“But I can carry the hate as long as it leads to change.”
“I had no friends.
I had never gone to college.
Julia Haart on Netflix’s ‘My Unorthodox Life’.Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
I didn’t know anyone.
They become drug addicts.
And then my community says, ‘Oh, you see, they were messed up.
That’s why they left.’
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:What made you want to tell your story in such a public way?
JULIA HAART:It took me eight years before I got up the courage to tell my story.
I had to change my phone number since the show has come out.
I’ve had death threats.
And I felt that it was something I have to do.
What was most on your mind as you were filming the series?
I wanted to make certain and clear that I love being a Jew.
I had one young woman tell me that because of the show, she decided not to commit suicide.
And then there are the death threats.
It’s never pleasant but if you attack fundamentalism, fundamentalism is going to attack.
That’s a mission that extends to your professional life as well.
When I took over Elite World Group, we transformed it into a talent media conglomerate.
They’re the media.
They get financial independence for the first time.
What do you want to say to those who don’t share your criticisms of your former community?
And, as I say very often, this isn’t a happiness contest.
I certainly cannot speak for every person.
If they want to attack people who point a light…
The reality of the world I lived in was that the laws are unjust.
The fact that a man can divorce his wife for any reason.
She burned his food, that’s the reason for divorce.
If he doesn’t like the perfume she wears, that’s the reason for the divorce.
It’s literally written into the law.
But a husband could beat a woman and she’s not allowed to divorce him.
That’s the law there.
And that law is wrong.
Let’s not make it about anger.
Let’s say, “Hey, this is a beautiful world.
And there are some laws there that are wrong.”
Women were treated like this everywhere 300 years ago.
But in the last 300 years, the laws in the outside world have changed.
These laws can change too.
I can carry the hate as long as it leads to change.
It’s all worth it.
My Unorthodox Lifeis currently streaming on Netflix.Brazenis available for pre-order now.
