Gal Gadot Reflects on Backlash Over “Imagine” Video

Gal Gadot isn’t apologizing for her widely criticized “Imagine” video.

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the Wonder Woman actress attempted to alleviate the public’s fear and anxiety with a star-studded cover of John Lennon‘s 1971 record “Imagine.” Celebrities like Jimmy Fallon, Zoë Kravitz, Natalie Portman, Will Ferrell, Mark Ruffalo, Maya Rudolph, Cara Delevingne, and more appeared in the video singing parts of the world peace anthem.

“We are in this together, we will get through it together,” Gadot captioned the video. “Let’s imagine together. Sing with us …”

The video was immediately mocked and slammed as deaf tone, out of touch, and just flat out cringey. Joe Rogen called the participating celebrities “fucking idiots” for doing a singalong while “everyone’s grannie is dying.” Actor Jamie Dornan, who appeared in the video, defended Gadot against the critics, stating, she was simply “trying to do a good thing.”

Now, about seven months after the controversy, Gadot is letting the world know she meant no harm and “had nothing but good intentions” with the video. 

“Sometimes, you know, you try and do a good deed and it’s just not the right good deed,” she said in a Vanity Fair interview, before explaining how she came up with the idea. “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.”