Rachel Zegler, the 24-year-old actress who rose to fame with a Golden Globe-winning performance in West Side Story and later starred in Disney’s live-action Snow White, has found herself at the center of yet another storm. On June 4, 2025, a series of missteps by her own PR team triggered a massive fan revolt, plunging Zegler’s already fragile public image into chaos. The incident, which unfolded just days before her West End debut in Evita, has left fans divided, with some calling for a boycott of her upcoming projects while others rally to her defense. As the fallout continues, the debacle raises questions about the handling of young stars in the digital age and whether Zegler can weather this latest blow to her career.
A Career Already on Shaky Ground
Zegler’s journey in Hollywood has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Her breakout role as María in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story earned her critical acclaim and a Golden Globe, marking her as a rising star at just 20 years old. However, her subsequent projects, particularly Disney’s Snow White, released on March 21, 2025, became a lightning rod for controversy. The film, which cost $270 million to produce and another $100 million in marketing, flopped spectacularly, earning just $87 million globally and resulting in a reported $115 million loss for Disney. Critics panned the “woke” reimagining, which re-framed Snow White as a feminist leader rather than a traditional princess, while Zegler’s own comments added fuel to the fire.
Zegler had previously criticized the 1937 animated classic, calling the prince a “stalker” and the story “weird,” remarks that alienated purist fans. Her political activism further complicated matters; in August 2024, she posted on X, “and always remember, free Palestine,” a statement that amassed 8.8 million views and drew backlash, especially given her co-star Gal Gadot’s Israeli background. The post led to death threats against Gadot, prompting Disney to beef up security for the actress. Zegler’s November 2024 Instagram rant—“Fuck Donald Trump” and “May Trump supporters never know peace”—after Trump’s re-election only deepened the divide, with Disney assigning her a social media guru to curb further damage. Despite a forced apology, many fans remained unimpressed, as reflected in posts found on X calling her behavior “toxic” and “obnoxious.”
By June 2025, Zegler was attempting to pivot. Her role as Eva Perón in the West End production of Evita, set to premiere on June 14 at the London Palladium, was meant to be a fresh start, showcasing her vocal talent in a less scrutinized arena. She had also lined up a new film, She Gets It From Me, with Marisa Tomei, signaling a potential comeback. However, her PR team’s latest blunder has thrown these plans into jeopardy.
The PR Misstep That Ignited a Firestorm
The meltdown began on June 3, 2025, when Zegler’s PR team issued a press release intended to drum up excitement for her Evita debut. The statement, however, took an unexpected turn, addressing the Snow White controversy in a way that many fans found tone-deaf and dismissive. The release claimed that Zegler had “moved on” from the “minor hiccup” of Snow White’s failure and was “unfazed by the noise from a small group of detractors.” It went on to describe her critics as “uninformed” and suggested that her political statements were “misunderstood expressions of her passion for justice.”
The language immediately sparked outrage among fans who felt the statement belittled their legitimate grievances. Many had been vocal about their disappointment with Snow White, not just for its creative direction but for Zegler’s perceived lack of accountability. The press release’s implication that fans were a “small group” ignored the scale of the backlash, which had included online review-bombing campaigns and boycott threats. On X, the sentiment exploded, with users posting under hashtags like #ZeglerPRFail and #BoycottEvita. One user wrote, “Calling us ‘uninformed’ because we didn’t like your movie? That’s a new low, Rachel.” Another added, “Her team just threw gasoline on the fire—good luck with Evita now.”
The situation worsened when a leaked email from Zegler’s PR team surfaced later that day, revealing internal discussions about “spinning” her image by blaming the Snow White flop on “external cultural forces” rather than her actions. The email, sent to a senior publicist, suggested framing Zegler as a victim of “anti-woke hysteria” and proposed planting stories to shift the narrative. The leak, first reported by an entertainment blog, confirmed fans’ suspicions that Zegler’s team was more focused on damage control than genuine accountability, further fueling their anger.
