Oscar-nominated director Lexi Alexander has drawn severe backlash for her commentary on the murder of Bank of America executive Erin Piacenti, later stating that the controversy has resulted in new professional opportunities. Alexander, 52, initially posted an image on social media depicting a bat signal with the face of a man who became a vigilante-style figure to some.
Following public outrage, Alexander refused to apologize, even after acknowledging she did not know Piacenti was a low-ranking branch manager who had recently returned from maternity leave when she was fatally stabbed in an apparently random attack. The director stated she did not want to remove the post because it served as an opportunity to highlight her calls for boycotting Bank of America due to its ties to Israel.
Alexander claimed that the media coverage surrounding the incident led to increased public attention on her work. "All this press coverage caused tons of people to re-discover me," she posted on X, formerly Twitter. "Plus folks reached out with scripts, asked for meetings, multiple podcasts requests... It's really wild."
She further expressed frustration that her posts concerning Palestine have not received similar media attention. "Can't get this kind of press when I promote a movie, but post a Luigi meme and they're all over you," Alexander wrote, referencing the meme.
Piacenti, 32, a vice president at Bank of America, was killed in Times Square while on her first day back from maternity leave. The attacker, Pamela Cisneros Lopez, 49, also injured an elderly man before being shot and killed by police. Bank of America issued a statement expressing shock and sadness over the loss of their "valued teammate."
An online fundraiser established for Piacenti's infant daughter, Madison, described her as deeply devoted to her family and friends, and a person who brought warmth to those around her. The fundraiser aims to support Madison as she grows up.
Alexander, known for films such as "Green Street Hooligans," has continued to advocate for boycotting Bank of America, sharing articles about the bank's investments in Israeli companies. Critics have condemned her response to Piacenti's death, with some calling her a "monster" and labeling her politics as extreme.
Alexander also suggested that the criticism was fueled by a "Hasbara bot farm," referring to Israel's public diplomacy efforts, and reiterated her belief that the backlash was due to her stance against the bank's ties to Israel.