Why Gal Gadot Just Dropped Out of the Venice Film Festival

Gal Gadot was expected to shine at the Venice Film Festival this year, but her plans have suddenly changed. The Wonder Woman star was lined up to walk the red carpet for the premiere of her new movie In The Hand of Dante. Instead, she has pulled out of the event after facing a storm of criticism.

The backlash came from activist groups who accused Gadot and her co-star Gerard Butler of supporting Israel during its military campaign in Gaza. The pressure quickly grew, with calls for a boycott and threats of protests targeting the festival. According to the Daily Mail, many feared that Gadot’s appearance could turn into a “lightning rod” for demonstrations against Israel.

One of the main groups leading the protests has been Artists 4 Palestine. The organization demanded that Venice cancel invitations for Gadot, Butler, and “any artist and celebrity who publicly and actively supports genocide.”

With tensions rising, Italian authorities boosted security around the festival. Reports described a “ring of steel” being put in place around main venues, with bag checks, scanners, and restricted passes for guests.

Still, the controversy became too much, and Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera confirmed Gadot would not attend.

He defended the event’s approach, saying, “We are an Italian cultural institution, a place of openness and debate that does not censor anybody.” He also noted, “The death of civilians and especially children who are victims – they are the collateral damage of a war nobody has been able to terminate yet.”

While protest groups celebrated the withdrawal, others have spoken out in support of Gadot. Isabella De Monte, deputy head of the Foreign Affairs Department for Italy’s Forza Italia party, called the boycott unfair. “A reckless protest, because in the eyes of those protesting, Gadot’s only crime is being Israeli,” she said.

She also praised Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco for resisting pressure from more than 1,500 artists who signed a petition. “Dialogue and a plurality of ideas are the main tools that culture deploys to overcome sectarianism,” she added.

For now, Gadot’s absence at Venice leaves the festival under tight security and heavy debate, while her career faces another chapter of public controversy.

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