Media favourite Scarlett Johansson has made the headlines for something other than a new movie this week. After eight years in the role, the actress has stepped down as an ambassador for Oxfam, saying she’d encountered a “fundamental difference of opinion” over the charity’s boycott, divestment and sanctions policy.

This “difference of opinion” relates to her new – and presumably lucrative – role as brand ambassador for SodaStream International, which has a large factory in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. However, the Palestinians have staked a claim to that same turf, and Oxfam is against any goods that emerge from Israeli settlements, claiming they’re illegal and deny the rights of the Palestinian people.

Generally, celebrities would be well advised to steer clear of most religious and political issues. But Johansson has managed to find herself right in the middle of one very contentious topic. Some careful due diligence on the new role she was being offered would have almost certainly spotted this area of potential conflict – yet the way in which the story has been covered in the media seems rather like there was little to no effort to positively manage the story by either the actress or her team.

Being so involved in both charity and corporate work may occasionally mean that conflicts of interest arise, and the public is overwhelmingly likely to side with the charity in the event of such a conflict. The danger for Johansson is that this move may look cold to some, as she has appeared to ditch Oxfam for a global beverage company.

Hopefully for her, whatever she’s being paid as a SodaStream brand ambassador will provide a measure of comfort as the critics question her decision and motives.

Image of Scarlett Johansson courtesy of Jaguar PS / Shutterstock