Protesters Call on Steven Spielberg to Boycott MoMA Over Leon Black's Epstein Ties
Activists gathered outside MoMA to protest the museum's ties to Leon Black, a board member with connections to Jeffrey Epstein, and urged Spielberg to reject an honor at the Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center.
Activists rallied at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) ahead of a benefit for the Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center, decrying the board member’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein and his pro-Israel support (Hyperallergic). Approximately 20 protesters assembled outside the institution to call on the gala's honoree, Steven Spielberg, to reject the recognition. The protest occurred amid growing calls to remove Leon Black from the museum board over his ties to the convicted sex offender. Playwright and theater artist Gracie Gardner was held by security after she entered the museum and chanted in protest of Leon Black. She was issued a No Trespass Order banning her from MoMA for life and released by security. [1]
A letter sent to Spielberg by the feminist campaign group We Are UltraViolet urges the Academy Award-winning director to boycott MoMA until the institution severs ties with Black and renames the film venue. The letter references three sexual assault and misconduct accusations brought forth against Black, all of which he 'more than denies,' according to his representative. One of the lawsuits was discontinued by the plaintiff, and an earlier lawsuit was dismissed by the court. A third lawsuit was initially allowed to move forward after a judge imposed a sanction on the law firm and plaintiff for falsifying evidence, but dismissed with prejudice last month after the plaintiff said she was 'medically incapable of continuing,' as reported by the Guardian. [1]
Public scrutiny of Black intensified in September after the US House of Representatives unanimously approved a resolution to hold the MoMA trustee in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas in an Epstein investigation. This month, Black sued California Representative Robert Garcia for defamation over public comments such as 'Leon Black is at the center of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes.' Protesters at the event also carried signs pointing to Black's connections to pro-Israel and Zionist organizations. Black has reportedly donated money to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Birthright Israel, which is accused of serving as a propaganda campaign for the Israeli government. [1]
Activists rallied at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) ahead of a benefit for the Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center, decrying the board member’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein and his pro-Israel support (Hyperallergic). American playwright and activist Gracie Gardner held up her sign at a protest against Leon Black outside MoMA on November 12, 2026. Approximately 20 protesters assembled outside the institution to call on the gala's honoree, Steven Spielberg, to reject the recognition. The protest comes amid growing calls to oust Leon Black from the museum board over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Playwright and theater artist Gracie Gardner was held by security after she entered the museum and chanted in protest of Leon Black. She was subsequently issued a No Trespass Order banning her from MoMA for life and released by security. [1]
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Another letter sent to Spielberg by the feminist campaign group We Are UltraViolet, reviewed by Hyperallergic, urges the Academy Award-winning director to boycott MoMA until the institution severs ties with Black and renames the film venue. The letter references three sexual assault and misconduct accusations brought forth against Black, all of which Black 'more than denies,' according to his representative. One of the lawsuits was discontinued by the plaintiff, and an earlier lawsuit was dismissed by the court. A third lawsuit was initially allowed to move forward after a judge imposed a sanction on the law firm and plaintiff for falsifying evidence, but dismissed with prejudice last month after the plaintiff said she was 'medically incapable of continuing,' as reported by the Guardian. [1]
Black left his role as CEO of his private equity firm Apollo Global Management in 2021, when news broke that he paid Epstein $158 million for financial advice from 2012 to 2017, after Epstein’s first conviction for soliciting sex from a minor. Even though he stepped down as MoMA board chairman that same year, after Hyperallergic published an open letter signed by over 150 artists calling for his removal, Black remains a MoMA board trustee. Public scrutiny of Black intensified in September after the US House of Representatives unanimously approved a resolution to hold the MoMA trustee in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas in an Epstein investigation. [1]
At this evening's protest, others carried signs pointing to Black's connections to pro-Israel and Zionist organizations. Black has reportedly donated money to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which denies that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and Birthright Israel, which is accused of serving as a propaganda campaign for the Israeli government. One demonstrator, Janet Goodman-Clarke, told Hyperallergic, 'Leon Black not only is a Zionist, but he's also named ad nauseam in the Epstein files.' [1]
Activists rallied at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) ahead of a benefit for the Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center, decrying the board member’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein and his pro-Israel support (Hyperallergic). Approximately 20 protesters gathered outside the museum, calling on Spielberg to reject the recognition he was set to receive at the event. The protest highlights growing public scrutiny of Black, a MoMA board trustee, over his financial ties to Epstein and his continued association with the institution despite ongoing legal and ethical concerns. [1]
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Another letter sent to Spielberg by the feminist campaign group We Are UltraViolet, reviewed by Hyperallergic, urges the Academy Award-winning director to boycott MoMA until the institution severs ties with Black and renames the film venue. The letter references the Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center, which was created in 2019 following a $40 million gift from Black. The missive warns that Spielberg’s legacy could be tarnished by his association with Black, who has been linked to multiple sexual assault and misconduct accusations, though he denies all claims. [1]
Black left his role as CEO of his private equity firm Apollo Global Management in 2021, after news broke that he paid Epstein $158 million for financial advice from 2012 to 2017, following Epstein’s first conviction for soliciting sex from a minor. Despite stepping down as MoMA board chairman in the same year, Black remains a board trustee. Public scrutiny of Black intensified in September after the US House of Representatives unanimously approved a resolution to hold the MoMA trustee in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas in an Epstein investigation. [1]
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Prepared with AI assistance from the cited sources.
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