Game of Thrones actress ‘devastated’ after baby taken by Israeli social services

A British Israeli actress who appeared in Games of Thrones said she was “devastated and heartbroken” after Israel’s social services seized her baby in the middle of the night last week.

Josephine Gillan, who played the part of the prostitute Marei in the HBO series, says authorities took her eight-month old daughter Gloria from the family caring for her while she received therapy for postnatal depression.

Gillan published a video of the moment on Twitter, showing police taking Gloria away at night, and is raising money on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to pay for a legal challenge.

“I’m not allowed to see her or have contact,” she wrote on the crowdfunding page, accusing social services of “kidnapping” her daughter.

“What Israeli social services have done is illegal and I’m fighting to get her back,” she wrote. “I have not done anything wrong and neither has my friend who was caring from her!”

The child has been placed in foster care – a move authorities say is in Gloria’s best interest, the Jewish Chronicle reported.

A spokesman for Israel’s Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Social Services told the weekly newspaper that “cases such as this are under complete confidentiality by law, therefore it is impossible to reveal identifying details.” 

He added: “Professional personnel of the ministry of labor, social care and social services are dealing with this complicated situation and our international unit is in touch with the ministry’s peers in the country of origin, with the judicial system and with all relevant factors.

“The baby’s best interest is what leads any action taken by the ministry.”

Gillan told the JC: “I did anything Israel wanted me to do. I wanted Israel to help me.

“But they decided to take my baby from my care and they didn’t help me – they made things really bad for me.”

She said she was “devastated and heartbroken. Every parent deserves a chance to raise their child.”