‘People Are Being Murdered’: Furious Olivia Wilde Calls ICE ‘Hideous’ And ‘Criminal’ At Sundance

Sundance is usually about indie buzz, red carpets and standing ovations — but this year, the conversations spilled far beyond cinema. Olivia Wilde arrived at the festival promoting two projects, yet chose to use the spotlight to make a strong political statement, wearing an “ICE Out” pin and speaking out against what she called a deeply troubling moment for the country.

Wilde appeared on the red carpet for The Invite, the Seth Rogen comedy she directed, as news broke that Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, had been killed by ICE in Minnesota earlier on Saturday. Addressing the situation, the actor-director reflected on the contrast between celebrating art and confronting national tragedy. “We’re all here getting to celebrate something really beautiful

and hopeful in film storytelling,” she said. “But the world is hurting right now, and this country is hurting. And it’s appalling.”

Her criticism grew sharper as she continued speaking to reporters. “I’m appalled and sickened,” Wilde said. “We can’t go another day just sort of accepting this as our new norm. It’s outrageous. People are being murdered. And, I don’t want to normalize seeing people being murdered on the internet. On film. It’s. It’s hideous. And so if we can do anything out here to support the movement to cast ICE out, to delegitimize this unbelievably criminal organization, then that’s what we should be doing.”

Wilde is also attending Sundance for her acting role in Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex. She said the growing public response to ICE-related actions has been both visible and motivating. “I think so many Americans are [speaking out]. I mean, you see the marches happening around the country. Americans are speaking up in huge numbers, and it’s dangerous to be a protester now and people are still going out to the streets, which is incredibly inspiring.”

Earlier the same day, Natalie Portman also made a political statement at Sundance by wearing “ICE Out” and “Be Good” pins while promoting her film The Gallerist at the Variety Studio. Reflecting on the moment, Portman said, “This is such a joyful community celebrating film here and we’re so excited to be showing ‘The Gallerist,’ but we’re also at a moment in our country’s history that is quite devastating.”

Portman echoed similar concerns about ICE, adding, “It’s really impossible not to talk about what is happening right now and the brutality of ICE and how it has to stop immediately. But also, there’s a beautiful community that Americans are showing right now. They’re showing up for each other, protecting each other and fighting for their freedom. It’s a bittersweet moment to celebrate something we’re so proud of on the backdrop of our nation in pain.”