Rachel Zegler’s 2025 Rollercoaster: From Snow White Flop to Defiant Star Power
LOS ANGELES, CA – March 27, 2025 – Rachel Zegler, the 23-year-old breakout star of West Side Story, is dominating headlines in 2025, but not always for the reasons she’d hope. As Disney’s live-action Snow White remake stumbles at the box office and ignites a firestorm of controversy, Zegler finds herself at the center of a cultural tug-of-war—celebrated by some as a bold voice, vilified by others as a Hollywood lightning rod.
The Snow White saga hit theaters on March 21, and its opening weekend haul of just $43 million domestically—against a $270 million budget—has been labeled a disaster. Critics and fans alike point fingers at Zegler, whose outspoken persona has fueled a years-long backlash. It started in 2021 with her casting as the iconic princess, sparking racist outrage over her Colombian-Polish heritage clashing with the “skin as white as snow” fairy tale. Zegler clapped back, telling Allure this month, “The name’s about resilience, not complexion—deal with it.” But the controversy snowballed.
Her comments trashing the 1937 original didn’t help. In a 2024 Variety chat, she called it “dated” and promised a Snow White who’s “a leader, not a damsel,” irking purists who flooded X with gripes about her “entitled” attitude. Then came the political bombshell: an August 2024 tweet after the trailer drop, ending with “and always remember, free Palestine.” The post, viewed 8.8 million times, sent Disney into damage-control mode—producer Marc Platt jetted to New York to confront her, and a social media consultant was hired to vet her posts. The fallout? Co-star Gal Gadot, an Israeli ex-IDF soldier and vocal Israel supporter, faced death threats, prompting Disney to beef up her security and separate the actresses during press junkets.
Adding salt to the wound, Jonah Platt—son of producer Marc Platt—blasted Zegler on Instagram this week, calling her political stance “career suicide” and blaming it for the film’s flop. “She tanked it with her mouth,” he wrote, igniting a fresh wave of debate. Yet, allies like Melissa Barrera rallied behind her, tweeting, “Rachel’s braver than most in this industry—Disney’s scapegoating her for speaking up.” Fans on X are split: some hail her as a Gen Z truth-teller, others slam her as “box office poison.”
Off-screen, Zegler’s unbothered. She’s prepping for a West End Evita run and teasing more acting gigs, telling EW she’s “shocked” by past casting hurdles—like execs questioning her Latina cred for West Side Story—but ready for what’s next. Her latest Instagram flex? A chic Dior look from Paris Fashion Week, captioned, “Transforming, always.” Box office aside, Zegler’s not fading quietly—she’s rewriting her narrative, one controversy at a time.
With Snow White’s fate uncertain and her star still rising, 2025 is proving Zegler’s a force Hollywood can’t ignore. Love her or hate her, she’s here to stay.
