Gal Gadot Drops Bombshell on Hollywood: Did Anti-Israel Sentiment Doom Disney’s ‘Snow White’?

Gal Gadot, the Israeli superstar best known for her iconic turn as Wonder Woman, has set off a firestorm in Hollywood and beyond after clarifying her controversial remarks linking Disney’s catastrophic “Snow White” box office flop to rising anti-Israel sentiment in the entertainment industry.

What started as a bold accusation has now morphed into a personal reflection, leaving fans, critics, and industry insiders scrambling to decode the real reason why the film that was supposed to be a billion-dollar juggernaut ended up as one of Disney’s most humiliating financial failures in recent memory.

At first, Gadot was direct: she told an Israeli talk show that the political climate following the Hamas terror attacks on Israel in October 2023 spilled into Hollywood and unfairly tainted her role as the Evil Queen in Disney’s high-profile live-action remake of “Snow White.” She claimed that the pressure on celebrities to denounce Israel cast a long shadow over her career, and by extension, the movie itself.

To many, her comments sounded like a rare moment of Hollywood honesty—an actress pulling back the curtain on how politics can sabotage art and commerce alike.

But now, Gadot has softened her words, posting on Instagram that her earlier claims were deeply personal, not meant to suggest political hostility was the sole culprit.

“Sometimes we respond to questions from an emotional place,” Gadot admitted.

“When the film came out, I felt that those who are against Israel criticized me in a very personal, almost visceral way.

They saw me, first and foremost, as an Israeli, not as an actress.”

This raw confession highlights the broader question: Was Disney’s downfall with “Snow White” really about politics, or was it just another miscalculated reboot drowning in controversy?

The Box Office Bloodbath

The numbers speak volumes.

With a staggering budget between $240 and $270 million, “Snow White” was expected to be another billion-dollar cash cow for Disney.

Instead, it scraped together a humiliating $205.6 million worldwide, not even covering its production costs—let alone the hundreds of millions spent on marketing.

For Disney, a studio already facing criticism for woke casting choices and a string of underwhelming live-action remakes, the financial disaster could not have come at a worse time.

Fans were already skeptical of Rachel Zegler’s casting as the iconic Snow White.

Critics accused Disney of disregarding the original fairy tale by casting a Latina actress in a role historically depicted as pale-skinned.

Zegler herself didn’t help matters: she infamously trashed the original 1937 animated film as “dated,” saying the prince was essentially a stalker.

Her remarks spread like wildfire online, sparking calls to boycott the film.

Disney’s supposed family-friendly image clashed with Zegler’s outspoken political views, including her vocal support for Palestine and her anti-Trump Instagram rant after the 2024 election.

Meanwhile, Gadot—who should have been a shining star in the role of the Evil Queen—was swept up in her own storm of backlash.

A vocal supporter of Israel, Gadot faced torrents of online abuse, death threats, and even protests that interrupted her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in March 2024.

For many viewers, the spectacle around the film became more about politics than magic.

Gal Gadot’s Personal Pain

Gadot’s decision to revisit her words reveals just how personal the attacks felt.

“I was sure this movie was going to be a huge hit.

And then it happened,” she said, referring to the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel.

“What followed, as you know, what happened a lot in various industries, including Hollywood, there’s pressure on celebrities to speak against Israel.”

It’s a startling admission.

In a town where silence is often safer than honesty, Gadot’s remarks underscore the heavy toll that geopolitics can take on artists.

Though she has now insisted that external pressures were not the only reason for “Snow White’s” collapse, her words expose the fragile balance stars must maintain in an industry quick to punish the politically unfashionable.

“I was disappointed the movie was so affected and it didn’t succeed at the box office,” Gadot said.

“That’s how it goes.

You win some, you lose some.”

Rachel Zegler’s Role in the Chaos

While Gadot has drawn sympathy for her vulnerability, Rachel Zegler has faced the opposite.

The “West Side Story” actress seemed to alienate nearly everyone.

Her disdainful comments about Disney’s original Snow White alienated nostalgic fans, while her vocal political posts split the audience further.

To make matters worse, she openly clashed with Gadot on set, with insiders saying the two had “nothing in common” and barely got along during filming.

Their lack of chemistry seeped into the marketing campaign, which often showcased awkward and stilted interviews between the pair.

The film’s collapse was not just a box office story—it became a cultural war flashpoint.

To the right, “Snow White” was another example of Disney’s pandering to woke politics at the expense of storytelling.

To the left, it was a messy distraction that showcased how personal identities and political allegiances overshadowed the art.

Disney’s Endless Identity Crisis

Disney’s live-action remakes have been struggling for years, with critics accusing the company of recycling old classics instead of innovating.

“Snow White” was supposed to be different: a feminist reinvention of the timeless fairy tale, fronted by diverse stars and marketed as a bold step forward.

Instead, it ended up as the poster child for everything wrong with Disney’s current strategy.

The backlash over Zegler’s comments, combined with Gadot’s politicized controversy, made “Snow White” less of a film and more of a battlefield.

Instead of uniting families in wonder, Disney divided its audience before the movie even premiered.

The Fallout for Gadot

For Gal Gadot, the stakes remain high.

She is still one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces, but her brand has taken a hit.

Once universally beloved as Wonder Woman, she now finds herself caught between her loyalty to her homeland and the fickle demands of Hollywood’s political winds.

She has had to increase security due to death threats.

She has been attacked by both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters.

And now, she is forced to clarify comments that, while heartfelt, may have inadvertently blamed audiences for rejecting the film.

Yet, in her vulnerability, Gadot may have stumbled onto the truth that Disney won’t admit: “Snow White” didn’t just fail because of politics, but politics played a role.

It was a perfect storm—poor marketing, controversial stars, political backlash, and a bloated budget.

What’s Next?

The “Snow White” disaster is more than just a failed film—it’s a cautionary tale.

Disney, once the king of the box office, is now adrift, struggling to navigate the treacherous waters of cultural politics.

Gadot and Zegler, once hailed as the future of Hollywood royalty, are now lightning rods for criticism.

In clarifying her remarks, Gal Gadot has shown rare candor in a city that thrives on spin.

She may have softened her claim, but her words expose a painful reality: in modern Hollywood, who you are and what you believe can matter more than the role you play.

And in the case of “Snow White,” that reality may have turned a fairy tale into a nightmare.