Jerry Seinfeld has been at the heart of controversy one too many times since his rise to fame in the early ’90s. Allegations of grooming a teenager, dating a schoolgirl in his late 30s, and incendiary comments about the Israel-Palestine conflict have made Seinfeld a hot topic in current news and media circles.
His latest comments came during a Duke University visit, where he compared the Free Palestine movement to the white supremacist group, Ku Klux Klan (more on that below). After years of keeping his opinions about the Israel-Gaza conflict private, his comments have now grabbed headlines worldwide for their inflammatory nature.
What Did Jerry Seinfeld Say About the ‘Free Palestine’ Movement?
During a Duke University event, Jerry Seinfeld directly addressed Palestine supporters and equated their movement with that of the notorious, racist, and infamous Klan. According to The Chronicle, Duke University’s student newspaper, Seinfeld claimed:
Free Palestine is, to me, just — you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews. By saying ‘Free Palestine,’ you’re not admitting what you really think. So it’s actually — compared to the Ku Klux Klan, I’m actually thinking the Klan is actually a little better here because they can come right out and say, ‘We don’t like Blacks, we don’t like Jews.’ OK that’s honest.
This is not the comedian’s first clash with the university. Last year in May, students at the university staged a walkout during Seinfeld’s commencement address when he was there to receive his honorary degree. The protest was in light of his visit to the West Bank military camp and vocal support of Israel.
Jerry Seinfeld’s Dating Life Comes Back to Light After Palestine Comment
At the height of his fame in 1993, Jerry Seinfeld met Shoshanna Lonstein in Central Park, and after their brief exchange, the latter shared her number with the famous comedian. The pair began dating soon after, and all would have been right if not for the hugely problematic matter of their vast age difference.
Seinfeld was 38 at the time, while Lonstein was merely 17, still in high school and living with her parents. Their relationship lasted four years, and they were often spotted in each other’s company after Lonstein graduated from school and went to George Washington University.
In a 1998 Vanity Fair profile, the comedian admitted that he “almost got married”: “I know everyone looked at that relationship as here’s this rich TV guy and here’s this young, hot girl, but it wasn’t like that at all. We were very much in love, but the timing wasn’t quite right.” He went on to maintain his defense about not knowing her real age when they met in multiple interviews.
What do you think about Seinfeld’s controversial comments? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
