Those familiar with fairy tales understand that stories presented to the public, especially those targeting children, often receive sanitized adaptations that omit darker elements. Then arrived Disney's poisoned apple – or more accurately, their princess: Rachel Zegler.
Until 2022, when she claimed a coveted Golden Globe for her lead performance in "West Side Story," Zegler remained largely unknown by industry standards. Though blessed with a soprano voice capable of producing an impressive range, she had primarily received recognition in high school productions and hadn't attracted enough attention from influential figures to be provided with an essential guide on navigating "the real playground of Hollywood's elite."
Almost immediately after her casting announcement as Snow White opposite Gal Gadot as the evil queen and stepmother, Zegler (23) – whether deliberately or not – repeatedly demonstrated to Disney executives that she, rather than embodying the snow-white, lovable princess with good looks and a pure heart, was herself the poisoned apple.
The petite Zegler revealed herself as a young, opinionated woman with an unrestricted voice who fired off controversial statements without restraint. Her comments ranged from criticizing power dynamics between men and women in the original animated film to launching political attacks against President Donald Trump and expressing explicit support for Palestinians. Her tense relationships with Gadot and Disney executives left studio heads reeling as they realized the public relations quagmire they'd created with her casting.
Despite the film topping North American box office charts, it failed to generate expected revenue and is almost universally regarded as one of Disney's most embarrassing failures, especially considering its budget of hundreds of millions. The primary blame falls on Zegler, as evidenced by an investigation from Variety revealing that following her pro-Palestinian tweet, Disney was forced to increase security around Gadot after threats emerged against her life. Additionally, Jonah Platt, son of film producer Marc Platt, published a scathing post accusing Zegler of injecting her personal political agenda into the film's promotion campaign in ways that clearly damaged its financial performance, describing her behavior as "immature desires" and narcissism.
Zegler became persona non grata and a massive headache for Disney executives, who attempted damage control at every turn – no simple task considering Zegler's position as one of the film's two leads. She refused to back down from her positions, even after reports emerged that Marc Platt had been dispatched to New York to demand she remove her pro-Palestinian tweet during a private meeting – an effort that resulted in embarrassing failure.
Studio executives realized they had no choice but to minimize the platforms where Zegler could express her volatile opinions. They initiated an extensive damage control campaign: interactions between Gadot and Zegler were reduced to absolute minimum requirements, which included a joint Oscar presentation and official premiere attendance. However, these appearances were limited to "in-house" coverage only and lacked the customary celebratory atmosphere associated with releases of this magnitude. Meanwhile, her public and media appearances were meticulously curated.
Wherever Disney could exercise control over Zegler, they did – including sending her to walk red carpets alone at scaled-down premieres in Spain and Japan. Regarding promotional interviews, which typically occur in abundance, Zegler's presence (compared to Gadot's) was significantly diminished, with reports of canceled appearances on "Saturday Night Live," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and "The Drew Barrymore Show."
Has Zegler's career reached its conclusion?
The answer is almost certainly no, at least according to current industry indicators. One must remember that Hollywood is notoriously fickle with a short memory – for better or worse. It's premature to eulogize Zegler's career or conclude she has self-sabotaged her professional trajectory. True, one cannot ignore the real and substantial public and professional backlash she faces, which will likely influence potential collaborators in coming years. However, stepping back reveals a more complex reality in Hollywood's ecosystem.
Will Zegler, who positioned herself as Generation Z's progressive voice and torch-bearer for "WOKE culture," face a fate similar to colleagues like Melissa Barrera, fired from "Scream 7" after expressing support for Palestinians? Or perhaps follow Susan Sarandon, who despite an acclaimed career and Oscar win, found herself effectively blacklisted following her vocal Palestinian support? It remains unclear whether Zegler's situation represents a career-ending moment or merely a temporary setback.
Currently, the primary impact appears limited to her relationship with Disney. The studio will likely maintain tight control until their contractual agreements expire – arrangements unlikely to be renewed in the near future. Beyond this relationship, however, the consequences seem contained. While Zegler withdrew from filming "Paddington in Peru" in October 2023 shortly after the "Iron Swords" war began, media reports attributed this departure to the actors' union strike and her inability to break it as a union member – unrelated to the conflict or her public statements.
Regarding social media, Zegler continues maintaining active accounts and posting content freely, including post-release statements praising colleagues for the wonderful experience working on "Snow White" – conspicuously "forgetting" to mention Gadot while erasing any trace of her presence.
and always remember, free palestine.
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) August 12, 2024
Her stage performances continue uninterrupted. In October 2024, a full year after fighting broke out and long after she had expressed her controversial opinions, she starred on Broadway in "Romeo and Juliet." Her co-star Kit Connor ("Heartstopper") even wore the controversial red Artists4ceasefire pin on his tuxedo lapel during the celebratory premiere. Additionally, Zegler will soon make her West End debut in London as the lead in a new production of "Evita" scheduled to run between June and September.
For those who anticipated Zegler's career demise, disappointment awaits. Since "Snow White" hit theaters, she has continued advancing professionally: recently, her cover version of "Who I'd Be" from the "Shrek" musical appeared on MCC Theatre's album (which ironically also features Ben Platt, son of "Snow White" producer Marc Platt and brother to Jonah Platt, who publicly criticized Zegler).
On March 28, Zegler debuted on CBeebies Bedtime Story – a beloved children's program on BBC's CBeebies channel where celebrities read bedtime stories – presenting "Never Mess with a Pirate Princess" by Holly Ryan. The story concludes with a line many interpret as summarizing Zegler's essence while delivering a perfectly timed jab at her critics: "Never mess with a princess. We can all be powerful princesses. You don't need a king or queen as parents, or a beautiful white horse or even a fancy castle to live in. To be a powerful princess, you just need to be wonderful, brilliant."
