“Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot was slammed online as “ableist” for her tribute to famous physicist Stephen Hawking after his recent passing.
In a tweet honoring Hawking, Gadot posted a photo of the great mind and wrote, “Rest in peace Dr. Hawking. Now you’re free of any physical constraints. Your brilliance and wisdom will be cherished forever.”
A swarm of Twitter users attacked Gadot for suggesting Hawking will now be free from his “physical constraints,” calling the remark “ableist.”
At 22, Hawking was diagnosed with a motor-neurone disease and was given two years to live, as reported by The Daily Wire on Wednesday. He eventually became confined to a wheelchair and had to use a speech synthesizer.
Here are some of the many angry responses to Gadot’s tribute to Hawking:
Many of the attacks alluded to Gadot’s pro-Israel stance:
Gadot clearly meant no offense to Hawking; the opposite, actually. She was trying to honor him on the day of his death. But in the world of perpetual offense, we neglect common sense and immediately attach negative motives to others. You can’t win.