Helen Mirren Addresses Verbal Attack and Speaks on Israel-Gaza Conflict
At the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, where she received a Lifetime Achievement Award, Helen Mirren addressed a viral video of a man calling her an 'evil Zionist bitch' in London and offered nuanced criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. Mirren, who has long-standing ties to Israel and played Golda Meir in a 2023 biopic, said 'evil forces are rising everywhere, even in a country like Israel' and described Israel's conduct as 'crimes against humanity,' while also affirming her support for Israel's existence and its artistic community. She also publicly backed MobLand co-star Tom Hardy, saying she would work with him again 'in a fucking heartbeat' amid reports of his departure from the Paramount+ series.
Speaking to journalists at the Taormina Film Festival, 80-year-old Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren commented publicly for the first time on a November 2024 incident — recently resurfaced online — in which a man accosted her and husband Taylor Hackford in East London, calling her an 'evil Zionist bitch.' Mirren described the attacker as 'maybe a little over passionate or maybe mentally not quite stable,' and London's Metropolitan Police, which had been examining the incident as a potential antisemitic hate crime, will not investigate further after Mirren and Hackford declined to press charges. On Israel, Mirren offered a layered position: she reaffirmed her belief in Israel's right to exist, rooted in her post-WWII upbringing and the Holocaust, but explicitly criticized Israeli military conduct in Gaza, calling it 'crimes against humanity' and asking, 'How could you possibly repeat the actions of what was done to you as people to other people?' She also recalled being disturbed by things she witnessed during a 1967 kibbutz stay, six months after the Six-Day War, and acknowledged that Israel 'was doing wrong even then.' Separately, Mirren emphatically defended MobLand co-star Tom Hardy, saying she would work with him again 'in a fucking heartbeat,' and expressed hope that a third season of the Paramount+ crime drama would move forward despite reported behind-the-scenes friction.
What's missing
The articles do not clarify the full identity or background of the man who accosted Mirren, nor do they detail what specific 'things' Mirren witnessed during her 1967 kibbutz stay that she said disturbed her. Hardy himself has yet to comment publicly on the reported on-set friction.
How coverage differed
Deadline and The Guardian foregrounded Mirren's criticism of Israel — including her use of the phrase 'crimes against humanity' — in their headlines and ledes, while Variety and entertainment-focused outlets like TVLine, AV Club, and the New York Post emphasized the Tom Hardy/MobLand angle more prominently. The Times of Israel and JTA, writing for Jewish-interest audiences, focused on Mirren's evolving and nuanced stance on Israel, providing more historical context about her prior pro-Israel statements and the police investigation.
What different sources said
Helen Mirren speaks out about being called ‘evil Zionist’ on the street in London
- DeadlineCenter
Helen Mirren Talks Israel's Crimes Against Humanity, Tom Hardy/MobLand
- VarietyCenter
Helen Mirren Speaks Out on Israel After Being Called an ‘Evil Zionist Bitch’ in Verbal Attack: ‘How Could You Repeat the Actions of What Was Done to You?’
- AV ClubCenter
Helen Mirren squashes any potential beef with Tom Hardy
- TVLineCenter
Helen Mirren Backs Tom Hardy In MobLand Season 3 Upheaval: 'My Support Of Him Is Genuine And Heartfelt'
- Times of IsraelCenter
Helen Mirren criticizes ‘evil forces’ rising in Israel after ‘Zionist bitch’ resurfaced
- Dark HorizonsCenter
Mirren Talks Tom Hardy "MobLand" Issues
- Just JaredCenter
Helen Mirren Reveals If She'd Work With Tom Hardy Again After His Alleged 'MobLand' Firing
Helen Mirren criticizes Israel at film festival after being called ‘evil Zionist’ in viral video
- New York PostRight
Helen Mirren sets record straight on Tom Hardy ‘MobLand’ drama as she comments on co-star’s ‘different process’
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