Israeli Entertainment Scene Reflects on Year of Scandals and Romance

The past Hebrew year, 5786, proved eventful for Israel's entertainment industry, marked by high-profile weddings, surprising breakups, unexpected romances, and public controversies. Singer Omer Adam had a particularly significant year, entering a new relationship, getting engaged, and marrying Sasha Israelovitch in a lavish ceremony in Portofino, Italy, all within months. His former stylist, Or Luzon, was notably not invited to the wedding, leading to her resignation after a decade of working with Adam.

Model Yael Shelbia and Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll rekindled their relationship, taking a romantic trip to Thailand and later making their public debut as a couple. Shelbia has referred to Stroll as "the one" and hinted at a future wedding. Meanwhile, actress and model Lia Elalouf publicly accused her then-boyfriend, actor Ofek Pesach, of infidelity in the restrooms of a club, a claim he denied. The incident, though later deleted from social media, became a memorable scandal.

The finale of the reality show "Big Brother" also sparked controversy, with winner Gal Rubin's victory being described by some finalists as a "disgrace to our society." Singer Eyal Golan filed a defamation lawsuit against contestant Tal Taito for past critical tweets, but later dropped the suit after Taito apologized. The year also saw the unexpected breakup of child star Michal HaKtana (Michal Weitzman) and her much younger partner, Yehuda Bohbot.

Influencer Alina Cohen's planned wedding to Bar Levi was canceled just six weeks before the date, fueling rumors about disputes over wedding details and finances. Cohen also had a public spat with friend Eden Pins over the proximity of their wedding dates. Finally, TV personality Yael Poliakov ignited a firestorm with comments on her podcast criticizing overweight women who post selfies online, calling them "cows exploiting their fat for sympathy," which drew widespread backlash.