Gal Gadot Misses Venice Film Festival Amid Israel Backlash? Claims She Was Never Meant To Attend
Hollywood actress Gal Gadot, best known worldwide for her role as Wonder Woman, will not attend the Venice Film Festival 2025 following a major political row surrounding her outspoken support for Israel during its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
According to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, festival organisers had been concerned that Gadot’s presence could spark protests during the red carpet premiere.
The report linked her absence to a petition signed by more than 1,500 Italian filmmakers and cultural figures, including leading directors Marco Bellocchio, Matteo Garrone, and actress Alba Rohrwacher, calling on the festival to “acknowledge the genocide and ethnic cleansing taking place in Gaza.”
But Gadot later pushed back on speculation. On Instagram, she reshared a post from Jewish businessman and influencer Ari Ackerman, who stressed that her invitation had never been cancelled because she had never planned to attend.
The film’s publicity office also confirmed to Israeli outlet Ynet that Gadot was not expected at Venice from the start.
The actress was reportedly scheduled to walk the red carpet on Saturday, August 30 (today), for the world premiere of her upcoming film In The Hand of Dante, directed by Julian Schnabel and co-starring Gerard Butler, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, and Martin Scorsese. But mounting controversy, petitions, and protests have led Gadot to withdraw from attending the festival.
Gal Gadot and her co-star Gerard Butler have faced growing criticism from international activists for their consistent public support of Israel. In recent months, pro-Palestinian groups have accused both actors of endorsing what they describe as “war crimes” and “genocide” in Gaza.
A petition signed by the industry professionals was submitted to the festival organisers, demanding that the Venice Biennale revoke invitations to Gadot, Butler, and any other celebrity openly supporting Israel.
The pressure group Venice4Palestine also announced plans to stage demonstrations at the festival, which raised fears of large-scale protests disrupting the red carpet.
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Festival insiders even suggested that Gadot could act as a “lightning rod” for protests, putting both security and the event’s reputation at risk.
Festival director Alberto Barbera confirmed that Gadot would not attend but stressed that her invitation had not been officially revoked.
“The position of the Biennale is clear. We are an Italian cultural institution, a place of openness and debate that does not censor anybody,” Barbera said. “We were asked to turn down invitations to certain artists – we will not do that. If they want to be here, they will be here,” he told the media.
Barbera added that while the festival would never silence artists, it has expressed sadness and concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly the deaths of civilians and children.
The controversy has reached Italian politics as well. Isabella De Monte, deputy head of Forza Italia’s foreign affairs department, criticised the calls for a boycott of Gadot.
Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco also defended the festival’s decision to keep invitations open to all artists, describing the protest calls as reckless.
Gadot, who previously served in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and has often spoken in support of her country, has not made an official statement about skipping Venice.
However, sources close to the production confirmed to the media that the decision was made to avoid turning the film premiere into a flashpoint for protests.
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Importantly, the Venice Biennale did not withdraw its invitation. Instead, Gadot made the personal decision to step back from the event after pressure from activists and a highly polarised political environment.
The film In The Hand of Dante is based on Nick Tosches’ acclaimed novel of the same name. It intertwines two storylines: one following a modern-day literary underworld, and another centred on Dante Alighieri’s creation of The Divine Comedy.
The movie features an ensemble cast including Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, and Martin Scorsese in a rare acting role. The world premiere at Venice was expected to be one of the festival’s most high-profile red carpet moments.
The film will release in U.S. theatres on September 3, 2025, just days after its Venice debut.
The 82nd Venice International Film Festival will run from August 27 to September 6, 2025, at the Venice Lido in Italy. Despite Gadot’s absence, In The Hand of Dante will still screen as scheduled.
