Back from her widely criticized appearance to celebrate the controversial Chechen president, Hilary Swank has begun to fire those responsible for arranging her visit.
The U.K.’s Independent newspaper reported that Swank fired her friend and manager of eight years, Jason Weinberg, whom she thanked during her speech after winning the best actress Oscar for “Million Dollar Baby.”
The two-time, Oscar-winning actress had accepted a six-figure fee for her gushing happy birthday wish to Chechnya’s autocratic President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is accused of the torture of dissidents, political assassinations and encouraging citizens to abuse immodestly dressed women.
The moves come three weeks after human rights groups blasted Swank, along with Jean-Claude Van Damme, violinist Vanessa Mae and singer Seal, for attending the 35th birthday party of Chechnya's president. Swank pledged to donate her fee to “various charitable organizations,” and said “[she] deeply regrets attending.”
Prior to the event, Weinberg, whose clients include Madonna, Demi Moore and Lindsay Lohan, reportedly told New York-based organization Human Rights Foundation that Hilary “had no plans to attend.”
Creative Arts Agency reps Amie Yavor, Josh Lieberman, who traveled with Hilary to the event, also received their pink slips, and were pulled off of Swank's team. But it looks like Swank has no plans to end her relationship with CAA, since her partner of five years, John Campisi, works for the agency.