An exclusive poll for Newsweek revealed that 48 percent of people believe Jonah Hill's text message scandal shows evidence of "controlling behavior" in his relationship with ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady.
The poll, which was carried out for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, has shed light on the public's view of the Hollywood actor as the debate continues over whether the manner in which he allegedly communicated with his ex was appropriate.
Starting on July 7, Brady, a surf instructor and model, shared multiple screenshots of the texts on Instagram that she presented as having come from Hill. She alleged that Hill was "emotionally abusive" during their relationship. The couple went public with the relationship in August 2021 and split up in 2022.
"This is a warning to all girls. If your partner is talking to you like this, make an exit plan. Call me if you need an ear," Brady captioned one post. She also shared text messages that allegedly showed Hill requesting that she remove surfing photos from her Instagram account that showed her "a** in a thong." Brady appeared to initially comply with Hill's purported requests.
Hill has yet to publicly address the allegations. Newsweek has contacted a Hill representative via email for comment.
The stream of text messages and accompanying allegations shared by Brady saw countless people weigh in with their opinions on social media and beyond. Many criticized the You People star for what they saw as controlling behavior, while others defended him for what the actor himself allegedly described as setting out his "boundaries."
As Hill maintains his silence on the matter, people have spoken up and shared their views. Of the 1,500 American adults polled online between July 25 and 26, 42 percent ranged between very familiar to slightly familiar with the text message scandal, while 58 percent answered that they were "not at all familiar" with it.
When asked to what extent, if at all, they approved of or disapproved of Brady's decision to publicly release the text messages in question, 24 percent said they strongly approved and 33 percent said they approved.
Broken down by gender, 25 percent of the men polled strongly approved, compared to 24 percent of women. Men also had the edge among respondents in the approve category, with a 36 percent share to 30 percent of women.
Twenty-six percent of respondents said they neither approved nor disapproved of the release of the message, 9 percent said they disapproved, 4 percent said they strongly disapproved, while 4 percent said they didn't know.
When asked to select from a range of statements that they felt best summed up their views on the text messages, 48 percent voted that they showed "evidence of controlling behavior by Hill." Fifty-two percent of male respondents held this view, compared to 43 percent of women.
Millennials—those born between 1981 and 1996—were the largest group to hold this view, with 53 percent backing the statement. They were trailed by Generation X (1965-1980) with 44 percent, closely followed by Boomers (1946-1964) and the Silent Generation (1928-1945), with a collective total of 43 percent, and Generation Z (1997-2012) at 41 percent.
Meanwhile, 37 percent of respondents said they felt that the text messages showed that Hill "was simply setting relationship boundaries" in his alleged statements to Brady. Women led with this point of view, with 38 percent agreeing with the statement, compared to 35 percent of men.
Making up the remaining numbers, 16 percent of respondents said that they didn't know what their feelings were on the matter.
Generation Z dominated the pack when it came to respondents who believed that Hill was setting boundaries in his relationship, with 51 percent responding as such. Millennials and Generation X were tied on this viewpoint at 34 percent, while Boomers and the Silent Generation stood at 19 percent.
Brady continued to speak out for several days about her relationship with Hill on social media, saying they communicated as friends for months after their split.
Their final message exchange took place on August 31, 2022, she said, after Hill told her he had started a new romantic relationship. Brady's earliest timestamped posts were dated October 12, 2021.
"It may seem as if I am sharing a lot, but you all have no idea how much more there is which I am choosing not to share out of consideration for him and his family," Brady wrote on Instagram in July.
Brady also recently wrote in Instagram Story posts that her "intention was not to cancel" Hill with the public sharing of her allegations.
In one post, dated December 2, 2021, Hill is alleged to have written to Brady: "If you need: surfing with men, boundaryless inappropriate friendships with men, to model, to post pictures of yourself in a bathing suit, to post sexual pictures, friendships with women who are in unstable places and from your wild recent past beyond getting a lunch or coffee or something respectful, I am not the right partner for you."
"If these things bring you to a place of happiness I support it and there will be no hard feelings," the message continued. "These are my boundaries for romantic partnership. My boundaries with you based on the ways these actions have hurt our trust."
Evan Nierman, CEO of Red Banyan Crisis PR and author of The Cancel Culture Curse, believes Hill has so far done the right thing in maintaining his public silence, as the lingering echoes of the scandal play out on social media.
Nierman told Newsweek that the actor "has no obligation to comment about the text messages, especially since so much of what he said to his ex-girlfriend is now in the public domain thanks to her sharing their private conversations."
Despite the avalanche of headlines and trending discussions surrounding Brady's claims, Nierman doesn't foresee any lasting damage for Hill, from a PR standpoint.
"While many journalists are seizing upon a narrative that paints Hill in a very negative light, I do not expect this to impact his reputation long-term," he said. "In my view, a reading of the messages does not provide confirmation of the most serious allegations against him."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
