There’s no better way to ring in the New Year without some worthy self-reflection. Wonder Woman actor Gal Gadot did just that, reflecting on her poorly-received star-studded rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine.
Back in March 2020, at the starting point for the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries, Gadot began recruiting her celebrity fans to film a video of them singing Imagine.
Kirsten Wiig, Sarah Silverman, Mark Ruffalo, and Zoe Kravitz were among the familiar faces who participated from the comfort of their lavish houses and backyards.
History of Galdot’s Imagine video
This video was very ill-received. Many stated that it was insensitive to those who were facing struggles due to the pandemic, such as inadequate access to supplies, cut wages, and strikes of illness.
Speaking to Vanity Fair in November 2020, Gadot expressed no regret towards the video. Feeling confident in her intentions, she felt as though they were reductive to the harm that was perceived.
The Israelian actor shared, “Sometimes, you know, you try and do a good deed and it’s just not the right good deed.”
She continued, “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.” However, in a recent interview, Gadot has updated her thoughts on the situation and acknowledged why it failed to resonate with its viewers.
Gadot expresses regret for Imagine video
The 36-year-old actor has had a recent change of heart, sharing the details in her latest cover story with InStyle Magazine. She started off by saying, “It just felt right, and I don’t take myself too seriously. And with the whole Imagine controversy, it’s funny. I was calling Kristen [Wiig] and I was like, listen, I want to do this thing.”
Gadot continued to add context, stating that “the pandemic was in Europe and Israel before it came here [to the U.S.] in the same way.” She continued, “I was seeing where everything was headed. But [the video] was premature. It wasn’t the right timing, and it wasn’t the right thing.”
She rounded off her comments by saying that the video “was in poor taste” despite her good intentions.
Gadot doesn’t have too much time to fret about it as her latest movie Death on the Nile hits the theaters in February. The movie is a sequel to the 2017 thriller Murder on the Orient Express. She will be starring in the movie as Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle alongside actors Kenneth Branagh and Tom Bateman, who will be reprising their past roles.
Death on the Nile premieres on February 11, 2022.