Rachel Zegler has had an eventful few weeks. She turned 25 on May 3, attended the Met Gala, and announced two new projects. Despite her success, the internet cannot calm down about her, needlessly criticizing her every move.
Rachel Zegler represents Gen Z: diverse, outspoken, and chronically online. Like many of us, she is active on social media, growing her original fanbase by posting covers on YouTube. These were usually show tunes, though she occasionally shared original songs, covers of pop music, and vlogs as a high school actress. She was eventually discovered by Steven Spielberg when she was cast in West Side Story, catapulting her into stardom. I have been following her since that announcement on Jan. 14, 2019, and am parasocially proud of everything she has accomplished since.
Since her first professional production, Zegler has been critiqued for her identity, appearance, and personality. West Side Story’s protagonist, María, is Puerto Rican, while Zegler is Colombian-American, making this casting decision controversial. I wholeheartedly support identity-accurate casting, so I understand the backlash, but personally, Zegler being Latina is enough for me. It is miles ahead of the 1961 West Side Story, where Rita Morena was the only person of Latin descent in a cast full of white actors in brownface.
Additionally, Zegler has been attacked for being born in the United States, only having one Latin parent, and not being fully fluent in Spanish. This argument is one I have always found absurd since I was also born in the United States, but I cling tightly to my heritage. Latinidad is not just nationality or language; it is ethnic, cultural, and all-encompassing. She is Latina because her childhood foods look like mine, because she celebrates all the holidays, because of so many other reasons, and simply because she says so.
Zegler also faced criticism when she became Disney’s first live-action Latina princess. Deadline announced her casting before West Side Story was even released, as Zegler landed the role without any prior film credits. While she was previously too white and too American for María, Zegler was declared too brown and too other for the role of Snow White. In her Vogue México y Latinoamérica feature, she discussed the backlash to her comments about updating the 1937 film, explaining that she is honored by how passionate people are about it. But passion should never turn to harassment. Statements about Snow White’s love for humanity and updated relationships became an opportunity to attack her politics and looks. She was bullied off X, with a final statement, “and always remember, free Palestine.” Maybe I’m too woke, but this response to a 21-year-old actress discussing a children’s movie was excessively harsh.
Despite how she has been treated online, Zegler still carries herself with strength and grace, defending herself and supporting other young, targeted actresses. One way she has spoken out is through her fashion. At the 2026 Met Gala, with the theme “Costume Art” and “Fashion is Art,” Zegler wore a dress inspired by Delaroche’s The Execution of Lady Jane Grey. The subject of the painting, Lady Jane Grey, was the Queen of England for nine days before Mary claimed the throne and had her beheaded. She was only 17. Zegler’s dress, designed by Prabal Gurung and styled by her longtime collaborator Sarah Slutsky, emulates the painting through the gathered skirts, corset, and blindfold.
Zegler clearly chose this painting for her Met Gala look because it parallels the scrutiny she faced. She was also only 17 when she filmed West Side Story, receiving death threats and incessant comments from people online. While most posters were anonymous or unknown users, Elon Musk and Joe Rogan joined the hate train, inviting their sycophants to target this young actress.
Hollywood and social media have been unfair to her, but the theater community has accepted Zegler. Stage acting was always her dream, something she has shared countless times, so I was overjoyed to see her find success in this space. When her Broadway debut in Sam Gold’s Romeo + Juliet was announced, I immediately bought tickets, not knowing how I would get to New York or even afford the trip, but knowing that I had to see this production. I cannot explain the overwhelming joy I felt listening to her sing in the tiny, intimate Circle in the Square Theatre, witnessing her standing ovation. It felt as if she finally got her flowers, recognition for her craft.
Zegler also received this praise for her work in London as she took the West End by storm, playing the titular role in Jamie Lloyd’s production of Evita. Her performance of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” was witnessed by hundreds of people each night who gathered in the street below the Palladium’s balcony to hear her sing the musical’s most iconic song. This performance won her the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the West End’s equivalent of Broadway’s Tony Awards.
Zegler is bringing Evita to Broadway in 2027, where I will hopefully have the opportunity to witness her talent again. This next year will be very busy for her, as the musical is only one of her four upcoming projects. She is currently working on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film adaptation of Dave Malloy’s Octet alongside Sheryl Lee Ralph and Phillipa Soo, among other stars. Zegler also recently wrapped filming She Gets It From Me, a comedy where she plays Marisa Tomei’s daughter. And on May 7, she announced another movie, Last Dance, where she will act alongside Oscar-winner Adrien Brody and perform original music from Ben Platt.
A common sentiment among Zegler’s detractors is that her career in Hollywood is over because of her statements. This could not be further from the truth. Every one of her so-called controversies has been an excuse to spread misogynistic or racist rhetoric. Rhetoric that is clearly untrue to anyone who has taken the time to understand her. Zegler remains employed, and I, for one, cannot wait to see all her upcoming work, whether on screen or on stage.