Snow White has become a lightning rod for modern cultural debates. From the moment it was announced, the film faced backlash on nearly every front. Initially, critics took issue with it being yet another unnecessary live-action adaptation. Then, the controversy shifted to the casting choices — and that’s when the floodgates opened.
At first, it seemed as though casting Rachel Zegler was considered a grave offense by some. It was genuinely baffling to see how unsettled certain people were over a 23-year-old Latina-American actress being chosen to play Snow White — backlash that felt entirely uncalled for. Now, however, calls to shelve the movie have come forward, and interestingly, these aren’t due to Zegler or the live-action format but because of Gal Gadot — and here’s why.
Why do people hate Gal Gadot?
Gal Gadot is currently facing backlash due to her affiliation with her home country, Israel, and her vocal support for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Given the current tense geopolitical atmosphere in the Middle East, many fans are opposing the promotion and marketing of a film starring a former Israeli soldier, using social media as a platform to voice their concerns — especially fans who have been wanting to support Zegler all this time.
On the one hand, the fans want to stand behind the rising Hollywood actress, especially after the hateful comments she’s endured since being cast as Snow White. On the other hand, they hesitate to support a project that cast Gadot. This is a complicated dilemma, where choosing to separate the art from the artist becomes increasingly challenging, especially when the artist’s personal beliefs and actions clash with one’s own values.
This sentiment intensified today with the release of the film’s trailer, which gave fans their first real glimpse of the Snow White live-action adaptation after months of teasers. The trailer showed Zegler as Snow White, Gadot as the Evil Queen, and Andrew Burnap as Prince Jonathan. However, soon after its release, users on X reignited the controversy, and the excitement for the trailer was quickly overshadowed by fans’ unease with Gadot’s role.
Social media quickly became a space for this internal conflict to play out, with one user encapsulating the struggle perfectly, tweeting: “Wanting to support Rachel Zegler but wanting Gal Gadot to fail.” Another shared: “My excitement would be a lot higher if the Evil Queen wasn’t played by f****** Gal Gadot.”
For those who may not know, Gal Gadot was born in Petah Tikva, Israel, and grew up in Rosh HaAyin, another city in Israel. The 39-year-old actress once told the Sydney Morning Herald that she was raised in a “very Jewish, Israeli family environment.” Given the current state of affairs in the Middle East, her background and outspoken support for Israel has not sat well with fans advocating for Palestine amid the ongoing conflict, which traces its roots back to the late 19th century.
On top of that, Gadot served as a combat fitness instructor in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during her mandatory two-year military service. While conscription is obligatory in Israel, Gadot has been vocal in her support of the IDF and Israel for years. Her past, combined with her frequently criticized acting abilities, suggests that this film may fall short of the commercial success Hollywood had anticipated.