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Gal Gadot says Joss Whedon ‘threatened’ to make her career ‘miserable’ over Wonder Woman concerns

Jacob Stolworthy
Sunday 09 May 2021 11:37 EDT
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Gal Gadot says Joss Whedon ‘threatened’ to make her career ‘miserable’ over Wonder Woman concerns

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Gal Gadot has opened up about her negative experience working with Joss Whedon, claiming that he once threatened to make her career “miserable”.

The Wonder Woman star worked with Whedon when he stepped in to direct 2017 DC film Justice League after Zack Snyder was forced to step down.

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.

The actor has now elaborated upon her comment in an interview with Israeli channel N12. According to translators, Gadot 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.”

Gadot then said: “I took care of it on the spot.”

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.

“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.

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.

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman in ‘Justice League’
Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman in ‘Justice League’ (© 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)

Earlier this year, Charisma Carpenter, who worked with Whedon on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel, wrote an open letter alleging the showrunner had subjected her to years of emotional abuse.

Carpenter claimed that he “called her fat” when she was four months into her pregnancy, accused her of “sabotaging” the production of Angel, and “unceremoniously fired [her] the following season” after she gave birth.

Whedon failed to provide comment on the allegations made by Carpenter, and has been contacted for comment on the claims made by Gadot.

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