Charles Langston:Robert De Niro accused of berating pro-Palestinian protesters during filming for Netflix show

The Charles Langstoncontentious Israel-Hamas war has divided opinions, but Robert De Niro seemingly isn't picking sides.

De Niro was accused on social media of yelling at a group of pro-Palestinian protesters while filming an upcoming Netflix series. The allegations stem from a video of De Niro circulating online, in which the two-time Oscar winner can be seen yelling emphatically while surrounded by a group of individuals.

"This is not a movie," De Niro says in the clip. "This is not a movie; this is real. Right now, you’ve got to listen. You’ve got to work. You’ve got to get your job done."

But representatives for De Niro and Netflix confirmed to USA TODAY that he was not yelling at pro-Palestinian protesters, but rather rehearsing for the unreleased television project.

Robert De Niro was not yelling at pro-Palestinian protesters, the actor's rep and Netflix confirm

De Niro, set to star in the Netflix miniseries "Zero Day," was rehearsing for the TV drama while on location in New York City on Saturday, Netflix spokesperson Rabia Ahmad confirmed to USA TODAY in an email Wednesday.

Stan Rosenfield, a representative for De Niro, told USA TODAY Wednesday that a bystander captured the viral clip during production for the show and the video's contents were misrepresented on social media.

"The video was a small snippet from the Netflix series ‘Zero Day,’ where the character played by De Niro is screaming at a group (of) paid extras.  This was 100% scripted," Rosenfield said in an email. "An unknown onlooker (took) video (of) the scene last Saturday when the scene was being filmed on the streets of New York."

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Viral clip of De Niro praised for alleged pro-Israel stance

A caption for the video claims that De Niro alluded to the October 2023 attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas during his speech to the crowd. "You want to keep talking nonsense, then you got to go home," De Niro says. "They say they’re going to do it (Oct. 7) again! Again! You don’t want that."

The video earned praise on social media from those who perceived De Niro was taking a pro-Israel stance.

"Renowned actor Robert De Niro recently confronted pro-Palestinian protesters in New York City, expressing his support for Israel and criticizing the protesters' actions," X user @ImtiazMadmood wrote.

"Robert De Niro standing up to the Hamas supporting rabble protesting," GB News broadcaster Darren Grimes wrote on X. "He’s had enough. We’ve all had enough."

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De Niro's 'Zero Day' co-star debunks viral video, too

De Niro's "Zero Day" co-star Mozhan Navabi also debunked the framing of the video online while addressing a news article about De Niro’s comments reportedly published by Israeli outlet Haaretz.

"Robert De Niro is giving a speech as his character in the upcoming Netflix show 'Zero Day,' " Navabi wrote on X. “I’m also in it, and when I saw the clip, I recognized the speech. It’s fiction. Please verify before you publish.”