Speaking to an Israeli audience, Gadot, who served in the IDF, continued: “I can always explain and try to give context about what’s happening here, and I always do that.
“But in the end, people make their own decisions. And I was disappointed the movie was so affected and it didn’t succeed at the box office. But that’s how it goes.”
After speaking in Hebrew, Gadot switched to English to conclude: “You win some, you lose some.”
When Snow White opened in cinemas, it grossed $42 million domestically and around $100 million worldwide – far below expectations given the film’s $269 million budget.
Gadot’s comments follow controversy surrounding the film’s cast, including co-star Rachel Zegler, who played the title role. Zegler, vocal on social media about the war in Gaza, faced backlash for her posts, including statements like “free Palestine” and a comment that Trump voters should “never know peace”.
She later apologised in an Instagram story, writing: “Hatred and anger have caused us to move further and further away from peace and understanding, and I am sorry I contributed to the negative discourse.”
Podcaster Jonah Platt – son of the film’s producer Marc Platt – publicly criticised Zegler for injecting “personal politics” into the film’s promotion and said his father flew to New York to “reprimand” her for doing so.
Rumours had circulated of tension between Gadot and Zegler over their opposing views on Israel-Palestine, but Gadot pushed back on those claims in her interview.
“I enjoyed working with Rachel Zegler. I laughed, talked and had fun,” she said.
Thinly drawn: Gal Gadot as the queen Photo: Disney[Missing Credit]
As her interview gained attention online, Gadot clarified her remarks in an Instagram post: “Sometimes we respond to questions from an emotional place. When the film came out, I felt that those who are against Israel criticised me in a very personal, almost visceral way. They saw me first and foremost as an Israeli, not as an actress. That’s the perspective I spoke from when I answered the question.”
She added: “Of course, the film didn’t fail solely because of external pressures. There are many factors that determine why a film succeeds or fails, and success is never guaranteed.”
Gadot recently made history as the first Israeli actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but anti-Israel demonstrators protested nearby and later the star was defaced with the words “baby killer”. The graffiti was removed by a pair of Israelis visiting the site.
When Gadot was filming a new project in London called The Runner, anti-Israel protesters arrived to demonstrate against her.
Five people were arrested in the wake of the disruptive protests.
