Rumors are intensifying that there is a feud brewing between Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, the stars of the woke new live-action Snow White remake.
Amid the movie’s spiraling PR disaster – intensified by Zegler’s unfiltered public statements – she and Gadot have been trailed by a persistent stream of speculation that they do not get along behind the scenes.
American star Zegler, 23, plays the lead while Israeli actress Gadot, 39, is the Evil Queen – but their on-screen enmity appears to have spilled out into real life, owing partly to their opposing stances on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Zegler has been vocal about her support for Palestine amid the devastation in Gaza, while Gadot – who formerly served in the IDF – is staunchly pro-Israel.
From a ‘secret’ European premiere held in Spain with Zegler the only star in attendance to rumors of cast clashes, the promo tour has so far been a bumpy one.
Now another source has added grist to the mill, pointing out the sharp contrasts between the two women both politically and personally to People.
Rumors are intensifying that there is a feud brewing between Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, who are pictured at the Oscars earlier this month
Later this week, the cast will return to the States, with Zegler and Gadot expected attend a pre-party and screening at Los Angeles’ El Capitan Theatre
The insider claimed Zegler, at her tender age, ‘has nothing in common with Gal Gadot, a mom of four kids. On top of that, their political views differ, adding to the tension.’
Eyebrows were raised when Disney skipped a UK premiere in favor of a VIP event in a remote Spanish castle with limited press, at which Gadot was noticeably absent.
Zegler jetted off to a remote castle in Segovia, Spain, to perform for around 100 select ‘VIPs’ which included influencers.
Rather than the usual list of major news outlets flocking to the event, local Spanish influencers and families from the small city of Segovia, which boasts a population of just 51,000, were among the chosen ‘VIPs’ in attendance.
Zegler’s co-star Gadot was also absent, with only director Marc Webb accompanying Zegler to the event.
Later this week, the cast will return to the States, with Zegler and Gadot expected attend a pre-party and screening at Los Angeles’ El Capitan Theatre on March 15, where ‘coverage will be limited to photographers and a house crew’.
‘Disney is leaning towards having influencers to interview Rachel and Gal for promotion days on Sunday and Monday,’ an industry insider told Page Six. ‘They want to concentrate on the content.’
Rumors of a feud between Zegler and Gadot was sparked after the pair were both vocal in their support for opposite sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
From a ‘secret’ European premiere held in Spain with Zegler the only star in attendance (Pictured) to rumours of cast feuds, its promotional tour has so far been a bumpy one
It came to a head when the Snow White teaser trailer was released last summer and some fans took issue with the casting.
Some were baffled by the decision to cast a Latina actress to portray the famously ‘fair-skinned’ character who is known for being ‘as white as snow’.
Others took issue with casting Jewish-Israeli actress Gadot amid the current war – with pro-Palestine viewers claiming her inclusion calls for a boycott while conversely pro-Israel viewers claimed it was offensive to cast her in an ‘evil’ role.
Flames were then fanned when Zegler shared the trailer on her own social media channels and thanked fans for sending her support.
In a follow-up tweet, she penned: ‘and always remember, free Palestine.’
American star Zegler, 23, plays the titular lead in the remake while Israeli actress Gadot, 39, plays the Evil Queen
Eyebrows were raised when Disney skipped a UK premiere in favour of a VIP event in a remote Spanish castle with limited press – with Gadot noticeably absent
Zegler has publicly taken a pro-Palestinian stance since 2021, sharing several tweets and posts urging fans to donate to emergency aid for Gaza.
Speaking to Variety, Zegler previously said: ‘I can’t watch children die. I don’t think that should be a hot take.’
Yet some Israeli publications took exception to Zegler’s plea for a ‘free Palestine’ and suggested she had insulted Gadot.
While Gadot – who served in the IDF for two years, including during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war – did not respond publicly to Zegler’s comment, she raised eyebrows with a post of her own after the trailer was released.
She posted on her Instagram story a photo of Martin Luther King Jr. with his quote: ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.’
Above the image, she wrote: ‘Only love can save the world.’
Flames were then fanned when Zegler shared the trailer on her own social media channels and thanked fans for sending her support, adding: ‘and always remember, free palestine’
While Gadot – who served in the IDF for two years, including during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war (pictured) – did not respond publicly to Zegler’s comment, she raised eyebrows with a post of her own after the trailer was released
While Gadot did not respond publicly to Zegler’s comment she raised eyebrows with a post of her own after the trailer was released, posting about love ‘driving out hate’
Gadot appeared to make a pointed dig at Zegler with her X account briefly reposting a tweet that read: ‘Trying to campaign on the head of your co-star, who actually lives through war, just so you’ll look cooler with the kids, is really pathetic’
Days later she appeared to make a pointed dig at Zegler.
According to Times of Israel reporter Amy Spiro, Gadot’s X account briefly reposted a tweet that read ‘Trying to campaign on the head of your co-star, who actually lives through war, just so you’ll look cooler with the kids, is really pathetic.’
While Gadot and Zegler have made it clear they have opposing views on Israel-Palestine they have not spoken out about any supposed feud between the pair.
Miss Israel 2004 said of the conflict earlier this month: ‘None of us can ignore the explosion of Jew hatred around the world anymore.
‘We have had enough of Jew hatred we will confront anti-Semitism. We will call it out, but but we will never let it, not only, defeat us but define us because our love is stronger than their hate.’
Hours later, Gadot wrote that this moment is about everyone ‘refusing to be silent in the face of anti-Semitism.’
‘October 7 was a wake-up call, but it also reminded us of our resilience and unbreakable bond,’ the Israel Defense Forces veteran wrote on Instagram.
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