Is Nicole Avant, a stalwart supporter of the Obamas and longtime LA democrat changing her political stripes?
Sources spotted Avant — who is married to Netflix boss Ted Sarandos and was a finance co-chair of Barack Obama‘s 2008 Presidential Campaign and former ambassador to the Bahamas during the Obama Administration — at a private event last week for California GOP gubernatorial frontrunner Steve Hilton.
We hear that the event — which was not a fundraiser, but more of a roundtable with a focus on Hilton’s plans to revive California’s film and television industry — was held at the home of Nathalie Marciano, a film producer and the ex-wife of Guess co-founder Maurice Marciano.
Nicole Avant and her husband, Netflix CEO, Ted Sarandos on the red carpet of the Oscars. Disney via Getty Images The mere presence of Avant at a GOP gathering has raised eyebrows in Hollywood’s Democratic donor circles especially as the state’s Gubernatorial race tightens in the wake of congressman’s Eric Swalwell’s exit following sexual assault allegations which he has denied. Hilton, a former Fox News host and onetime aid to UK Prime Minister David Cameron, was in Pomona Tuesday night squaring off against fellow GOP candidate and Riverside County sheriff Chad Bianco along with a crowded field of Democratic candidates including billionaire Tom Steyer, former state attorney general Xavier Becerra, Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and public schools superintendent Tony Thurmond.
Avant is LA royalty. Her parents were famed philanthropist Jacqueline Avant and the late music producer and activist Clarence Avant. This wouldn’t be the first time she has broken with the Democratic establishment. She supported Rick Caruso in the 2022 LA mayoral race shortly after her mother Jacqueline was tragically killed during a 2021 home invasion. After Trump’s 2024 win, she scolded fellow Democrats telling them to stop “whining all the time.”
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images But any potential support Avant gave to Hilton would be particularly noteworthy because of the endorsement Hilton received from President Trump. Hilton does have a personal tie to Netflix. His wife, Rachel Whetstone is a prominent public relations executive who has held a senior communications role at a number of top tech companies including Netflix.
A source tells us that Avant does know Hilton, but is not endorsing or backing any candidate at this time. A Netflix rep did not comment.
Later today Hilton, along with Gloria Romero who is running for Lieutenant Governor will present his “Bring Hollywood Home” Plan at an event he is holding at Hollywood’s Cinerama Dome (the iconic venue that has been closed since the early days of the pandemic).
Hilton’s pitch to Hollywood comes as he and his competition have been pledging to fix LA’s decline in production. Steyer held a Hollywood roundtable at IATSE’s headquarters last week, and Steyer, Mahan and Villaraigosa want to expand the $750 million California film tax credit.
