Javier Bardem Targets Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu: "Toxic Masculinity Is Killing Thousands"

At Cannes Press Conference, Bardem Criticizes Three World Leaders

"An Attitude of Destruction... Thousands of Deaths Caused"

Repeated Outspoken Criticism Over the Gaza War

Spanish actor Javier Bardem directly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that "toxic masculinity leads to war."

Spanish actor Javier Bardem attended the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

According to Yonhap News Agency, citing AFP on the 17th (local time), Bardem, who attended the 79th Cannes Film Festival, described the flaws of the character he played in his new film as "toxic masculinity" during a press conference. He said this toxic masculinity causes men to kill their ex-wives or girlfriends and leads to war. Bardem plays a hot-tempered and self-righteous film director in Rodrigo Sorogoyen's "The Beloved." The film premiered at Cannes the previous day and received widespread acclaim from critics.

Bardem added that this "toxic masculinity" also applies to "Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu," characterizing it as an attitude of "mine is bigger than yours, so I will destroy you." He went on to say that such masculinity "is causing thousands of deaths."

Bardem's remarks came as this year's Cannes Film Festival has been marked by controversy over the Gaza issue. Paul Laverty, the screenwriter of the film "I, Daniel Blake," who is serving on the jury, stated at the opening press conference that "actresses like Susan Sarandon have been effectively blacklisted in Hollywood for opposing the war that is killing women and children in Gaza," and added, "Hollywood should be ashamed."

After speaking at a rally in 2023 calling for a ceasefire in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, Sarandon was reportedly dropped by her agency and has since seen a noticeable decline in offers from major studios. Sarandon herself emphasized at the time that her remarks were "a humanitarian call for a ceasefire."

Meanwhile, Bardem is known as one of the most outspoken actors regarding the war in Gaza. Together with his wife Penelope Cruz, he has openly criticized Israel's attacks on Palestine. In September last year, he also joined a declaration defining Israel's attack on Gaza as genocide and pledged to refuse collaboration with related Israeli film institutions.

On this, Bardem asserted, "If you justify this through silence or support, you are condoning genocide." In an interview with AFP the day before, he also stated, "Taking a firm stance on the Gaza issue has not affected my standing in the film industry. Some people might worry they will get fewer roles, but that's not the case for me. In fact, it's the opposite. I am receiving even more inquiries." He explained this by saying, "The narrative surrounding the conflict is changing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.