agent had reacted angrily to a White House statement shared on the group confirming the six Israeli hostages held in Gaza were dead.
Several colleagues said the news was ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘sad’ before Mr Joel declared: ‘Screw the left kill all’.
Renee Zellweger and agent Brandt Joel during 2005 Venice Film Festival. Mr Joel is at the centre of storm over a series of WhatsApps
Brandt Joel, a senior leader at WME, allegedly wrote this message on a pro-Israel work WhatsApp group over the weekend – but then deleted it
WME super agent Ari Emanuel represents Meghan Markle
A number of colleagues were upset by the message so took a screenshot before sharing it with the media.
One source told The Wrap: ‘Everyone [was] messaging each other asking what’s wrong with him.’
A WME insider claims that Mr Joel has previously slammed the agency for not firing some clients.
The source claimed told TheWrap that they believed he was referring to clients who expressed support for Hamas.
He wrote: ‘We have been weak every department has clients we should have fired and we didn’t and it shows we are weak and we have tolerated abhorrent behaviour.’
WME has declined to comment. MailOnline has asked the Duchess of Sussex to comment.
Meghan joined the WME stable last year as part of what experts claimed was a major relaunch following negative publicity due to Prince Harry’s book Spare and attacks on the royals in their Netflix documentary.
He has also apparently been very critical of WME’s failure to sack some clients
Her agent Ari Emanuel is a key player in the fashion industry and his wife Sarah Staudinger is the founder and designer of the luxury Staud brand, which Meghan loves.
Mr Emanuel is the chief of the talent agency WME, which represents the Sussexes’ friends Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, and is said to be ‘the best in the business’ when it comes to ‘corporate deals and making money’.
Ari is also ‘super connected’ in the Middle East and considers the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a good friend.
‘A growing number of people look at Harry as a deer caught in the headlights and she’s steering the car. Ari Emanuel is going to fix that. There’s finally an adult in the room’, one PR expert said when the tie-up with Meghan was announced last year.
During Covid, WME – which owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship – set up a ‘bubble’ on an island off the Emirati coast, dubbed ‘Fight Island’, and continued to stage televised bouts, which brought in millions through television rights and pay-per-view streaming.
‘Hollywood ground to a halt and no one was making money but Ari figured out a way to make millions, even during Covid,’ a source said.
He will, no doubt, be careful to avoid any pitfalls if he chooses to link ‘Meghan Inc.’ to his wealthy Arab clients.
The Duchess was criticised for wearing ‘blood diamond’ chandelier earrings gifted to her on her wedding day by Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the man whose regime was responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
At the time, her lawyers Schillings put out a strongly worded statement defending the Duchess, insisting she had no idea about Prince Mohammed’s suspected involvement in the murder.
The source said: ‘Ari won’t make those kind of mistakes. He’s super connected, tough and brilliant.
‘Meghan is fortunate to have him on her team. If Ari can’t build her into a global brand, no one can.’
WME also represents Meghan’s close friends Oprah Winfrey, Wimbledon champion Serena Williams and filmmaker Tyler Perry.
It was Perry who loaned the Sussexes his Hollywood mansion when they arrived in Los Angeles after Megxit and he is godfather to their daughter Lilibet.
But Meghan Markle‘s lifestyle brand is yet to put a single product on sale five months on from its glitzy Instagram launch – sparking concerns from experts over its future.
American Riviera Orchard, which plans to sell kitchenware, jams and jellies, has so far only shared a few of its products with celebrity friends.
Pictured: Meghan Markle speaking onstage at The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit in October
Meghan had sought to trademark the name of her service, American Riviera Orchard, for international use ahead of a full-scale launch next year
The brand’s Instagram page and website also remain bare with no option yet for customers to buy products.
Visitors are instead greeted by a logo and brand name that appear in gold in front of a faded background.
‘I would have major concerns if I was an investor ,’ PR and brand marketing expert Matt Yanofsky told The Times.
‘If I’m an investor, I’m saying to her, “you need to find a CEO with a direct business plan that’s going to show profitability, or at least a revenue plan within the next 60 to 90 days”.
‘Otherwise I’m taking my money out.’
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