A Fan Revolt Gains Momentum
By the morning of June 4, the fan revolt was in full swing. A petition calling for a boycott of Evita circulated online, gaining over 50,000 signatures within hours. Fans organized under the banner “Fans Against Zegler’s Arrogance,” citing the PR statement as evidence of her disconnect from her audience. “She’s not listening to us—she’s blaming us,” one petition organizer wrote on X, echoing a sentiment shared by many. Ticket sales for Evita, already lagging according to a Daily Mail report from April 22, 2025, reportedly plummeted further, with some ticket holders demanding refunds.
The revolt wasn’t limited to Snow White fans. Even Zegler’s core supporters, who had stood by her through earlier controversies, expressed frustration. A fan account with over 100,000 followers posted, “I’ve defended Rachel through everything, but her team calling us ‘uninformed’ hurts. We’re not the problem—she needs to own her mistakes.” Others pointed to her past behavior, including her dismissive remark about Gadot at the 2025 Academy Awards—calling her a “professional pageant queen”—as evidence of a pattern of arrogance that her PR team was now exacerbating.
Zegler’s team scrambled to respond, issuing a retraction of the press release on June 4, 2025, at 3:00 PM +07. The statement apologized for the “mischaracterization” of fans and promised to “listen and learn.” However, the damage was done. The retraction was met with skepticism, with many fans accusing the team of backtracking only after the backlash became unmanageable. “Too little, too late,” one X user wrote, a sentiment that resonated across the platform.
Zegler’s Response and the Road Ahead
Zegler herself broke her silence late on June 4, posting a brief statement on Instagram. “I’m devastated by the hurt caused by the recent press release,” she wrote. “Those words were not mine, but I take responsibility for the actions of my team. I’m listening to you, and I’m sorry.” The apology, while earnest, did little to quell the revolt. Critics pointed out that this was her second forced apology in less than a year, referencing her November 2024 retraction after the Trump comments, and questioned her sincerity. “How many times will she ‘take responsibility’ without changing?” one user asked on X.
The incident has cast a shadow over Zegler’s Evita debut, with some theatergoers vowing to skip the show. The production, directed by Jamie Lloyd, was meant to be a return to her roots, leveraging her vocal talent in a role that could showcase her range as Eva Perón. But with ticket sales faltering and the boycott gaining traction, the show’s success is now in jeopardy. Her upcoming film, She Gets It From Me, also faces uncertainty, with fans speculating that studios may hesitate to cast her in future projects given the ongoing PR crises.
A Cautionary Tale for Hollywood
The fan revolt sparked by Zegler’s PR team underscores the delicate balance young stars must navigate in the age of social media. At 24, Zegler is still early in her career, yet she faces pressures that have overwhelmed even seasoned celebrities. Her Snow White experience—marked by racist backlash over her Latina heritage, death threats, and studio scrutiny—highlights the challenges of fame for a young woman of color in Hollywood. However, her team’s mishandling of the situation reveals a deeper issue: a failure to prioritize authenticity over spin.
Zegler’s career is at a crossroads. On one hand, she retains a loyal fanbase, with supporters on X praising her talent and resilience. Film critic David Ehrlich’s March 2025 comment on X—“Rachel Zegler RULES and so obviously has a lifetime of incredible roles & performances ahead of her”—still resonates with those who believe in her potential. On the other hand, the fan revolt has amplified calls for accountability, with some arguing that her repeated controversies reflect a lack core base of supporters who admire her authenticity and willingness to speak out. Whether she can channel the passion that led to her on-set outburst into her work remains to be seen, but for now, her career hangs in the balance as the fan revolt continues to unfold. of growth. As one X user put it, “Rachel’s team needs to stop treating fans like the enemy—she’s burning bridges she can’t rebuild.”
As of 11:29 AM +07 on June 5, 2025, the fallout from Zegler’s PR meltdown shows no signs of slowing. The incident serves as a cautionary tale for Hollywood, where the line between damage control and genuine engagement with fans is thinner than ever. For Zegler, the path forward will require more than apologies—it will demand a reckoning with her public image and a team that can navigate the complexities of her stardom without alienating the very audience she depends on. Whether she can rise above this latest scandal remains to be seen, but for now, the fan revolt has made one thing clear: in the court of public opinion, even a star’s own team can become their greatest liability.
