Rachel Zegler Is More Authentic Than Most of Hollywood

Rachel Zegler doesn’t belong in Hollywood, and that’s a compliment. Actors like Zegler — you know, the ones who have an actual personality that isn’t dependent upon the direction of cameras — usually spend years making wonderful little films, developing existential calluses to the politics of entertainment and celebrity. Take Greta Gerwig or Peter Dinklage, for instance, whose earlier films are microscopic compared to their later work but generally just as great, if not better.

For whatever reason — luck, privilege, beauty, cunning, talent, charm, all of the above — Zegler bypassed the whole “early work” thing and practically began with superstardom, joining the cast of Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story at the age of 16. You can’t scoff in condescension and say “I liked their early stuff.” She’s like The Sex Pistols, Billie Eilish, or The Strokes — there is no “early work” to like better. It just starts out big and bold.

Perhaps controversy comes easier as a result of this. Zegler, the star of the new Snow White, hasn’t experienced the failure, pain, and rejection that many artists confront (and usually succumb to). Maybe she’s bolder as such, or maybe she’s just young and doesn’t have the “wisdom” to stay quiet, and what sad wisdom is that? It could be there’s no “excuse” for Zegler, no justification for her controversy other than the sharp side of Occam’s razor: she has principles and ideas, something women have been killed for more often than not. I suppose online outrage is preferable to death, so maybe we’re improving as a society by inches at a time, but nonetheless — with a new report from Variety showing just how dedicated Zegler is to her positions, it’s time to admit that the actor has more dignity and courage in her petite frame than the majority of people in public positions. In fact, she’s kind of a badass.

Rachel Zegler Stood Her Ground

A new report from Variety details just how committed Rachel Zegler is to her beliefs, even when they may cost her everything. She, like so many others (especially of her generation), laments what the United Nations calls a genocide against the Palestinian people; she is angered by what Amnesty International also calls a genocide. While Zegler hasn’t attended any protests that we know of, she did share her feelings with a simple social media post on Aug. 12, 2024, calling for a “free Palestine.” Apparently, this sent Disney into a veritable tizzy. Variety reports:

“A Disney executive raised the studio’s concerns with Zegler’s team, while the film’s producer Marc Platt flew to New York to speak directly with her. But the actress, whose relationship with the studio began to unravel in 2022 during a contentious West Side Story awards season campaign and continued as she trashed the beloved original Snow White, stood her ground, and the post remained.”

After some later social media posts, Platt returned to Zegler and she eventually agreed to work with a social media manager to vet any posts before the March 21 release of Snow White. Zegler was kind to do so, but it didn’t compromise her personality. Crucially, the “free Palestine” post has not been deleted — Zegler remains a confident badass. What kind of world do we live in where calling for a stop to genocide is problematic?

A user on Instagram by the name of @brynnd13 agrees, and called out Platt’s son on social media. He sent a comment to Jonah Platt that read: “Your dad flew to NYC to reprimand a young actress? Any words on this? Cuz that’s creepy as hell and uncalled-for. People have the right to free speech, no? Shame on your father.” The son of the wealthy Hollywood mogul replied in this way:

“You really want to do this? Yeah, my dad, the producer of 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 publicity for. This is called adult responsibility and accountability. And her actions clearly hurt the film’s box office.”

“Free speech does not mean you’re allowed to say whatever you want in your private employment with repercussions. Tens of thousands of people worked on that film, and she hijacked the conversation for her own immature desires at the risk of all the colleagues and crew and blue collar workers who depend on that movie to be successful. Narcissim is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”

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Apparently “blue collar workers” get backend deals on the percentage of Disney’s box office… The narrative that Zegler’s politics are to blame for the diminished returns of 2025’s Snow White is absurd and tone-deaf. People had already made up their minds about Snow White before the trailer was released, and Disney has been the target of audience disdain for years now (especially from right-wing viewers). Their live-action adaptations have been hit or miss, with several recent failures. Sorry, Disney, but a 20-year-old actor in support of Palestinian lives is not the great scapegoat you think it is.

