Celebrities including Ben Stiller, John Legend and Billie Eilish are joining actress Jane Fonda in reviving her father’s Cold War-era committee to defend free speech. The move comes more than 75 years after Henry Fonda and other Hollywood figures first rallied against government attempts to silence artists.
Henry Fonda, an Oscar-winning actor known for films such as “The Grapes of Wrath” and “12 Angry Men,” co-founded the Committee for the First Amendment in 1947. At the time, he and other stars, including Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball, organized the group to support the “Hollywood Ten” during the House Un-American Activities Committee’s anti-Communist hearings. The committee became one of Hollywood’s most visible efforts to resist political repression.
A modern revival
Now, eight decades later, Jane Fonda has relaunched the committee with the backing of more than 550 actors, musicians and directors. The statement they signed pledges to “defend free speech and expression from this assault.” Among the other signatories are Pedro Pascal, Whoopi Goldberg and Michael Keaton.
“The McCarthy Era ended when Americans from across the political spectrum finally came together and stood up for the principles in the Constitution against the forces of repression,” the statement reads. “Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights.”
The timing of the relaunch closely follows the reinstatement of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after its brief suspension. The network pulled the show in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and reinstated it just six days later amid political pressure.
Political pressure from Washington
President Donald Trump and his FCC chair, Brendan Carr, pushed for the suspension. When ABC brought the show back, Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, criticizing both the network and the comedian.
“I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” Trump posted. “He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we’re going to test ABC out on this.”
Trump also pointed to a past $15 million settlement with ABC related to comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos. In its response, the committee warned that “the federal government is once again engaged in a coordinated campaign to silence critics in the government, the media, the judiciary, academia, and the entertainment industry.”
Fonda speaks out
Jane Fonda, now 87, said in her own statement per NBC News that this moment feels more frightening than any she has experienced. “I have seen war, repression, protest, and backlash,” she wrote, “but this is the most frightening moment in my life.”
“They’re betting on our fear and our silence,” she continued. “But our industry — and artists around the world — have a long history of refusing to be silenced, even in the darkest times.”
The committee stresses that its mission is nonpartisan, open to people “no matter how liberal or conservative you may be.” Although its precise strategy remains unclear, its leaders believe that mobilizing artists, creatives and public figures can generate the public pressure and awareness needed to defend free speech today.
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