Dame Helen Mirren was confronted on a London street on Thursday while walking with her husband, Taylor Hackford, after a man hurled abuse at the 81-year-old actress and called her an “evil Zionist b****.” Video footage shows Mirren smiling and asking the stranger if he was okay before the exchange turned sharper.
The man, who was not identified, also said, “And there is Helen Mirren the avowed Zionist.” He accused her of saying Israel should “last forever because of the Holocaust” and claimed she was “very happy the Palestinians' houses were gone.” Hackford told him to “f*** off” as the confrontation continued in public view.
The encounter lands on a day when Mirren’s views on Israel are already part of a live public argument. She has long been outspoken in support of Israel and against cultural boycotts of the country, and last month she was among a group of public figures who signed a joint letter backing Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision. The letter also included Amy Schumer, Mila Kunis, Sharon Osbourne and Boy George.
Mirren has said publicly that she believes in Israel’s existence and future. In a 2023 interview with Israel’s Channel 12, she said, “I believe in Israel, in the existence of Israel, and I believe Israel has to go forward into the future, for the rest of eternity.” She also said, “I believe in Israel because of the Holocaust,” and added, “I’ve met such extraordinary people in Israel.”
At the same time, her support for Israel has not meant support for its government. Mirren has hit out against Benjamin Netanyahu and said she disliked his “male” style of leadership, a distinction that does little to soften the anger aimed at her but helps explain why she remains a target from both sides of the debate.
What happened on Thursday was ugly, public and unmistakably personal. It also showed how quickly the conflict over Israel and Gaza spills off screens and into the street, where a single person with a phone can turn a confrontation into a spectacle. For Mirren, the argument is not new. The difference now is that it happened face to face, with her husband beside her and the insult recorded for everyone to hear.
