Ralph Lauren Faces Boycott Calls Over Gal Gadot Campaign
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
Ralph Lauren is facing boycott demands after featuring Israeli actress Gal Gadot in a new campaign. The controversy mirrors a recent incident involving Adidas and an amputee former IDF soldier, highlighting pressure on brands collaborating with Israeli personalities.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Ralph Lauren faces boycott calls for featuring Israeli actress Gal Gadot.
- Gadot, a former IDF soldier, appeared in a campaign for the fall 2026 collection.
- The controversy follows a similar boycott campaign against Adidas.
- Adidas apologized and removed content featuring an amputee former IDF soldier.
- Brands face pressure over collaborations with Israeli figures.
Fashion brand Ralph Lauren is facing calls for a boycott after featuring Israeli actress Gal Gadot in a campaign for its fall 2026 collection. The brand posted a photo of Gadot, a former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier, on its official Instagram account, which has nearly 16 million followers. The image, showing Gadot in a gold dress and heels for a Modern Luxury magazine cover, quickly triggered a wave of negative reactions on social media, particularly on X.
Pro-Palestinian accounts and social media users urged a boycott of Ralph Lauren due to the casting of Gadot. Some comments were intensely critical of the actress herself. This controversy follows a similar incident involving Adidas, which had featured Shalev Biton, an amputee former IDF combatant, in a campaign for adaptive footwear. Anti-Israel activists called for an Adidas boycott, accusing Biton of fighting in Gaza.
In response to the backlash, Adidas issued an apology, stating that an image used in a local initiative had caused offense and that the brand had no intention of causing hurt. The video in question was subsequently removed from Biton's Instagram account. As of the report, Ralph Lauren had not issued an official statement regarding the boycott calls. The incidents highlight the increasing pressure on international brands when they collaborate with Israeli figures or those associated with the IDF.
