Jane Fonda has relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment, a McCarthy-era initiative founded in the 1940s by her father, Henry Fonda, to protect against attacks on free speech.
The Committee has already received the support of more than 550 A-list names, including Gracie Abrams, Quinta Brunson, Kerry Washington, Natalie Portman, Aaron Sorkin, Spike Lee, Viola Davis, Pedro Pascal, Ben Stiller, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Penn, John Legend, Damon Lindelof, Julianne Moore, Janelle Monae, Barbra Streisand, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ethan Hawke, Judd Apatow, Billie Eillish, Anjelica Huston and Rosie O’Donnell.
“The McCarthy Era ended when Americans from across the political spectrum finally came together and stood up for the principles in the Constitution against the forces of repression,” Fonda said in a statement. “Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights.”
She continued, “We refuse to stand by and let that happen. Free speech and free expression are the inalienable rights of every American of all backgrounds and political beliefs — no matter how liberal or conservative you may be. The ability to criticize, question, protest, and even mock those in power is foundational to what America has always aspired to be.”
Freedom of speech has been top of mind for industry professionals as of late, especially after Jimmy Kimmel was temporarily pulled off the air by ABC and major TV station operators Sinclair and Nexstar Media for his controversial comments about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was preempted shortly after FCC chair Brendan Carr appeared to threaten action against the broadcasters if they didn’t reprimand the late-night host for his commentary. Carr said on Benny Johnson’s podcast, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
Despite his seemingly explicit warning, Carr later downplayed his involvement in the matter. He told reporters on Sept. 23, “Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation that he’s in because of his ratings, not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level.” He added that his now-infamous “easy way or the hard way” quote was a hypothetical point about what the FCC may or may not do if a “news distortion” complaint was filed against Kimmel and ABC.
ABC put Kimmel back on the air Sept. 22, and Sinclair and Nexstar did the same in the days following.
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