Footage circulated online by an account called Anti-Fascist Action UK shows actress Helen Mirren smiling at a passerby who approached her on the streets of London, a smile that quickly faded.
The man, who turned out to be an extreme pro-Palestinian activist, launched a verbal attack on her over her sympathetic stance toward Israel. He called her a "Zionist bitch," and directed similar abuse at her husband, director Taylor Hackford.
At that point, Hackford intervened, asked the man to move away and repeatedly demanded that he leave.
Actress Helen Mirren in East London yesterday gets called a zionist bitch pic.twitter.com/CO8TLLIhaU
— London & UK Street News (@CrimeLdn) May 28, 2026
Mirren's connection to Israel is not new. She volunteered on a kibbutz in 1967 and has since often expressed her love for the country, while openly opposing cultural boycotts against it.
Throughout her career, she has portrayed prominent Jewish and Israeli figures, including Maria Altmann in "Woman in Gold" and Golda Meir in Israeli director Guy Nattiv's 2023 film "Golda."
Last month, she signed an open letter alongside international stars including Amy Schumer, Mila Kunis, Sharon Osbourne and Boy George, supporting Israel's participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.
