Rachel Zegler is one of Hollywood’s most promising rising stars, but she is still no stranger to backlash from the media, as she seems to be a frequent target of internet vitriol. While she has received endless critical praise for her roles in movies like West Side Story and The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, public backlash has been rampant due to her political opinions and comments during the press tour of Disney’s latest live action remake, Snow White. Now, the 24 year old actress is speaking out.
In a recent interview with ID Magazine, Zegler chatted about online hate, as well as why she feels the need to still be outspoken despite the criticism. The actress explained that her compassion and strong opinions on global issues is not limited by her status as a movie star, and she feels like her status actually gives her more responsibility to speak her mind and speak up for injustice. She said:
the failings of the original Snow White film, and explained that her version of the titular character would have more independence and agency that was depicted in the past. Disney purists felt like this was a slight to the source material, and turned against her quickly. Some even blamed Zegler’s outlook for why the live action Snow White flopped at the box office.
Variety even reported that Snow White producer Marc Platt flew to see her and ask her to take some of her social media posts down. Zegler refused, and she doubled down on her choice in this interview, saying:
Whether controversial or not, Zegler is sticking to her guns, and is also getting a lot of support from fans. As for her mental health, well it seems like she has that handled as way, as she got candid about seeing a therapist throughout all of the media backlash. She said:
It’s good that the Shazam 2 actress has a good head on her shoulders, and seems to be handling the situation with a lot of grace. Despite the criticism, Rachel Zegler shows no signs of slowing down. She is currently starring in Evita in the West End, and it’s already a critical smash hit. If you can’t get to London to see her shine on stage, fans can also see Zegler in the live action remake of Snow White, which is now streaming with a Disney+ subscription.