Ricky Gervais has quietly removed a series of posts in which he mocked stars for using their Emmy Awards platform to speak out on political issues.
The comedian appeared to be reacting to remarks made at the ceremony on September 14 by actors such as Hacks star Hannah Einbinder and Spanish actor Javier Bardem. Gervais had shared a clip of his infamous 2020 Golden Globes monologue, where he warned award winners against turning their acceptance speeches into political lectures.
“They’re still not listening,” he captioned the clip, adding a laughing emoji. The post also quoted his line from that speech: “If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a political platform… You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.” The post was later deleted from his X (formerly Twitter) feed.
The comments followed several politically charged moments at the Emmys. Einbinder, who won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks, declared “f*ck ICE and free Palestine” on stage.
Bardem, meanwhile, told reporters on the red carpet that he “cannot work with someone who justifies or supports the genocide.” Other attendees made statements through fashion, with Megan Stalter carrying a purse scrawled with “Ceasefire!” and Aimee Lou Wood, Natasha Rothwell, Ruth Negga and Chris Perfetti wearing ‘Artists4Ceasefire’ pins.
Gervais also briefly shared another post aimed more directly at Einbinder. After she told reporters backstage that she felt a responsibility “as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the state of Israel,” Variety shared the clip on X.
Despite scrubbing those posts, Gervais has continued resurfacing moments from his 2020 monologue, even amplifying an AI-generated parody that shows him delivering it as a baby.
Meanwhile, Einbinder and Bardem have been active beyond the ceremony. Both recently signed the Film Workers for Palestine pledge, alongside Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Olivia Colman and Tilda Swinton, committing not to collaborate with Israeli film companies.
At the Emmys, Einbinder reiterated her support for the boycott, “It does not target individuals, only institutions complicit in the genocide. Boycotting is a powerful tool to apply pressure and I think it’s an important measure, so I was happy to sign.”
