Over 550 entertainment figures back initiative
More than 550 artists, directors, musicians, and writers have relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment, an organization first established in the 1940s after World War II to defend constitutional rights and oppose political repression in the United States.
The initiative is being led by actress and activist Jane Fonda, whose father, Henry Fonda, participated in the original committee that resisted the House Un-American Activities Committee, a congressional body that blacklisted and censored many artists during the Red Scare era.
High-profile names among the supporters
Prominent members of the new committee include filmmakers Spike Lee, Barry Jenkins, J.J. Abrams, and Patty Jenkins; writer Aaron Sorkin; musicians such as Barbra Streisand, John Legend, Janelle Monáe, and Billie Eilish; and actors including Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Kerry Washington, Pedro Pascal, Natalie Portman, Viola Davis, and Ben Stiller.
The letter also carries the signature of actress Fran Drescher, who recently completed her term as president of the SAG-AFTRA union, as well as comedian Tiffany Haddish and several other notable figures.
A message of unity and historical warning
In their public statement, the members describe the current moment as “a coordinated campaign to silence critics across government, media, academia, and the entertainment industry.” The letter draws a parallel to the McCarthy era, when many citizens were harassed, censored, and even imprisoned for their political views.
Jane Fonda emphasized in a personal letter that this is “the most frightening moment of her life” and that the only effective response is solidarity, underscoring that defending free speech and expression is not a partisan matter but a shared democratic responsibility.
