'It's not just me... [everyone] echoed the same sentiments'
By AMY SPIROUpdated: NOVEMBER 24, 2017 09:00Director Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot arrive at the "Wonder Woman" Los Angeles Premiere held at The Pantages Theatre on Thursday, May 25, 2017 in Hollywood, Calif.(photo credit: STHANLEE B. MIRADOR/SIPA USA/TNS)
Israeli superstar Gal Gadot clarified her widely-reported role in demanding that Brett Ratner, who has been accused of multiple accounts of sexual assault, be removed from any role in Wonder Woman 2. Earlier this week, The New York Post's Page Six reported that Gadot had said she would not sign on for the sequel to this summer's smash hit if Ratner and his production company were to still play a role. But in an interview with NBC's Today show on Wednesday, Gadot said that she was not the only one who expressed this opinion."At the end of the day, a lot has been written about my views and the way that I feel and everyone knows the way I feel because I'm not hiding anything," she told interviewer Savannah Guthrie. "But the truth is, you know, there's so many people involved in making this movie, it's not just me, and they all echoed the same sentiments, so everyone knew what was the right thing to do." So in reality, Gadot claimed, "there was nothing for me to actually come and say, because it was already done before this article came out." Ratner’s production company, RatPac-Dune entertainment, was one of the financial backers of Wonder Woman, which broke box office records this summer. It was also involved in financing The Justice League, due out this week, which features Gadot reprising her role as Wonder Woman.Earlier this month, Warner Bros reportedly said it will not renew its production deal with Ratner after next year, but the fate of films he was already involved with remains unclear. Ratner had financial ties to a range of upcoming movies, including Flashpoint, Jungle Book and Aquaman.Last month, two days before a Los Angeles Times article containing six allegations against Ratner was published, Gadot was scheduled to present Ratner with a “Tree of Life” award from the Jewish National Fund. When, at the last minute, Gadot dropped out of the ceremony, many speculated that it was due to the swirling rumors of sexual harassment accusations. Representatives for Gadot would only confirm a “scheduling conflict.”Despite the speculation, the Jewish National Fund went ahead with the award, which was given to Ratner instead by Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins.
