Actress Odessa A’zion found herself pulled into another round of internet discourse after a resurfaced screenshot sparked accusations of her being a Zionist.
The I Love LA and Marty Supreme actress addressed claims that she was a Zionist, and the response quickly spread across social platforms.
The controversy stemmed from a 2017 online listing that appeared to show A’zion selling a T-shirt bearing an IDF logo. Because the image dated back to her teenage years, many viewers questioned whether it reflected youthful ignorance or something more deliberate. Still, the timing mattered little to critics who wanted a clearer explanation.
A’zion responded directly in the comments of an Instagram reel discussing the screenshot. She flatly denied the allegation, stating simply that she was “not a zio.”
Readers focused less on the denial and more on what she did not say, with much of the backlash centering on her use of the term “zio.”
“The term ‘Zio’ was first used by white supremacists on social media in place of ‘Jew’ to avoid being banned for hate speech. Its cover allowed violent antisemites, like former KKK leader David Duke, to maintain their platforms while still sharing hateful rhetoric,” explained @JewishonCampus_. “‘Zio’ allows antisemitic conspiracies to spread under the impression that only Zionists are being discussed, not Jews.”
Some people challenged the actress’s explanation almost immediately. On X, @jadeInfusIon tweeted, “I think selling idf shirts as a teenager deserves more of an explanation than just “not a zio❤️’”
At the same time, several users defended A’zion and criticized the internet’s fixation. @hecbellerin tweeted, “hate that she even has to do this. if people actually cared about palestine instead of fan wars they wouldn’t use the term zionist so loosely (literally against someone who clearly supports palestine)”
Meanwhile, others noted that the original post predated her acting career, though the lack of elaboration left room for interpretation. This caused the discussion to shift away from the shirt itself and toward her wording and background.
@harrishako wrote, “All because of her last name lol,” while @BHNoventa added, “Literally just her name is why they think this.”
That observation tied into longer-running claims about nepotism, given that A’zion’s stage name is a combination of her middle name, Zion, and her family’s name. Although she works under the name Odessa A’zion, she was born Odessa Adlon.
Her mother, Pamela Adlon, and her father, filmmaker Felix Adlon, both had established careers in the film industry.
@Jonesy________ joked, “Odessa A’Zion changed her name to avoid Nepo Baby allegations and now they frying her name lmaoo.”
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