McKenna Grace faces backlash after revealing she trains in Israeli self-defence system krav maga

Users accused Grace of supporting Zionism, while others connected the discussion to her casting in 'Scream 7'

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping actress McKenna Grace has faced criticism on social media after revealing that she practises Krav Maga, an Israeli-developed self-defence system, during an interview about her preparation for the upcoming film.

The 20-year-old actress mentioned the martial art while discussing the physical demands of playing Maysilee Donner in the latest instalment of The Hunger Games franchise. Speaking to a Gold Derby correspondent, Grace explained that she was already accustomed to regular exercise but was surprised by how much cardio the role required.

“I work out like six days a week, I’m very physical, I box, I do Krav Maga,” she said, describing her reaction to the film's demanding training schedule.

The comment began circulating on social media in October, prompting criticism from users who questioned her decision to practise a martial art associated with Israel. Some accused the actress of supporting Zionism, while others connected the discussion to her casting in Scream 7.

The latter criticism refers to the controversy surrounding Melissa Barrera's departure from the Scream franchise. Barrera was fired from the seventh film by production company Spyglass Media Group in November 2023 following social media posts about the Israel-Gaza war. Her dismissal prompted calls for a boycott from some supporters of Palestinian rights, while the company cited its stance against antisemitism.

Grace subsequently joined the cast of Scream 7, leading some social media users to bring up the controversy again when discussing her Krav Maga training.

Krav Maga was developed by Hungarian-Jewish martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld in the 1930s, initially as a means of protecting Jewish communities from antisemitic violence in Europe. It was later adapted for military use in Israel and became associated with the Israel Defence Forces. The self-defence system is now practised internationally and is also used in physical training for film and television productions.

The online response was not unanimous. While some users criticised Grace, others argued that learning a self-defence discipline does not establish an individual's political beliefs or make them responsible for the actions of a government or military.

Some also questioned the decision to turn an actress's workout routine into a political controversy, arguing that the criticism risked distracting from broader discussions about Palestine.

Grace has not publicly addressed the backlash or made a statement explaining her political views in response to the controversy.

The discussion comes as the actress prepares for the release of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, in which she stars alongside Joseph Zada, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning and Jesse Plemons. Directed by Francis Lawrence, the prequel is set 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games film and follows the 50th Hunger Games, in which a young Haymitch Abernathy competes.