“Hope we can move away from distorting remarks” — Paul Wesley responds to backlash over Israel remarks, cites artistic appreciation

Paul Wesley recently responded to the backlash that emerged after a video where he expressed his love for Israel went viral. The clip initially went viral on July 26, 2025, after it was posted on social media. Buzzing Pop then shared it on their X (formerly Twitter) account the same day.

Once the post gained traction, the actor replied with a comment below the Buzzing Pop post. While the comment has now been deleted, Buzzing Pop posted a screenshot of it on Sunday, July 27, on their X account. The comment read:

“I never comment on these things however: appreciating the aesthetic beauty of a country should not be misconstrued as a political statement, let alone an endorsement of war. I would hope we can move away from distorting remarks into false narratives. Thanks.”

Notably, the original video that led to criticism against Paul Wesley was posted on TikTok by an individual with the username @hodaya_menahemv. The clip shows The Vampire Diaries star with a woman at an unknown location, seemingly in the middle of a conversation.

The clip started with Wesley realizing that the woman was making a video, following which he mentioned that he had nothing to say. The Smallville star was about to leave when the woman spoke up.

“Love you from Israel,” she said.

Paul Wesley then responded to the comment.

“Oh, I love Israel,” he said.

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Natalie Kuckenberg confirmed her engagement to Paul Wesley on social media

The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds star created headlines around a week ago when the news of his engagement to Natalie Kuckenberg went viral. The pair has been frequently seen sharing glimpses of their relationship on Instagram over the years.

On July 19, Kuckenberg took to her Instagram to announce that she was now engaged to Paul Wesley. The model added a black-and-white photo of her and Wesley's hands, where she was seen wearing her engagement ring. The caption of the post read:

“Yes 🤍 Always and forever”

According to People magazine, Wesley also posted a picture on his Instagram Story the same day. The duo were seen posing with each other in the picture, with Kuckenberg's engagement ring in focus.

The couple had been in the news for a couple of days before the engagement announcement, specifically after they appeared together in Italy earlier the same month. On July 16, both Paul Wesley and Natalie Kuckenberg shared Instagram carousel posts of the two of them vacationing in Italy. They were also spotted at Amalfi Coast on July 17.

Us Weekly stated that the duo was first seen together back in November 2022 during a trip to a village in Italy, followed by the Christmas celebration at Madison Square Garden. The pair has continued making public appearances at various events such as the annual Women's Cancer Research Fund Gala in 2023 and the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris.

As a model, Kuckenberg has walked the ramp in different events like the 2022 N.Y.C. fashion show. Furthermore, she also launched a clothing line called Nareia in April this year. She is additionally interested in photography.

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Paul Wesley has a film in his upcoming lineup, titled He Bled Neon. The release date of the action-thriller is yet to be announced.

Edited by Ankita Barat