Rachel Zegler is at the centre of a media whirlwind thanks to her leading role in Snow White. The 23-year-old star has faced some major criticism for her political views, which she openly shares on social media, and for her controversial views on the original Snow White story.
Initially, film fans were excited when the movie was announced in 2016. Rachel was cast in the titular role in June 2021, before her rise to fame in West Side Story, and the highly-anticipated first trailer for the film was released in August 2024.
However, the film has proven to be a flop for Disney, crashing and burning at the box office. With a lackluster global opening of just $88 (£67.5m) against a hefty $270 million (208m) budget, it has left the studio facing a significant financial setback.
The Hollywood actress first faced backlash when she was cast as Snow White, with critics pointing out that her Latina heritage didn’t match the character’s “white as snow” description. Following the backlash, Rachel reacted boldly to the hate and confusion, defiantly writing on X: “Yes i am snow white no i am not bleaching my skin for the role.”
Rachel had previously expressed her enthusiasm for being cast in the role, saying of her character: “Her superpower remains her heart, you know, that’s always been the core of this story. That’s always been the core of the Disney Company.”
But her additional comments on the original 1937 Snow White film sparked fury amongst fans. In interviews, she admitted to not liking the movie, saying its portrayal of the love story between Snow White and Prince Charming struck her as problematic.
Reflecting on the film’s themes, she told Extra: “The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird. So we didn’t do that this time.” She added that the remake has a “different approach to what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story, just because we cast a guy in the movie”.
But it wasn’t just her remarks on the original movie that caused problems. In August, while promoting the first official Snow White trailer on X, Rachel expressed her gratitude to fans for their support. But in a follow-up post, she added, “and always remember, free Palestine”.
As a result, Rachel’s Israeli co-star Gal Gadot reportedly became the target of an alarming increase in death threats, prompting Disney to arrange heightened security for Gal and her family. “She didn’t understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone,” a source told Variety.
The statement, which garnered 8.8 million views, quickly caught the attention of Disney executives, prompting producer Marc Platt to fly to New York to have a direct conversation with the star’s team.
Then just three months later, after the presidential election, Rachel took to Instagram to post “F*** Donald Trump” and “May Trump supporters… never know peace.” Disney, already dealing with a film facing significant challenges, including expensive reshoots, felt this was the last straw. The post effectively alienated a large portion of the potential audience, prompting the studio to take action, according to reports.
Rachel is said to have received a stern talking-to from producers behind the scenes at the time – and, more recently, she was on the receiving end of a blistering attack from Jonah Platt, the son of the film’s producer Marc Platt.
Posting to his Instagram, Jonah responded to a fan’s question about the recent Disney controversy, writing: “Yeah, my dad, the producer of the enormous piece of Disney IP with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, had to leave his family to fly across the country to reprimand his 20-year-old employee for dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie for which she signed a multi-million dollar contract to get paid and do publicly for.”
He added, “Free speech does not mean you’re allowed to say whatever you want in your private employment without repercussions.
“Tens of thousands of people worked on that film, and she hijacked the conversation for her own immature desires at the risk of the colleagues and crew and blue collar workers who depend on that movie to be successful. Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”
Fellow actress Melissa Barrera, meanwhile, has come to the defense of the actress. Taking to her Instagram stories, she posted a picture of a news article from Variety which was “purposefully” used to “paint Zegler as difficult and politically radical”, to which Barerra responded writing: “It doesn’t, it makes her look cool as hell and full of integrity.”
Despite the bad news surrounding her latest movie, it has been revealed Rachel has secured an exciting new gig with the BBC. She is set to be the latest famous face to read a CBeebies Bedtime Story.
Rachel is best known for her breakout role as Maria in the 2021 film adaptation of West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg. Born on May 3, 2001, in Hackensack, New Jersey, she gained widespread recognition for her exceptional vocal talent and acting skills, which earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her portrayal of the character.
She also starred in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and as Anthea in the superhero film Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), which received mixed reviews from critics.
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