An incident in New York City’s Times Square has sparked controversy after filmmaker Lexi Alexander responded to the tragic death of Bank of America executive Erin Piacenti. Piacenti was fatally stabbed in her first week back at work after maternity leave. The attacker, who also injured another person, was shot dead by police.
Alexander, known for directing films such as “Green Street Hooligans” and “Punisher: War Zone,” drew attention on social media with a post including an image of Batman staring at a bat signal replaced with the face of Luigi Mangione, accused of assassinating a CEO. Her post was labeled “sensitive content” but remains on her account.
Critics of Alexander’s post argue it was insensitive. She dismissed these critics, suggesting they were part of “hasbara,” an Israeli PR operation. She connected it to previous calls to boycott Bank of America due to its support for Israel, stating, “Israel doesn’t care about the woman who got killed, they care about the positive rating BofA gave them in the middle of a genocide.”
Her comments reflect the support Luigi Mangione received after allegedly killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024. Journalist Douglas Murray discussed the trend of justifying violent acts during a “America’s Newsroom” appearance, stating, “Do people have the right, or should they be justified, in taking things into their own hands and murdering other Americans in cold blood on the street?”
Police are investigating the motive behind the attack, with authorities noting the suspect’s history of mental illness. Fox News Digital reached out to Alexander for comment regarding her reaction.