Danny DeVito defends Jeremy Corbyn amid Labour antisemitism row
The Twins actor says politics is similar to Hollywood in that historical events from people's pasts are "dug up" and scrutinised.
Wednesday 5 September 2018 12:09, UK
Hollywood star Danny DeVito has defended Jeremy Corbyn, saying events from his past have been "dug up" to make him "look bad" during Labour's ongoing antisemitism row.
DeVito, 73, endorsed Mr Corbyn during the 2017 general election and said he is "absolutely" still a fan of the politician.
The Labour leader has been criticised for attending a wreath-laying ceremony at the Palestinian Martyrs' Cemetery in Tunisia in 2014.
The cemetery contains the graves of a number of the founders of the Black September terror group, which carried out the Munich massacre in which 11 Israeli athletes were killed at the 1972 Olympics.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said he had attended a wreath-laying ceremony to pay tribute to the victims of a 1985 airstrike and to promote peace in the Middle East.
Speaking in Los Angeles at the season 13 premiere of his sitcom It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, DeVito told the Press Association: "That's the kind of thing that's dug up by everybody to, 'you know this guy is doing something that we don't want and let's figure out a way to make him look bad in front of everybody'.
"We all know that, that's Hollywood, that's the way it happens in Hollywood, the same way it happens in politics.
"You do something, people go, 'oh, s***, let's attack this guy for something that happened 25 years ago'."
DeVito, a veteran actor known for starring in films including Twins and Matilda, warned if more "progressives" are not voted into office, "we are going to be in the s* pretty soon".
Labour will hold talks on antisemitism later after the party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) adopted all 11 of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) examples of prejudice against Jews.
But Jewish groups hit out after the move was accompanied by a statement that said the party will ensure the changes do "not in any way undermine freedom of expression" on Israel or the rights of Palestinians.