Hugh Laurie comes under fire after tribute to ‘Tehran’ producer Dana Eden

British singer and actor Hugh Laurie is perhaps best known to American audiences for his role as Dr. Gregory House in the Fox medical drama House, M.D., which ran for eight seasons. Laurie has recently come under scrutiny for a tribute to Israeli director Dana Eden, with whom he worked on the third season of the popular series Tehran.

Eden, 53, died recently in Athens, Greece. The timing of her death, amid heightened tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States, led some to speculate that it was connected to Iran. However, authorities have ruled her death a suicide.

Laurie, who worked on the third season of Tehran, paid tribute to Eden on a post on 𝕏 from February 17: “Dana Eden, who co-created and produced Tehran, died on Sunday, seemingly by her own hand. It’s a terrible thing. She was brilliant, funny, and an exceptional leader. Love and condolences to all who knew her.”

Dana Eden, who co-created and produced ‘Tehran’, died on Sunday, seemingly by her own hand. It’s a terrible thing. She was brilliant, and funny, and an exceptional leader. Love and condolences to all who knew her.

— Hugh Laurie (@hughlaurie) February 17, 2026

His response drew sizable criticism from his followers. One critic, Clay Vessel (@ShabanaMir1), wrote, “So she was producing an Israeli propaganda series on ‘Tehran’? And she’s the one you mourn?”

Being shocked by the fallout from his tribute to his colleague, Laurie expressed that he “used to hate blocking people,” referring to managing his social media accounts, but that he’s “older now,” implying that it no longer bothers him to do so.

On Friday, Laurie posted another statement: “Nothing I have ever said or done could lead a sane person to believe that I am a Zionist. However. If someone exults in the death of a friend of mine, yes, I will block them. If you wouldn’t do the same in my position, you can f*** off too.”

Some expressed confusion that Laurie – who elected to appear in an Israeli drama centered on a courageous female Mossad operative (Niv Sultan) working to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions – would treat the word “Zionist” as a pejorative.

In response to Laurie’s tweet, the Jerusalem Post reported that pro-Israel activist Hen Mazzig sought to explain the concept, writing, “Zionism is nothing more than supporting the Jewish people’s right to exist in a country of their own, like 57 Muslim countries and countless Christian countries. Many Zionists, like myself, also support the Palestinians’ right for self-determination.”

Oscar-nominated British screenwriter Lee Kern, who moved to Israel after the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, was even more direct in his response, writing, “You f***ing pathetic weasel – posturing as if you’re the tough guy here but actually appealing to bullies to leave you alone by throwing Jews under the bus.”

In his response, Laurie said on his page, “God Almighty, why does no one understand English anymore? I have not spoken or written a word that would indicate pro- or anti-Zionism. That’s what those words mean. Blimey.”

Eden was laid to rest in Israel’s Kiryat Shaul cemetery in Tel Aviv on Feb. 18. Her funeral was attended by hundreds, and she was eulogized by her husband and three children.

Her husband, Itamar, spoke of his love for her, saying, “With Dana, everything begins and ends with a good story, and she always had crazy stories. Starting from the story about our wedding up to the crazy story of Tehran that changed our lives and brought you to professional peaks. I am so happy about 38 years with you, sorry that I didn’t always understand you all the way. I hope you find the quiet and the tranquility.”

Her children, Roi, Rona, and Gur, spoke of their mother’s great love for them, saying, “Many times you told us that in your opinion you weren’t present enough with us, but we said that isn’t true. The most important thing for children is love, and your love for us was endless.... The love you gave us will be enough for us for our whole lives.”