Dawn French: Actress apologises and takes down Israel-Hamas video, says 'clumsily used a mocking tone'
Comedian and actress Dawn French has issued an apology and removed a video she posted online about the war on Gaza.
The Vicar Of Dibley star had shared a video in which she switched between her usual voice and a higher-pitched voice, satirising the framing of the war. At one point in the video, she said: “Complicated, no, but nuanced… Bottom line is, no.” In the higher-pitched voice, she added: “Yeah, but you know they did a bad thing to us.”
The clip drew backlash online, with some accusing French of downplaying the events of October 7, when Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel. In response, French released a full statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, apologising for the video and explaining her intentions behind it.
“Ok, it's important to address this,” she wrote “I posted a video in the style I've been using for social media in an effort to convey an important point. I clumsily used a mocking tone. My intention was NEVER to mock, or dismiss, or diminish the horror of what happened on 7 October 2023 and what continues to unfold from that brutal unthinkable, unforgivable, savage attack.
“My heart broke for the many innocent people and their families that were killed, tortured, raped and kidnapped. The fact that hostages are still held is utterly appalling. My intention was to mock and point the finger of shame at the behaviour of the cruel leaders on ALL sides of this attricious war, who have continued to behave like the worst, dangerous, sickening bullies and seem to relish the tyrannical and childish oneupmanship of the violence.
“THEY were my target, but clearly I failed to do that, and that's on me. I apologise unreservedly. I'm particularly sorry that my disgust at Hamas didn't figure. It appeared one-sided and that is wrong. I am a person, who like many others, is feeling increasingly helpless and hopeless as we witness the carnage and destruction worsen.
“The images of starving and wounded children have haunted me day and night. History has taught us never to standby and allow this kind of inhumane violence to be wrought on anyone, especially innocent children. I have felt my silence is complicit or even somehow sanctioning.
“So in my small way I wanted to voice my desire to say NO – to BOTH sides – to any further violence. I hope you will understand my intention was not to offend, but clearly I have. For which I am sorry and I have removed the video.”
While some critics accused French of insensitivity, many supporters have come to her defence, arguing that the backlash was unjustified and politically motivated. “Dawn, you don't need to qualify any of this,” wrote activist Claudia Boleyn. “You never once supported atrocities in the video… You were right to begin with.”
Political commentator Philip Proudfoot added: “They KNOW you were not mocking Oct 7th but its use to justify genocide… Sadly by deleting it, you give them strength.”
Gliebitz said the reaction was part of a wider trend: “The orchestrated pile-on is sadly now standard when anybody with an audience says anything short of full-throated support for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza that Israel is pursuing.”