Jessica Chastain hits out at decision to pull new Apple TV+ show about hate groups after Charlie Kirk assassination

Jessica Chastain has hit out at the decision to pull her new Apple TV+ show about hate groups just three days before it was supposed to release.

Called Savant, the TV show follows an uber-secret investigator who embeds themselves into hate groups online to try and take them down from the inside and prevent any planned domestic terror attacks.

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination two weeks ago, Apple TV+ decided to pull the show from the schedule just three days before release.

Star of The Savant star Chastain, has since responded, saying she disagrees with the decision made by Apple TV+.

Whilst the decision has been made in the wake of Kirk’s assassination, the show is said not to directly parallel his death beyond the fact that it covers politically motivated attacks, with suspected shooter Tyler Robinson’s politics and online habits highly debated.

Chastain, a star and executive producer of the show who spent five years on the project, released a statement on Instagram.

The actor stated she ‘values’ her partnership with Apple, praising them as collaborators, but added that they were ‘not aligned on the decision to pause the release of The Savant’.

She went on to say: “These incidents, though far from encompassing the full range of violence witnessed in the United States.”

She then pointed to several shocking incidents of political violence in the US, noting the assassination attempts on Donald Trump, the death of Charlie Kirk, 300 school shootings which took place over the last five years, and the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

She stated these ‘illustrate a broader mindset that crosses the political spectrum and must be confronted.’

Chastain went on to add: “I’ve never shied away from difficult subjects, and while I wish this show wasn’t so relevant, unfortunately, it is.

“The Savant is about the heroes who work every day to stop violence before it happens, and honouring their courage feels more urgent than ever.

“While I respect Apple’s decision to pause the release for now, I remain hopeful the show will reach audiences soon.

“Until then, I’m wishing safety and strength for everyone, and I’ll let you know if and when The Savant is released.”

The show was pulled from schedules and does not currently have a release date, with a spokesperson for Apple TV+ saying: “After careful consideration, we have made the decision to postpone The Savant. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to releasing the series at a future date.”

The series is based on a Cosmopolitan article titled ‘Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens?’

This details a real-life woman that Chastain’s character is based upon, who was named ‘The Savant’ for her ability to sense whether threats made online are real or idle threats.

This marks a recent wariness among companies to offend potential conservative audiences, most notable in the decision by ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's TV show for his comments following Kirk’s death, though the host has since made a return.

LADbible Group have contacted Apple TV+ for comment.