Drew Afualo's wedding dress has become the centre of a fresh online debate after fans questioned her decision to wear a custom gown from Los Angeles fashion brand Cult Gaia. The controversy grew after a post on X claimed the influencer was being 'cancelled' because her wedding dress was designed by a brand that some users have labelled 'Zionist'.
Afualo married longtime partner Pili Tanuvasa in Hawaii on 23 August, sharing wedding photos with her followers and showing off the custom Cult Gaia look. Reports about the wedding confirm that both Afualo's dress and Tanuvasa's suit were made by Cult Gaia, making the brand's past comments about Israel and Palestine a new focus of online discussion.
Why Drew Afualo's Wedding Dress Is Drawing Attention
Afualo's wedding look quickly became one of the most talked-about parts of her big day, with the influencer showing the dress in a video filmed shortly before she walked down the aisle. She described the gown as a 'custom Cult Gaia' design, while later wedding photos showed the fitted white look paired with a full skirt and a simple bridal style.
The wedding took place in Hawaii, where Afualo and Tanuvasa celebrated after being together for nine years. Afualo announced the marriage on social media on 23 August, captioning her wedding photos 'yours, forever', while Tanuvasa shared his own post with the words 'Husband & Wife'.
drew afulo is one of the most performative “activists” out there she fights for nothing she just doesn’t like when people don’t like her, that’s it
— anna (@grahamstorvik) August 25, 2026
The backlash did not come from the gown's design alone, but from the history connected to the company behind it. Some social media users began sharing old reports about Cult Gaia founder Jasmin Larian Hekmat and a 2021 controversy over comments she made about Israel and Palestine, leading some users to question why Afualo chose the label for such an important event.
The 2021 Cult Gaia Israel Controversy
The original controversy dates back to May 2021, when Larian shared an Instagram post saying she was seeing 'so much misinformation' online and urged people to learn more about the conflict. She also reposted an image that said, 'I support Israel's right to defend itself', which led to anger among some followers who viewed the message as taking an anti-Palestinian position.
The reaction was serious enough that several retailers in the Middle East moved against Cult Gaia, with Harvey Nichols Kuwait announcing that it would stop stocking the brand. Other retailers, including Ounass and Bloomingdale's Middle East, were also reported to have removed or stopped selling Cult Gaia products during the backlash.
Larian later responded to the criticism and said, 'I realize I am part of the problem by failing to share both sides.' She also said she supported the rights of Palestinian people, while stating that she did not support leadership she believed used them to promote violence and hatred, showing that her position was more complicated than the single social media post now being shared by critics.
Fans Debate Whether Afualo Should Be Held Responsible
The latest criticism has largely focused on whether Afualo's choice of designer conflicts with her own public views, rather than on anything she has said about the designer's 2021 comments. A viral X post claimed the influencer was being 'cancelled' for wearing the gown, while the comments underneath showed a split reaction between people demanding accountability and others saying the old controversy was being presented without enough context.
"zionist brand" and it's just an LA brand (owned by an Iranian mind you) who said something pro Israel 5 years ago, since retracted the statement due to not understanding the situation, and then donated to relief funds for Palestinian children .
— juicy prime angus (@ThickAngus90) August 25, 2026
Good one guys, you got her!
One commenter argued that the designer was simply an LA-based brand whose founder had made a pro-Israel statement years ago, later changed the way she spoke about the issue and donated to Palestinian relief. That view has been echoed by others online who say the word 'Zionist' is being used too broadly, while critics continue to argue that the original post was enough to raise concerns about the brand.
For now, there is no clear evidence that Afualo has been formally 'cancelled' over the dress, and she has not publicly announced that she regrets choosing Cult Gaia for her wedding. What is clear is that a joyful wedding fashion moment has opened a much larger debate about how celebrities choose brands, how old political comments follow fashion founders online and whether later actions should change how consumers judge a company today.
