Aaron Sorkin has dropped CAA over controversial social media posts regarding Israel from agent Maha Dakhil, Variety has confirmed.
The writer of “The Social Network” and “The West Wing” is making a comeback to WME, the talent agency he was previously represented by before his 2017 move to CAA.
Sorkin shared his perspective, stating, “Maha isn’t an antisemite, she’s just wrong. She’s a great agent, and I’m very proud of the work we did together over the last six years. I’m excited to be returning to WME,” in an official statement.
Maha Dakhil, who represents high-profile talents like Tom Cruise and Natalie Portman, resigned from CAA’s internal board on Sunday in the wake of controversial comments regarding Israel. She also stepped back from her leadership role as co-head of the agency’s motion pictures department. Nevertheless, she will continue to work with her clients and CAA colleagues while devoting time to her personal learning and growth.
On Oct. 18, Dakhil reposted a statement from an account labeled Free Palestine, which weighed in on Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 terror attack executed by Hamas. The post read, “You’re currently learning who supports genocide,” to which Dakhil added her own caption: “That’s the line for me.” She then posted a second photo captioned, “What’s more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening.” She later deleted both posts from her account. social media posts
“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 told Variety in an Oct. 19 statement. “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.”