John Malkovich cancels Israel trip
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
John Malkovich canceled his April 13, 2027 Tel Aviv show over a fabricated quote.
The dispute is about a promoter's press release, not Malkovich's own politics.
Background
A press release sent Sept. 5 quoted Malkovich as 'thrilled to return to Israel' and feeling 'closeness and solidarity' with Israeli audiences. Malkovich says he never made or approved those statements and only learned of the announcement when he read The Hollywood Reporter's story, which traced back to The Jerusalem Post. The Israeli producer acknowledged the mistake, citing 'human error,' and the PR company apologized. The cancellation comes as Israel has faced growing cultural isolation, with some international artists refusing to perform there.
How it unfolded
- Sep 5, 2026A press release quotes Malkovich as 'thrilled to return to Israel' and looking forward to meeting the Israeli audience.
- Sep 8, 2026The Hollywood Reporter reports Malkovich canceled the performance, saying he never approved the quote.
- Sep 9, 2026Multiple outlets confirm the cancellation; the show's producer acknowledges the mistake, citing 'human error,' and the PR company apologizes.
Who’s saying what
- Malkovich
- Says he did not utter the phrases, they are not approved by him, and they do not reflect his feelings, so he cannot participate in the Tel Aviv performance.
- Producer
- The show's Israeli producer acknowledged the mistake, citing 'human error,' and the PR company apologized for the incident.
Still unverified
Malkovich's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment, per AP.