The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil isn't pleased with Emile Hirsch's comeback. Quentin Tarantino recently cast Hirsch in his star-studded Sharon Tate project Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Jamil took to Twitter to criticize the decision. Hirsch has kept a low-profile since he was convicted of a misdemeanor assault in 2015, and this Tarantino film is his first major project since.
"Emile Hirsch strangled my tiny female best friend until she blacked out at a party in front of dozens of witnesses at Sundance Film Festival (and was convicted) but Tarantino just cast him in a movie," Jamil wrote on Twitter. "INTENSE case of rich white male privelege [sic] eh? Cool. Cool. Cool."
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Jamil is referring to the 2015 incident that took place at the Tao nightclub in Park City, Utah. According to court documents, Hirsch, who was allegedly inebriated at the time, grabbed Paramount executive Dani Bernfeld, pulled her across a table and onto the floor, and proceeded to choke her. Jamil later shared a screenshot of a Variety story detailing the encounter.
Cool. Emile Hirsch strangled my tiny female best friend until she blacked out at a party in front of dozens of witnesses at Sundance Film Festival (and was convicted) but Tarantino just cast him in a movie. INTENSE case of rich white male privelege eh? Cool. Cool. Cool. ?? pic.twitter.com/FkZNmK5fda
— Jameela Jamil (@jameelajamil) June 8, 2018
Emile Hirsch has not apologized for this heinous crime, but is re-joining Hollywood’s elite. Slow clap to everyone involved in this movie. So many other actors who haven’t attacked women to choose from... pic.twitter.com/UAwwKVE0Kj
— Jameela Jamil (@jameelajamil) June 8, 2018
"Emile Hirsch has not apologized for this heinous crime, but is re-joining Hollywood’s elite," Jamil continued. Jamil is wrong on one account: According to Variety, Hirsch apologized in court, adding that his actions that night were "reckless." He also claimed that he could not remember the incident.
"Emile consumed an enormous amount of alcohol on the evening in question, and he has no memory of what happened," Hirsch's lawyer said in a statement in February of 2017. Shortly after, Hirsch submitted himself for treatment at an alcoholic treatment facility. In August of 2017, he was sentenced to 15 days in prison, a $4,750 fine, and 50 hours of community service.
Since serving his time, Hirsch has worked on a number of projects, including the kids television series Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood marks his first major film, though. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood will also star James Marsden, Damian Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Burt Reynolds, Timothy Olyphant, and Al Pacino. Quentin Tarantino, who was embroiled in his own scandal months ago, will produce, write, and direct.
Refinery29 has reached out to representation for Jamil for comment.