Lebanon bans Disney's Snow White over Gal Gadot's background

Snow White is facing another trouble as it has been banned in Lebanon over the casting of Gal Gadot in the central role of the Evil Queen. The actress, known for her roles in Wonder Woman and Justice League, was born in Israel. She served in the country's military and has since worked as a model and an actress.

The local newspaper, An-Nahar, reports that Lebanon’s Interior Minister, Ahmad Al-Hajjar, recommended the ban on Snow White. Some sources suggest that the actress has been on the country's boycott list due to her background, which also led to her previous films not being showcased in the country. Deadline reports that her previously banned movies include the DC's Wonder Woman and Kenneth Branagh's Death of the Nile, which also starred Armie Hammer and Russell Brand.

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The Snow White actress has shown support for her country in the wake of the October 7 incident and her country's military actions. In a following speech, she said:

“Never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States, and different cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying, and cheering on a massacre of Jews.”

Snow White star Rachel Zegler’s past comments explored in the wake of the movie’s Lebanon ban

Marc Webb, known for his work on 500 Days of Summer and the Andrew Garfield-led Spider-Man films, directed Disney's Snow White remake. It has received an underwhelming response at the box office, reportedly because of the less-than-favorable critical reception and the comments from its lead stars.

In an interview with Variety from October 2024, Rachel Zegler shed light on her comments on social media regarding her pro-Palestine stance. She said:

“I can’t watch children die. I don’t think that should be a hot take. I’m only responsible for what I feel. And then I’m also responsible for how I act upon it. We’re nearing one year since the horrendous attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, but I’ve been following this conflict for so many years. Like so many people, I’m so heartbroken by the loss of life that we’re seeing with these insane death tolls coming out of both regions.”

Zegler further spoke about what celebrities can do in such situations:

“I don’t have the answers. I don’t think any celebrity making a political statement has the answers. But we have the platform to share a donation link to make sure that these people get the money, the care and the aid that they need that people in power aren’t giving them. If that means that it can fall upon us to be in power in a way that is helpful, then I’m happy to do it,” she noted.