Gal Gadot says she felt ‘dizzy’ and shocked after Joss Whedon ‘threatened her on set’
‘Would he tell me what he told me had I been a man? I don’t know. We’ll never know.’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Gal Gadot has revealed that she felt “dizzy” and was “shocked” by the way Joss Whedon allegedly spoke to her when she expressed concerns about her character in the Justice League script.
TheWonder Woman star worked with Whedon when he directed the 2017 DC film Justice League after Zack Snyder was forced to step down.
In April 2021, a Hollywood Reporter article claimed that Whedon turned nasty when Gadot questioned new lines of dialogue the director had given her superhero character.
A witness said that after one clash, Whedon “bragged” that he’d “had it out” with the star. “He told her he’s the writer and she’s going to shut up and say the lines and he can make her look incredibly stupid in this movie,” the witness said.
Gadot told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement at the time: “I had my issues with [Whedon] and Warner Bros handled it in a timely manner.” Whedon declined to comment for The Hollywood Reporter’s piece, and a representative for Whedon had no additional statement when contacted by The Independent.
Gadot previously told the Los Angeles Times that she’d had her own negative “experience” with Whedon, whose image has recently been shattered by several allegations of bad behaviour.
In an earlier translated interview with Israeli channel N12, Gadot had said: “I had my issues with Joss and I handled it. He kind of threatened my career and said if I did something, he will make sure my career is miserable.”
While the actor didn’t detail specific alleged incidents, a Hollywood Reporter article from April 2021 claimed that Whedon turned nasty when Gadot questioned new lines of dialogue the director had given her superhero character.
A witness said that, after one alleged clash, Whedon “bragged” that he’d “had it out” with the star.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
“He told her he’s the writer and she’s going to shut up and say the lines and he can make her look incredibly stupid in this movie,” the witness said.
Gadot recalled the incident in a new interview with Elle magazine. “I was shaking trees as soon as it happened. And I must say that the heads of Warner Brothers, they took care of it,” she said. “Going back to the sense of righteousness that I have... you’re dizzy because you can’t believe this was just said to you.”
The actor added: “If he says it to me, then obviously he says it to many other people.”
“I would’ve done the same thing, I think, if I was a man,” Gadot added. “Would he tell me what he told me had I been a man? I don’t know. We’ll never know. But my sense of justice is very strong. I was shocked by the way that he spoke to me. But whatever, it’s done. Water under the bridge.”
In 2020, Gadot’s Justice League co-star Ray Fisher claimed the director engaged in “gross, abusive, unprofessional and completely unacceptable” behaviour on the set of the 2017 film.
Fisher’s claims led to a WarnerMedia investigation into Whedon’s behaviour, which saw many actors who have worked with the director in the past, including Gadot, interviewed by officials.
Whedon had no comment on Fisher’s initial allegations.