Gerard Butler Pulls out of Saudi Trip amid Khashoggi Scandal
. @GerardButler pulls out of Saudi film trip amid Khashoggi scandal https://t.co/iEpJCKQNJZ pic.twitter.com/XWJMZiRAcS
- Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 12, 2018
- The actor was due to land in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday following stops in London and Tel Aviv to promote action thriller Hunter Killer, which was having its premiere in Riyadh that night, but a rep has confirmed that, in the wake of the Khashoggi scandal, a decision was made to cancel the visit. "Given the circumstances, it was no longer appropriate to make the trip," the rep stated.
- Since Saudi Arabia announced it was lifting a ban on cinemas in December 2017, several stars have visited the country, including John Travolta, Idris Elba and Ian Somerhalder, while crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman courted Hollywood heavyweights during a U.S. tour in April.
- With the situation surrounding the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, Butler may not be the only celebrity to drop out.
I wouldn't necessarily call the brutal torture and murder of a journalist a scandal, tbh.....