Kaia Gerber Breaks Silence on Her Role in Gal Gadot's Viral 'Imagine'

Kaia Gerber Wants to ‘Clear the Air’ About Her Appearance in Gal Gadot’s Viral Celebrity ‘Imagine’ Cover

Kaia Gerber wants to set the record straight.

In a new episode of KISS UK’s interview show Do Not Disturb, the model and actress, 24, opened up about her appearance in the viral montage of celebrities singing “Imagine” by John Lennon, which was shared by Gal Gadot during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“I want to clear the air on something really badly,” Gerber stated before continuing, “Basically, my friend, during the pandemic, said, ‘Hey, my friend asked me to make a video, will you be in it?’ I didn’t ask any questions.”

“We were staying together at the time, thought it was for someone’s birthday, and I said, ‘Sure,’” she recalled. “What was the song? ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon. And then about a week later, a video gets released of all these famous people singing along to ‘Imagine.’ And I go, ‘What a weird coincidence. I wonder if this song is having a comeback. I just did a birthday video singing ‘Imagine.’’ And then I’m about a minute into the video, and there I go. There I am.”

Gerber appears in the video alongside Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson. The trio sway and snap their fingers as they sing the lyrics.

“It was my first credit on my IMDb,” the Palm Royale actress added. “It is still, to this day, on my IMDb. I’ve accepted it. We’re moving past it, but I would just like to clear the air that I did not know. I thought I was making a video for someone’s birthday.”

Kaia Gerber Wants to ‘Clear the Air’ About Her Appearance in Gal Gadot’s Viral Celebrity ‘Imagine’ Cover

Along with Gadot, the three-minute viral video features a handful of celebrities taking turns covering Lennon’s famous song, including Natalie Portman, Jimmy Fallon, Zoë Kravitz, Will Ferrell, Amy Adams, James Marsden, Mark Ruffalo, Sarah Silverman, Sia and Maya Rudolph.

The actress shared the original video on her own Instagram account, telling her followers that she had been “feeling a bit philosophical” while in “self-quarantine” during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which at that point had only recently begun in the U.S.

The clip received some criticism online from people who said that celebrities should be donating to aid in COVID-19 relief rather than simply singing about a better world.

In October 2020, Gadot responded to the backlash, telling Vanity Fair that she “had nothing but good intentions.”

“Sometimes, you know, you try and do a good deed, and it’s just not the right good deed,” said the Wonder Woman star.

“I started with a few friends, and then I spoke to Kristen [Wiig],” she added. “Kristen is like the mayor of Hollywood. Everyone loves her, and she brought a bunch of people to the game. But yeah, I started it, and I can only say that I meant to do something good and pure, and it didn’t transcend.”

In 2022, Gadot told InStyle that while the video was made with “pure intentions,” it “wasn’t the right timing” or “the right thing.”

While Gadot said she “was seeing where everything was headed” at the time, she knows now that the video “was premature.”

Rachel Zegler's Tearful Speech: Love for 'Everybody' Amid Snow White Drama

Rachel Zegler Cries in Emotional Speech, Says She Loves 'Everybody' at Snow White Screening amid Controversies

Rachel Zegler is showing gratitude for her Snow White role.

Ahead of a recent early screening of the live-action Snow White remake, Zegler surprised fans when she appeared and gave an emotional speech about what playing the Disney princess has meant to her.

"This is a movie that is so close to my heart. I auditioned for this movie when I was 19 years old and I am about to turn 24," Zegler said, in video shared by Disney. "So it's a really big chunk of my life, and about five of the seven years of my career, which is crazy. I love everybody in this movie so dearly."

Zegler reflected on her journey playing the titular character, who first appeared in 1937's animated Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, sharing that seeing the movie come to life has been "emotional" for her.

Rachel Zegler Praised by Critics as a 'Shining Supernova' in the Live-Action Remake of Snow White: 'Pure Disney Magic'

"Coming to the end of this road of this release feels really crazy because when you spend so much time with something, it becomes such a big part of you and a big part of your heart. Snow White has really been that way for me and to see this is really emotional for me. So I'm going to try not do that," Zegler said, her voice cracking a little.

"I love her and I am so glad to see that so many of you love her as well," Zegler continued. "Her superpower is her heart. It's nothing supernatural. It's something that all of us have. Deep within us, there is an inherit good and belief in the kindness of humanity."

"I hope that you walk away from this film understanding what the true meaning of fair is. I really hope that for the world as well. Thank you so much for allowing me to be your Snow White. It means the world to me."

Zegler's speech comes amid tensions plaguing Disney’s live-action remake ahead of its March 21 release, which has extended to both the West Side Story actress and her costar Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen.

Rachel Zegler Cries in Emotional Speech, Says She Loves 'Everybody' at Snow White Screening amid Controversies

A source told PEOPLE that Gadot and Zegler have "nothing in common" due to their age difference and “on top of that, their political views differ, adding to the tension."

Zegler and Gadot have appeared at multiple events in the past to promote their long-delayed film, including at Disney’s D23 Expo in 2022 and at the recent Academy Awards, where they presented the Best Visual Effects category together. They posed together at the film's Los Angeles premiere on Saturday, March 15.

Rachel Zegler Cries in Emotional Speech, Says She Loves 'Everybody' at Snow White Screening amid Controversies

After her casting announcement in 2021, Zegler faced racist backlash from social media users over her being of Latinx background and playing the Disney princess. (Zegler is of Colombian and Polish descent.) Zegler also made headlines when she said in interviews that the new movie would modernize Snow White and that the original was “dated.”

While speaking with Vogue Mexico, Zegler addressed negative reactions over her casting as well as past statements she's made about the original animation, saying audiences were being protective over the famous princess.

“I interpret people’s feelings about this film as their passion for her and what an honor to be a part of something that people are so passionate about,” Zegler said. “We are not always going to have the same feelings as everyone around us and all that we can do is do our best." (Zegler's interview was conducted in Spanish. Quotes were independently translated from Spanish to English by PEOPLE.)

Snow White is in theaters March 21.