Introduction
Disney’s live-action Snow White, released on March 21, 2025, was intended to be a bold reimagining of the 1937 animated classic, with Rachel Zegler as the iconic princess. However, the $270 million film became a high-profile disaster, grossing just $43 million domestically and $87 million globally in its opening weekend, far below expectations. The film’s failure was compounded by years of controversy surrounding Zegler’s outspoken comments, from her critique of the original film to her polarizing political posts. Following the flop, Zegler issued an apology for her post-election remarks against Donald Trump and his supporters, but the gesture was widely mocked as insincere and “cringe,” further damaging her reputation. Reports suggest Disney and Hollywood are distancing themselves from the 23-year-old actress, leaving her career in limbo. This article explores Zegler’s apology, its backlash, and the broader fallout, drawing from web sources and sentiment on X to unpack this Hollywood saga.
The Snow White Flop: A Cascade of Controversies
The Snow White remake faced challenges from its inception. Zegler’s casting in June 2021 sparked racist backlash from conservative fans who argued that a Latina actress of Colombian and Polish descent was unfit to play a character described as having “skin as white as snow.” Zegler responded defiantly on X, stating, “Yes I am Snow White no I am not bleaching my skin for the role,” but the vitriol persisted. Her comments at Disney’s D23 Expo in 2022 further escalated tensions. She called the 1937 film “dated,” criticized its focus on a love story with a prince who “literally stalks” Snow White, and emphasized the remake’s feminist approach, replacing the classic “Someday My Prince Will Come” with a new song, “Waiting on a Wish.” These remarks, viral on TikTok, were seen as disrespectful to Disney’s legacy, with X user @LoneWolf907 on May 1, 2025, declaring them “beyond saving” for the film’s prospects.
Zegler’s political activism proved even more divisive. On August 12, 2024, she posted on X, “I love you all so much! thank you for the love and for 120m views on our trailer in just 24 hours!” followed by, “and always remember, free Palestine.” The latter, viewed 8.8 million times, sparked outrage, reportedly leading to death threats against co-star Gal Gadot, an Israeli actress and vocal supporter of Israel. Disney producer Marc Platt flew to New York to urge Zegler to delete the post, but she refused, prompting the studio to hire a social media strategist. Her post-election outburst on November 12, 2024, was the tipping point. Zegler posted on Instagram, “F*** Donald Trump” and “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace,” describing the election result as a “deep, deep sickness in this country.” The comments, shared with her 2.3 million followers, drew fierce criticism, with conservative pundit Megyn Kelly calling her a “pig” and urging Disney to fire her.
The film’s creative choices also alienated audiences. The decision to replace the seven dwarfs with CGI “magical creatures” of diverse genders and ethnicities, prompted by criticism from actor Peter Dinklage about dwarfism stereotypes, was widely panned. The narrative shift to portray Snow White as a leader plotting to overthrow the Evil Queen (Gadot) rather than a romantic heroine further distanced traditional fans. The film’s 42% Rotten Tomatoes score and review-bombing on IMDb, with 91% of users giving it one star, reflected this discontent. Disney’s projected $115 million loss underscored the scale of the failure, with Forbes noting that the soundtrack’s peak at #11 on US Kid Albums limited ancillary revenue.
The “Cringe” Apology: A Misstep Magnified
On November 14, 2024, Zegler issued an apology on Instagram for her election-related comments, writing, “Hi everyone, I would like to sincerely apologize for the election post I shared on my Instagram last week. I let my 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.” She added, “This week has been emotional for so many of us, but I firmly believe that everyone has the right to their opinion, even when it differs from my own.” The apology, reported by Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, was intended to mitigate the backlash, but it backfired spectacularly.
Critics on X and YouTube labeled the apology “cringe” and insincere, pointing to its polished tone and proper capitalization, which contrasted sharply with Zegler’s typically lowercase, emotional posts. A YouTube video titled “Rachel Zegler JUST APOLOGIZED In The WORST Way Possible After SNOW WHITE,” posted on May 2, 2025, and shared by X users @kokesh82 and @scottrlevine, claimed the apology seemed scripted, possibly by Disney or a publicist. That Park Place speculated that Zegler didn’t write it herself, citing her history of unapologetic rhetoric, such as encouraging non-Kamala Harris voters to unfollow her pre-election. Conservative commentators, including Kelly, dismissed the apology as damage control, with Kelly reiterating on her SiriusXM show that Disney should “redo the film” without Zegler.
