Jane Fonda revives Committee for the First Amendment with support from 550 Hollywood stars

Veteran actor and activist Jane Fonda has relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment — a movement originally founded in the 1940s by her father, Henry Fonda, during the McCarthy era to defend free speech.

The revived initiative has already drawn backing from more than 550 high-profile names across Hollywood. Among them are Pedro Pascal, Viola Davis, Natalie Portman, Kerry Washington, John Legend, Barbra Streisand, Spike Lee, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Penn, Billie Eilish, Julianne Moore, Ethan Hawke, Ben Stiller and Judd Apatow.

According to Variety, the campaign comes at a time when concerns about censorship and political pressures on entertainers are once again in the spotlight.

In a statement, Jane Fonda said, “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. Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defence of our constitutional rights.”

She added that freedom of expression is fundamental: “We refuse to stand by and let that happen. Free speech and free expression are the inalienable rights of every American of all backgrounds and political beliefs. The ability to criticise, question, protest, and even mock those in power is foundational to what America has always aspired to be.”

The issue of free speech in the entertainment industry has gained renewed attention in recent weeks. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was briefly pulled off the air by ABC and its affiliate station operators, Sinclair and Nexstar, after making controversial remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The move came after FCC chair Brendan Carr appeared to suggest punitive action against broadcasters who did not reprimand Kimmel. Carr’s remarks — “We can do this the easy way or the hard way” — sparked backlash, though he later insisted his words were hypothetical and claimed Kimmel’s situation was linked to ratings, not federal pressure.

Kimmel’s show returned to air on ABC on September 22, with Sinclair and Nexstar following suit shortly after.