Gal Gadot defended her celebrity-filled video covering John Lennon's "Imagine," which was intended to deliver an inspiring message at the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic. In March, the Wonder Woman star organized the video, which featured Jimmy Fallon, Kristen Wiig, Natalie Portman, and others. It was met with near-immediate backlash online by many who called it tone-deaf and an empty gesture when so many people were struggling.
The video, posted to Gadot's Instagram account, was released on March 18 and has since earned over 10 million views. At that point, the production of films and television series had been shut down just like everything else worldwide in response to the global pandemic. Quarantine had just begun with millions facing unemployment, and little was known about the magnitude of the health crisis. Gadot and the celebrities she enlisted for the "Imagine" cover were criticized for seeking attention and suggesting they could relate to those less fortunate than themselves.
Speaking with Vanity Fair, Gal Gadot defended the video and the motivation behind it. The actress did not apologize for the video while also acknowledging that the intent did not come across as planned.
Sometimes, you know, you try and do a good deed and it’s just not the right good deed. I had nothing but good intentions and it came from the best place, and I just wanted to send light and love to the world. I started with a few friends, and then I spoke to Kristen [Wiig]. Kristen is like the mayor of Hollywood. Everyone loves her, and she brought a bunch of people to the game. But yeah, I started it, and I can only say that I meant to do something good and pure, and it didn’t transcend.
The popularity of Gal Gadot, Kristen Wiig, and many of the other celebrities in the "Imagine" video likely kept the hate to a minimum, regardless of how intense it was to start. Other stars in the clip, such as Will Ferrell, Zoe Kravitz, Mark Ruffalo, and Pedro Pascal, have strong support for their work meaning many people have probably forgotten they were even involved. The December release of Wonder Woman 1984 could put even more distance between Gadot and the video in the public's mind.
Gal Gadot is used to receiving hate and backlash online. There was a loud outcry against her casting as Wonder Woman for 2016's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Then, even more critics spoke up about her appearance when the first images from Wonder Woman were released.
Like in those instances, Gadot has nothing to apologize for when it comes to the "Imagine" video and makes a point not to do so in her Vanity Fair interview. The timing of its release was off, but Gadot sounds sincere regarding its intent to provide an uplifting distraction. It's clear she has subscribed to the "no good deed goes unpunished" philosophy when reflecting on the infamous video. The pandemic has gone on longer than anyone expected, and Gadot's video is now even more insignificant, given how things have gone since March. But Gal Gadot deserves credit for taking ownership of the mistake without giving in to pressure and apologizing.
Source: Vanity Fair
