Gal Gadot Cancels Appearance At JNF Fundraiser Honoring Brett Ratner
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
(JTA) — Israeli actress Gal Gadot cancelled her appearance at an awards dinner honoring director and producer Brett Ratner.
Gadot, best known as the star of “Wonder Woman,” was scheduled to present the Tree of Life Award to Ratner at a Jewish National Fund dinner Sunday in Hollywood.
She backed out of the dinner, for which she served as a co-chair, late last week, Variety first reported. Nina Gordon, a spokeswoman for event, said the organization was told that Gadot had a scheduling conflict. Gadot has been in China promoting the upcoming “Justice League” movie, but posted on Instagram she was leaving the country on Friday.
Sharon Friedman, the JNF national campaign director, later told Variety that the organization was first notified of Gadot’s scheduling conflict on Oct. 19, but that the group continued to hope that Gadot would appear.
Gadot pulled out of the event following the widespread reporting of the sexual harassment and sexual assaults of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Ratner also has been accused of at least one incident of sexual misconduct, with actress Olivia Munn.
Earlier this month after the Weinstein scandal broke, Gadot had posted on her personal Instagram account: “Bullying and sexual harassment is unacceptable! I stand by all the courageous women confronting their fears and speaking out. Together we stand. We are all united in this time of change.”
Ratner, the CEO of RatPac Entertainment, which he founded with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Australian billionaire James Packer, is known as a supporter of Jewish organizations.
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