Susan Sarandon was arrested in New York City on Thursday, September 24, 2026. The Oscar winner joined a protest outside United Nations headquarters ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu’s UN General Assembly address. Sarandon, 79, was one of roughly 100 demonstrators taken into custody by the NYPD. Hacks star Hannah Einbinder, 31, was also detained.
Photographers captured Sarandon sitting handcuffed on a Manhattan curb, waiting to be transported. Images and video of both being led away spread across social media within minutes. Inside the General Assembly hall, Netanyahu took the podium amid a walkout by dozens of delegates.
Why Was Susan Sarandon Arrested at the UN Protest?
The demonstration was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace Action. It called for an end to U.S. military support for Israel amid the war in Gaza. That is according to Just Jared, citing Variety. Around 200 people gathered in matching white T-shirts printed with slogans like “Fund people not bombs,” “No war,” and “Free Palestine.”
Sarandon herself wore a T-shirt reading “Fund people not bombs.” Einbinder marched with a banner that said “End the Genocide.” She also reportedly shouted “Netanyahu out of New York!” as officers took her into custody, per the LA Times.
Police moved in after demonstrators blocked First Avenue near 39th Street, a few blocks south of UN headquarters. An NYPD spokesperson told The Guardian that officers had responded to an “unscheduled demonstration.” Protesters had blocked an intersection. Officers issued warnings first, the spokesperson said. Those who did not move were detained one by one, zip-tied, and escorted to police buses.
Hannah Einbinder Detained Alongside Susan Sarandon
Einbinder won an Emmy in 2025 for playing Ava on Hacks. She was filmed being led away by officers, and the video spread quickly online. Comedian Caleb Hearon was also detained. Several elected officials were also present: New York City Council members Chi Osse and Jen Gutierrez and congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier were pictured with NYPD officers.
Cynthia Nixon also attended, but her representatives told The Hollywood Reporter she was not detained, correcting earlier reports.
As of publication, it is not yet clear whether Sarandon and Einbinder were formally charged or released. Neither their representatives nor the NYPD has issued a public statement. The Associated Press reported that around 100 people were arrested near UN headquarters. Meanwhile, the advocacy group Jewish Voice for Peace described the two actresses as arrested.
What Happened Inside the UN General Assembly
The detentions unfolded hours before Netanyahu’s speech. When he took the rostrum that afternoon, scores of delegates walked out. Many seats sat empty, according to multiple outlets including the BBC. Netanyahu called those who had left “moral cowards.” He then defended Israel’s military operations in the region. The contrast was striking: an Oscar winner in zip ties on First Avenue while diplomats streamed out of the hall, making Thursday’s protest one of the year’s most visible celebrity demonstrations.
Susan Sarandon’s Long History of Protest Arrests
For Sarandon, an arrest at a demonstration is not new. The Dead Man Walking star has described being arrested while protesting the Vietnam War as a young woman. In 1999, she was one of 219 people arrested in New York during protests over the police killing of Amadou Diallo, per ABC News. In June 2018, she was among 575 people arrested at the Hart Senate Office Building while protesting family separations at the U.S. border. “Arrested. Stay strong. Keep fighting,” she posted that day.
The September 2026 detention adds another entry to that record — and another case of a Hollywood star making headlines in a police incident this week.
The Career Cost Sarandon Says She Has Paid
The arrest comes just weeks after Sarandon said her activism has cost her work in Hollywood. She spoke at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, where she told reporters she is still losing roles over her support for Palestinians.
“I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still,” she said. She was dropped by her longtime talent agency UTA in November 2023 over remarks she made at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York. She later apologized for those remarks but has remained steadfast in her activism.
Einbinder has faced similar scrutiny. At Cannes earlier this year, she defended speaking out about Palestine despite the career risk. “I am under no impression that my one small career could ever measure up in comparison to even one human life,” she said. She also defended Mark Ruffalo after Paramount Skydance accused him of antisemitism over his criticism of the studio’s Warner Bros. Discovery deal.
What’s Next for Sarandon and Einbinder
Neither actress has commented publicly since the detention. Details on any charges remain unconfirmed. Sarandon has also been in the headlines for lighter reasons. She and Olivia Colman recently joined Channel 4’s thriller series Army of Shadows, now filming in London and Paris.
The episode shows how closely Hollywood and the news cycle are linked in 2026. First, celebrities taking political stands. Then, New York’s increasingly theatrical political scene. Finally, the big question: will this arrest bring the professional consequences Sarandon has described in the past? That remains to be seen.
Thecelebwatch will continue to update this story as more details are confirmed.