Javier Bardem used the 2025 Emmy Awards red carpet to denounce what he called "the genocide in Gaza," urging sanctions and a commercial and diplomatic blockade and shouting "Free Palestine!" during multiple interviews ahead of the broadcast.
Wearing a keffiyeh around his neck, the actor — nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his role in Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story — referenced the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), saying the group had "officially declared that the current humanitarian crisis occurring in the Gaza Strip is undoubtedly a genocide." He told reporters he was there "denouncing the genocide in Gaza" and said his remarks were intended to call attention to the plight of civilians in the territory.
In a separate red carpet exchange, Bardem pivoted from a question about his experience working on the Netflix series to discuss IAGS and the work of activist groups. When asked what it meant to use his platform to champion others, he named the Film Workers for Palestine union and said, "We target film companies and institutions that are complicit and are whitewashing or justifying Israel’s genocide and its apartheid regime. That’s what we’re targeting, not to those who stand in solidarity with oppressed people." He concluded several interviews by shouting "Free Palestine!"
The actor has previously spoken publicly about Gaza. On a June 16, 2025, episode of The View, Bardem addressed the situation and expressed solidarity with Palestinians; producers of that appearance nearly cut away to a commercial during the exchange, according to accounts of the broadcast.
Bardem's remarks came amid a televised awards night that featured many conversations on the red carpet beyond entertainment topics. He is among the nominees at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, where the program and its broadcast have drawn attention for on- and off-stage comments by nominees and attendees.
Representatives for Bardem and for the groups he mentioned did not immediately provide additional comment. Organizers of the Emmy Awards did not respond to requests for comment on whether any red carpet remarks would affect on-air coverage.
The International Association of Genocide Scholars, referenced by Bardem, has publicly released determinations regarding several international crises; its declarations are cited by some activists and criticized by others. Bardem framed his red carpet statements as part of a broader effort to pressure companies and institutions in the film industry that he and allied groups consider complicit in sustaining or whitewashing the policies they oppose.
Bardem's public advocacy on the red carpet underscores a continuing trend of entertainers using high-profile events to raise political and humanitarian issues. His nomination for his role in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story remains part of his professional recognition even as his comments became a focal point of pre-show coverage at the Emmys.