Amazon Considers Disclaimer to Antisemitic Film Irving Shared Online

Though he deleted the tweet, Mr. Irving was suspended by the Nets for declining to say he had no antisemitic views. He later apologized on Instagram for posting the documentary “without context and a factual explanation outlining the specific beliefs in the Documentary I agreed with and disagreed with.” He said he did not intend to “disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust or perpetuate any hate.”

The Nets and others said his apology did not go far enough.

The four-page letter, whose existence was first noted by reporters for the Athletic, was dated Friday and addressed to Amazon’s executive chairman, Jeff Bezos; its chief executive, Andy Jassy; and David Zapolsky, Amazon’s general counsel. It details problematic content in the book and film, and discussed why it was troubling at the current moment of heightened antisemitism in the United States.

The film was self-produced by its director, Ronald Dalton Jr., in 2018, according to its listing on Amazon, and is available to rent for $12 or to buy for $50. It has more than 1,200 reviews and was made available on Amazon through its Prime Video Direct program, a self-service platform it started in 2016 to allow filmmakers and content creators to upload their works and reach the company’s millions of customers.

The company said at the time that the service, which focuses on feature-length movies and TV shows, wanted to make “it even easier for content creators to find an audience, and for that audience to find great content.”

Amazon keeps half of the purchase price or rental fees and passes on the remaining half to the content provider, according to its website for filmmakers.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/06/business/amazon-kyrie-irving-documentary.html