Everybody Hates Rachel: Why?

It’s both sickening and hilarious that there are literally millions of Snow White and Disney fans that not only refuse to see the new live-action movie with Rachel Zegler, but actively trash it (like 12-year-old boys launching spitballs at a young crush in math class). What’s the deal? Is it simply political? Zegler has been outspoken in her contempt for MAGA and Donald Trump, but so have literally billions of people. Is that enough to blacklist an artist? I don’t agree with Bo Derek’s gender politics, but I dig Tommy Boy and think she’s pretty great.

Zegler has received heat for a variety of reasons, all based on her opinions and beliefs. I think it’s great that she speaks her mind — the people who don’t like that simply dislike what she says, as opposed to, say, Gina Carano. Zegler has certainly been intense, as in a series of posts on her Instagram story where she said there was “a deep, deep sickness in this country.” She continued by saying, “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace,” and warned of “another four years of hatred, leaning us towards a world I do not want to live in.” She concluded it with “F*ck Donald Trump.”

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It was an election and feelings were fiery on all sides. Personally, I prefer hearing someone share their unfiltered thoughts rather than posting an image of themselves holding a cat to signify that they’re voting for the Democrats (as in the white feminism of Taylor Swift). Regardless, Zegler actually apologized and seemed to recognize that her contempt towards voters may have been misguided, writing:

“Hi everyone, I would like to sincerely apologize for the election post I shared on Instagram last week. I let me emotions get the best of me. Hatred and anger have caused us to move further and further away from peace and understanding, and I am sorry I contributed to the negative discourse. This week has been emotion for so many of us, but I firmly believe that everyone has the right to their opinion, even when it differs from my own. I am committed to contributing positively towards a better tomorrow.”

There’s also the fact that Zegler critiqued some of the antiquated ideas of the original Snow White, calling the film “dated” and Prince Charming a “stalker.” Surprise — she has an opinion, just like the thousands of Letterboxd reviewers of Snow White. Calling a nearly 90-year-old film “dated” shouldn’t be that controversial; Disney was literally remaking it because of this. And it’s been noted by many more people than Zegler that the ethics and politics of old Disney films can be questionable. Beauty and the Beast is essentially about abuse, kidnapping, and Stockholm Syndrome. It’s still a classic. Chill.

Related: Beauty and the Beast is Actually Really Messed Up, and Here’s Why

Why So Serious?

I don’t think we should live in a “Shut up and dribble” world where we demand that artists (or anyone) stay neutral about everything. Unfortunately, people are so tribal and hateful that any opinion becomes fodder for a hate mob. Navigating that is difficult, but isn’t it kind of special that Zegler isn’t some corporate puppet who does whatever their financial masters demand? Do her haters really want people to hide their opinions and become avatars for companies? Didn’t you want Gina Carano to speak her mind? And Mel Gibson, and Dennis Quaid, and Zachary Levi? Do her haters realize that hypocrisy?

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As with any mega corporation, I am not a fan of Disney (Fantasia is dope, though). I’ve enjoyed a couple of the things they’ve thrown money at (WALL-E… probably something else), but I have zero interest in the new Snow White film. I probably wouldn’t like it. But it’s not because I demand Snow White be white-skinned, or that all the actors in make-believe fairy tales should be devoid of opinions. Taking that stance and acting on it, with hateful comments and review-bombing, is just about the most pathetic thing I can think of.

Zegler, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to care. Feel free to rant on Facebook about her; she’s fine. Just watch her surprise appearance on Office Hours with Tim Heidecker, where she joins her co-stars and director (Kyle Mooney) from the film Y2K. Zegler is relaxed, funny, sociable, and smart. She seems like a good hang. Haters should focus on her as she pets her adorable dog and laughs at Heidecker’s joke, and ask themselves — why am I so upset? Why do this stranger’s opinions drive me nuts? Am I living my best life, this way? Because Rachel Zegler seems to be. Free Palestine.

Snow White is now in theaters from Walt Disney Studios.