Michael Malarkey, best known for his role as Enzo St. John in The Vampire Diaries, urges fans to stop supporting Starbucks products during a live interview. The famous coffee chain is only one of the many companies that have faced boycotts from pro-Palestinian supporters over its perceived support for Israel.
This is not an entirely new controversy, but it has received renewed attention after the actor’s latest move. The audience applauded Malarkey for his courage to speak up.
Michael Malarkey Calls for Boycott of Starbucks Products
In a video shared by TRT World on YouTube, actor and musician Michael Malarkey was seen sitting onstage while doing an interview. He picked up his cup of coffee, and as soon as he recognized that it was from Starbucks, he stood up and walked across the stage to discard it. He told the fans:
I am sorry, I didn’t realize that was Starbucks coffee. I do not drink Starbucks coffee. I boycott Starbucks, and you all should, too.
At the end of the video clip, fans are heard clapping and cheering for what the actor did. This is not the first time Malarkey has spoken about the issue of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
During his interview with MintPress News, he spoke about his background and how he and his family left his birthplace after Israel’s 1982 invasion of Beirut. Israel invaded the area to counter the attacks from Palestinian groups, and they remained in several parts of Lebanon until 2000.
Everything was kicking off around that time, and my family, we had to run around. We had bombs going off. There were shells flying in the windows, and we had to flee.
He admitted not clearly remembering all of it as he was only a year old then, but his mother exhibited signs of PTSD and she was still suffering from it. Malarkey rarely spoke about this because he believed he did not know enough. As he grew older, he started feeling his connection again with his Arab roots.
The Vampire Diaries actor is only one of the many celebrities who have been urging fans to boycott Starbucks and other companies that have shown support for Israel.
Starbucks Denies Any Involvement With Israel
Starbucks has faced a crisis over the past year after it came under fire for its alleged connection with Israel. As per NDTV, the issue started with a letter claiming the coffee company was funding the Israeli military. The news gained traction on social media, and later on these platforms were bombarded with various hashtags promoting a boycott of the beverage enterprise.
The company has repeatedly denied allegations of supporting Israel or any military operation in the Middle East. On its website, they wrote, “We’ve always condemned violence against the innocent,” and that they are committed to providing a safe place for everyone. The outlet revealed that Starbucks suffered from declining sales and that they had to fire employees.
