Rachel Zegler speaks out on the super messy Snow White film drama, exactly one year later

A year on from the chaos surrounding Disney’s live-action Snow White, Rachel Zegler has spoken candidly about the backlash she experienced during the film’s rollout.

The 24-year-old actress reflected on the intense criticism she faced after being cast as the iconic princess in Disney’s 2025 remake. The film, directed by Marc Webb, was surrounded by controversy long before it even hit cinemas.

Disney

Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar UK, Rachel described the period as a very “confusing time,” especially after growing up feeling proud of her Colombian-Polish heritage before online trolls began claiming she wasn’t the “right” skin colour to play the fictional character.

She also revealed she had faced both trolling and threats to her safety during the backlash.

Rachel said she had previously been criticised in opposite ways while building her career, first for not being Latino enough when she played María in West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg, and then for being too Latino to play Snow White.

“I was told I wasn’t enough of one thing for West Side Story and too much of another for Snow White. It was a really confusing time to be in my early twenties and hearing that.

“I grew up proud of being Colombian – eating the food, wearing the dresses, drinking the coffee, doing all the things that were so intrinsic to who I was as a kid and who I am as an adult – but I do think there’s an argument to be made that.

“In the public eye at least, when you’re two things, you’re simultaneously nothing. But I refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort.”

Netflix

She also explained how intense the online reaction became once the debate around the film began circulating.

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“If I’d been able to predict everything that would come my way, the threats to my safety, I would have just thrown my phone into the ocean. I think any sane person would have.”

The controversy around Snow White actually began years before the film’s release. In 2021, when Rachel Zegler was first announced as the lead, some conservative commentators criticised the casting and labelled the remake “woke” because a Latina actress had been chosen to play the classic fairytale princess.

At one point, actor Peter Dinklage also publicly criticised the concept of the remake during a podcast appearance, questioning the studio’s approach to the story.

“There’s a lot of hypocrisy going on,” he says. “Literally no offense to anyone, but I was a little taken aback [when] they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White. But you’re still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there. It makes no sense to me.”

When the trailer for Snow White released, a lot of the conversation centred around the conflicting views of Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, specifically regarding Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Gal Gadot served in the Israel Defence Force, and wrote “I stand with Israel you should too. The world cannot sit on the fence when these horrific acts of terror are happening!”

Disney

Rachel Zegler has publicly supported Palestine since 2021, writing: “And always remember, free Palestine.”

Amid the backlash, the premiere meant to be held at Leicester Square in London was cancelled.

Since the film came out last year, both Zegler and Gadot have not addressed the controversy. Adding fuel to the fire, days ago people noticed that Rachel unfollowed Gal on Instagram. 

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Featured image credit: Disney