UPDATED with rescheduled date: The Academy Museum Gala, which had been postponed last month in the wake of Hamas‘ attack on Israel, has been rescheduled for December 3.
The annual fundraiser, which this year will bestow honors on Meryl Streep, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey and Sofia Coppola, was originally scheduled for October 28. After the attack on Israel, gala organizers first canceled the pre-event red carpet then eventually postponed the entire event “out of respect for the devastating conflict and loss of life happening overseas,” they said at the time.
The event is now moving forward with the now-escalated Israel-Hamas war top of mind, we hear.
The gala aims to raise funds to support museum exhibitions, education initiatives, and public programming including screenings, K-12 programs, and access initiatives in service of the general public and the Los Angeles community.
THR first reported the news of the new date.
PREVIOUSLY, October 12 PM: The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ star-studded annual fundraiser this weekend has been halted for the time being due to the terrorist attacks on Israel this week.
“Out of respect for the devastating conflict and loss of life happening overseas, we have made the decision to postpone the Academy Museum gala this Saturday,” a spokesperson for the Jacqueline Stewart-led organization said late Thursday. “We look forward to rescheduling at a later date. We thank everybody deeply for their support.”
As Hollywood responds to the bloodshed in Israel with support and money, tonight’s announcement follows the Academy Museum Gala canceling its red carpet earlier Thursday. “The Academy Museum condemns all forms of hate and cruelty and stands in support of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives affected by the ongoing violence,” organizers wrote this afternoon to media in pulling the carpet for the October 14 event.
Hamas blitz across the border from Gaza and into southern Israel on October 7 has left more than 1,200 people murdered and nearly 3,000 people wounded. From the very old to the very very young, hundreds have also been taken back to Gaza as hostages. Shocked by the siege, the Israeli Defense Force has conducted airstrikes on Gaza in retaliation, and a ground invasion appears to be imminent.
With threats of “a global day of anger in support of the Hamas” tomorrow from supporters of the Gaza-based group, SAG-AFTRA canceled picketing in LA and NYC out of “potential safety concerns.” In the interests of security, law enforcement in the cities have raised their presence at synagogues and other locations for Friday.
Since the Academy Museum opened in late 2021, money raised by the Gala goes to support museum exhibitions, education initiatives and public programming. The event’s co-chairs this year are Ava DuVernay, Dr. Eric Esrailian, Halle Berry and Ryan Murphy. The 2023 honorees at the gala are Meryl Streep, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey and Sofia Coppola.