If you had told me back in 2021 that Rachel Zegler would become the internet’s favorite punching bag for conservatives and perpetually angry social media users, I…wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised.
Rachel Zegler was plucked out of relative obscurity in New Jersey in 2019 when she was cast as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story. The film debuted in 2021, earning her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy (making her the youngest recipient) and a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Actress. From there, her career took off: she starred as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, played a villain in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, led A24’s disaster comedy Y2K, and made her Broadway debut in Romeo + Juliet just last year. Not too shabby for a 23-year-old who had been filming YouTube song covers not so long ago.
But by far the most headline-making moment of Zegler’s career was her casting as the titular princess in Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White. If you’ve been on the internet at all, you’ve probably seen the complete and total meltdown over it. If not, allow me to enlighten you.
The first wave of hatred toward Zegler began when her casting was announced in 2021 — before West Side Story had even come out. She was immediately bombarded with racist vitriol from conservatives, frothing at the mouth over the fact that their beloved princess was being played by a young Latina actress instead of someone “100% white.” If this sounds familiar, it’s because it mirrors the same tedious, manufactured outrage hurled at Halle Bailey, who played Ariel in 2023’s The Little Mermaid remake.
The backlash has only intensified in the years leading up to the film’s release. Online trolls latched onto Zegler’s comments about the original, referring to the 1937 (!!!) movie as “outdated” and noting that the remake would take a “different approach” to the story. These remarks weren’t all that different from what Emma Watson (Belle in 2017’s Beauty and the Beast) and Lily James (Cinderella in 2015’s Cinderella) said about their characters — not needing a man to save them, modernizing the story, etc. Yet, somehow, Watson and James escaped scrutiny, while Zegler is crucified. Hmm…I wonder why that is?
And still, it’s only gotten worse. If you have had the stomach to read through the comments on Zegler’s Instagram or replies to her YouTube interviews, you’ve seen how vile people have been — demonizing her every move (seriously, someone called her narcissistic for cuddling a bunny!), insulting her appearance, and referring to her as “Snow Brown”…all while insisting their hatred has nothing to do with race.
Snow White has massively underperformed at the box office, earning just $144 million on a $270 million budget. There are plenty of reasons why. For starters, the film looks like it was AI-generated using the prompts “dull” and “soulless.” Calling it visually unappealing would be generous. The costumes, hair, and makeup are nothing to write home about. Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, couldn’t act her way out of a paper bag (see: literally any movie she’s been a part of). The seven dwarves are entirely animated. And let’s be honest — Snow White has never been one of Disney’s most exciting IPs to begin with.
Rather than reflecting on any of these reasons, social media — and the powers that be at Disney — have decided the film flopped solely because of Zegler’s involvement, even though nearly every review highlights her as the movie’s sole saving grace.
Variety recently published a thinly veiled hit piece on Zegler, claiming that Disney hired a social media handler for her after she tweeted in support of Palestine and insulted Donald Trump on Instagram. The former allegedly prompted producer Marc Platt to fly to New York City to ask her to take the post down — something she reportedly refused to do. I wonder when Platt flew to talk to Gal Gadot (a former IDF soldier) about her constant praise for Israel?
The film’s promotion was massively scaled down — supposedly because of Zegler. Its premiere was reduced to an afternoon event, and she did a very short press tour. (No one seems to consider that this could also be part of why the film underperformed.)
Ultimately, this entire Zegler crusade infuriates me for a few reasons. It’s become clear that the internet picks a young woman to collectively dogpile on every few months for various made-up, often ridiculous reasons. Anne Hathaway was too excited about winning an Oscar. Brie Larson dared to criticize the lack of diversity in entertainment coverage. Chappell Roan asked not to be harassed in public. Jennifer Lawrence, Sydney Sweeney, Millie Bobby Brown, Simone Biles … the list goes on.
A random female celebrity is chosen and thrown into the fire, all because the internet decides she’s the problem of the moment. Then, when the hate finally burns out, there’s a half-hearted outcry about how we “owe her an apology” — before the cycle starts again with someone new.
Rinse. Repeat. When does it end?
And, of course, no similar cycle exists for male celebrities — even those with actual abuse convictions. Jonathan Majors was found guilty in December 2023 of assaulting his girlfriend, and he’s already back in the press on a redemption tour for his new movie. Meanwhile, Zegler — whose worst “offense” is critiquing a 1937 cartoon — has somehow become the most sinister presence in Hollywood. Right.
It’s incredibly frustrating to see Disney turn on Zegler — especially because it echoes the exact issues I had with their treatment of Halle Bailey. Disney loves to pat themselves on the back for being progressive by casting young actresses of color, but they’re nowhere to be found when those same women are hit with racist vitriol. Zegler reportedly had to move apartments to escape harassment. Where was Disney’s security team? Where was even a single corporate statement in her defense? Instead, they pushed her as the scapegoat for the film’s failure.
It isn’t meaningful representation if the women leading these films become prime targets for hate and are forced to weather it entirely alone. Sure, Zegler made some “public missteps” while promoting Snow White. But let’s be real — most people dealing with even a fraction of the racism and scrutiny she’s faced wouldn’t have handled it half as well. Not to mention, she’s only 23 years old! I’m glad she’s temporarily stepping away from Hollywood as she begins rehearsals for her starring role in Evita on the West End. After the way this industry has treated her, she deserves a stage where she’s seen — and valued.
Watching the internet turn on Zegler has been excruciating — though, unfortunately, not surprising. Social media hates nothing more than a woman who refuses to shrink herself to fit expectations. Zegler has opinions people don’t like and expresses them confidently — and somehow, that’s enough to justify the pile-on.
If Disney truly wanted to avoid another Snow White-level disaster, they would focus on creating original content instead of churning out lifeless remakes and sequels no one asked for. Instead, they’ll keep riding the nostalgia train for as long as it’s profitable — taking credit when it works and tossing their young stars of color under the bus when it doesn’t.
Rachel Zegler was never the problem. She was just the easiest one to blame.