The backlash was not limited to conservatives. Some progressive fans, who admired Zegler’s boldness, felt the apology betrayed her principles. An X post by @maiamindel on April 21, 2025, sarcastically remarked, “what do you want us to do, build her a statue?” reflecting frustration with the narrative blaming Zegler for the flop. The apology failed to quell the controversy, with X users like @MrRomyRome on May 2, 2025, proclaiming, “Rachel Zegler DESTROYS Her Career After Disney Snow White FLOP Hollywood MELTDOWN INCOMING,” amplifying the perception of her as a liability.
Disney and Hollywood’s Retreat
Disney’s response to the Snow White fiasco suggests a deliberate distancing from Zegler. The studio scaled back the film’s Los Angeles premiere on March 15, 2025, limiting it to photographers and house crew, and held a press-free European premiere in Segovia, Spain, where Zegler performed solo without Gadot. These moves, reported by the Daily Mail, aimed to avoid further controversy but fueled speculation that Disney was sidelining Zegler. A Variety article on March 26, 2025, detailed Disney’s efforts to manage Zegler, including hiring a social media guru to vet her posts after her election comments. An insider told Page Six, “The company doesn’t know what to do with Zegler,” citing her “out of control” progressive views.
Hollywood’s broader reaction points to Zegler’s precarious position. The Daily Mail reported on March 15, 2025, that Zegler was “essentially blacklisted” from major film roles due to her controversial comments, with insiders noting that her future in Hollywood hinged on Snow White’s success. The film’s failure has left her with no confirmed big-screen projects, though she is set to star in Jamie Lloyd’s West End production of Evita in summer 2025. Her casting as Eva Perón has already drawn criticism from Madonna, who played the role in the 1996 film and felt “slighted” by Zegler’s failure to acknowledge her influence, according to a Daily Mail source. Reddit users on r/entertainment questioned Zegler’s acting ability for the demanding role, with one commenting, “Her singing is amazing, but as an actress and a person, she’s pretty awful.”
Disney’s silence during CEO Bob Iger’s Q4 2024 earnings call, where he omitted Snow White while praising Lilo & Stitch and Zootopia 2, further signaled the studio’s abandonment. The shelving of a planned Tangled remake, reported by The Hollywood Reporter, suggests Disney is reevaluating its live-action strategy, with Zegler’s controversies cited as a cautionary tale. Jonah Platt, son of producer Marc Platt, publicly criticized Zegler on Instagram, calling her “immature” and “narcissistic” for dragging her politics into the campaign, though he later deleted the post.
Zegler’s Defenders and the Cultural Divide
Despite the backlash, Zegler retains a loyal fanbase and industry supporters. Actress Melissa Barrera, fired from Scream 7 for pro-Palestine posts, praised Zegler’s integrity on Instagram, calling her “cool as hell.” Journalist Mark Harris labeled Variety’s coverage a “hit job,” and over 50 journalists signed an open letter condemning its bias. Vanity Fair argued that Disney’s scapegoating of Zegler was backfiring, noting her “preternaturally gifted” performance as the film’s sole redeeming quality. Refinery29 defended Zegler as a Latina actress unfairly targeted in an anti-Latine climate, emphasizing her refusal to “submit to the whims of Hollywood execs.”
The controversy reflects a broader cultural divide. Film critic Conor Riley told the BBC that Snow White landed at the “intersection of Hollywood’s creative stagnation, racial politics, and America’s ideological divide,” making Zegler a lightning rod. Her supporters view her as a principled young woman standing up for her beliefs, while critics see her as a reckless liability who alienated audiences. X posts like @mazza_justice’s on May 4, 2025, claiming “Rachel Zegler SHATTERED as 1,000+ Theaters DROP Disney Snow White,” exaggerate her downfall but capture the intensity of the anti-Zegler sentiment.
Conclusion
Rachel Zegler’s apology for her anti-Trump comments was meant to salvage her image after Snow White’s catastrophic flop, but its perceived insincerity only deepened the backlash. Labeled “cringe” and scripted, the apology failed to appease critics or satisfy supporters, leaving Zegler increasingly isolated. Disney’s scaled-back promotions and Hollywood’s retreat, evidenced by her lack of new film roles, suggest a deliberate abandonment, with insiders branding her a “liability.” Yet, Zegler’s defenders argue she’s a scapegoat for a poorly executed remake, unfairly targeted for her Latina heritage and progressive views. As she pivots to Evita on the West End, Zegler’s future in Hollywood hangs in the balance. The Snow White saga underscores the perils of navigating fame in a polarized era, where a single misstep—or a forced apology—can reshape a career.
