Olivia Wilde Condemns ICE at Sundance: ‘People Are Being Murdered’
Olivia Wilde used her platform at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival to speak out about the tragic death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse killed by federal agents in Minneapolis. The incident has cast a heavy shadow over the festival in Park City, Utah, where filmmakers and actors are celebrating new movies.
On the red carpet for the world premiere of her relationship comedy The Invite, Wilde addressed the state of the country and the violence linked to ICE and Border Patrol. We’re all here getting to celebrate something really beautiful and hopeful in film storytelling, she said. But the world is hurting right now, and this country is hurting. And it’s appalling.
Wilde was emotional as she discussed the event. I’m appalled and sickened. We can’t go another day just sort of accepting this as our new norm. It’s outrageous. People are being murdered. And, I don’t want to normalize seeing people being murdered on the internet. On film. It’s. It’s hideous, she told reporters.
The director and actress also called for action against the federal immigration agency. If we can do anything out here to support the movement to cast ICE out, to delegitimize this unbelievably criminal organization, then that’s what we should be doing, Wilde said. She added that protests across the country give her hope.
I think so many Americans are [speaking out]. I mean, you see the marches happening around the country. Americans are speaking up in huge numbers, and it’s dangerous to be a protester now and people are still going out to the streets, which is incredibly inspiring.
Olivia Wilde wears an “ICE OUT” pin at her @sundanceorg premiere:
— Variety (@Variety) January 25, 2026
“This country is hurting. I’m appalled and sickened. We can’t go another day accepting this as our new norm. It’s outrageous. People are being murdered, and I don’t want to normalize seeing that violence — on the… pic.twitter.com/6ngQIMXCAv
Other stars at Sundance voiced similar concerns. Natalie Portman, promoting her film The Gallerist, wore pins that read “ICE Out” and “Be Good.” It’s really impossible not to talk about what is happening right now and the brutality of ICE and how it has to stop immediately, Portman said at the Variety Studio. She called the moment bittersweet, celebrating art while the country is in pain.
Wilde has been busy at Sundance, appearing in both The Invite and Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex. In The Invite, she directs and stars alongside Seth Rogen, Edward Norton, and Penélope Cruz in a story about a dinner that goes unexpectedly wrong. In Araki’s film, she plays an artist mentoring a young assistant, Cooper Hoffman.
Outside of Sundance, Wilde is filming the thriller Behemoth for Tony Gilroy, starring opposite Pedro Pascal. She recently appeared on the Apple TV+ comedy The Studio and continues to develop projects under her production company after the success of Booksmart and Don’t Worry Darling.
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival runs through February 1, but the mood has been heavy following Pretti’s death. Many filmmakers and actors have taken time to speak out or participate in impromptu demonstrations.
Do you think it’s appropriate for actors to bring political issues to film festivals, or should the focus stay on the movies and the art itself? Let us know in the comments!
