The rift between Snow White co-stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot has escalated, with the younger actress choosing to unfollow her colleague on Instagram. This digital snub, reported by multiple media outlets, appears to stem from their fundamentally opposing political views on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
While the 24-year-old Zegler has removed Gadot from her Instagram feed, the 40-year-old Wonder Woman star was, at the time of reporting, still following her. This move signals a significant cooling of a professional relationship that was once described as 'fun' by Gadot herself.
The Root of the Conflict: Diverging Political Stances
The core of their disagreement lies in the Middle East. Gal Gadot, who served in the Israel Defense Forces, has been a vocal supporter of Israel's right to exist as a safe nation. She publicly condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7th, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and saw more than 240 taken hostage, and has advocated for the release of those captives.
In contrast, Rachel Zegler has used her platform to express solidarity with Palestine. Most notably, she used the caption of a post promoting the Snow White trailer to write 'Free Palestine', an action that reportedly led to a reprimand from one of the film's producers, Marc E. Platt.
Public Appearances and Behind-the-Scenes Tension
The rumoured friction became visible to the public during their joint presentation at the Oscars, which was described by observers as awkward. Fans were quick to analyse their red-carpet photos at the Snow White premiere in March, noting their seemingly forced smiles.
One social media user commented, 'Those are some bad, fake, forced smiles; none of the smiles are reaching their eyes.' Another quipped that producer Marc E. Platt, who was photographed standing between them, looked as if he was 'holding them back like two wild beasts trying to kill each other.'
The political divide has had tangible consequences beyond their personal relationship. Pro-Palestine protesters reportedly disrupted filming of Gadot's new movie, The Runner, in London. Eight individuals were charged under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992 for blocking access to the workplace.
Furthermore, the series of controversies surrounding the Snow White remake, including this public feud and broader 'woke' branding, prompted Disney to scale back its premiere plans. Instead of lavish events, the studio opted for a handful of tightly controlled press engagements where the cast only faced interviewers employed by Disney.
Zegler briefly addressed the backlash at the Los Angeles screening, stating, 'What an honor to be a part of something for which people feel so much passion. We're not always going to have the same sentiments as those around us and all that we can do is give the best of ourselves.' This incident highlights the increasing challenges celebrities face when voicing political opinions, a situation mirrored by the firing of Melissa Barrera from Scream 7 for her pro-Palestine social media posts.
