Jewish actress Odessa A’zion pushes back after IDF t-shirt controversy: ‘Not a zio!’

JTA – Jewish actress Odessa A’zion appeared to push back this week on social media claims labelling her as a “Zionist”, after controversy swirled online over her political opinions. 

The speculation about the 25-year-old actress’s political leanings first surfaced last week after users on X posted a screenshot of her modelling an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) shirt on Instagram in 2017, when she was around 17 years old. 

While some users defended the actress, who is currently co-starring in the movie Marty Supreme and the HBO hit show I Love L.A.,  pointing out her history of posting pro-Palestinian sentiments online, others were quick to condemn her. 

Last week, A’zion pushed back on the chatter. On an Instagram post, she wrote, “debunking!! not a zio ♥️”, a common online abbreviation of “Zionist” which many Jews consider derogatory. 

On Tuesday, under a post from Hear Me Out News about the controversy, she added: “I do not support the IDF or Netanyahu in any way! I wish I had known the significance of that shirt when I was a kid, unfortunately I didn’t then, but I know now and it’s not something I support at all! Putting this to rest!” 

A’zion, the daughter of Jewish actress and comedian Pamela Adlon, has said her stage name, which she adopted around 2020, is a combination of her mother’s name and her own middle name, Zion. Social media wags criticised her stage name following a red carpet appearance for the premiere of Marty Supreme. 

Entertainers have been under pressure to declare their allegiances since the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 and the war that followed. Some Jewish celebrities have said they support Israel’s right to exist or share an affinity with its people even if they deeply disagree with the Israeli government and oppose the war. Many activists, however, reject Zionism in any form. 

In 2022, Pamela Adlon, who is known for her roles in Louis CK’s sitcom Louis and as the creator and star of the critically acclaimed Better Things on FX, appeared on the celebrity genealogy show Finding Your Roots where she learned that her great-great-grandfather was a famous rabbi.