When Disney’s live-action Snow White hit theaters on March 21, 2025, it was meant to be a triumphant reimagining of the 1937 classic, with Rachel Zegler as the iconic princess. Instead, it became one of Disney’s most humiliating flops, grossing a mere $43 million domestically against a $270 million budget in its opening weekend. Critics savaged the film, with a 38% Rotten Tomatoes score, and social media erupted with memes and hot takes. Zegler, the 23-year-old star, found herself at the center of a firestorm, blamed for everything from the film’s failure to her outspoken political views. Headlines screamed she was “canceled,” her career “over.” But what really happened to Rachel Zegler after this high-profile disaster? Is her star truly extinguished, or is this just another chapter in a resilient career? Let’s dive into the chaos, the comeback, and the truth behind the headlines.
The Snow White Debacle: A Perfect Storm
Snow White’8’s failure was a masterclass in how to tank a blockbuster. The film’s troubles began years before its release. Zegler’s 2022 comments calling the original 1937 film “dated” and the prince’s behavior “weird” sparked outrage among Disney purists, who accused her of disrespecting a beloved classic. Her remarks, like noting the original’s focus on a “stalker” love story, were seen as dismissive, with outlets like The Daily Mail branding them a “woke tirade.” Fast-forward to 2024, when Zegler posted “and always remember, free Palestine” on X after promoting the Snow White trailer, drawing 8.8 million views and igniting a firestorm. Disney executives, including producer Marc Platt, reportedly flew to New York to urge her to remove the post, but Zegler stood firm, escalating tensions.
The film’s production was plagued by costly reshoots, a scaled-down premiere, and reported tensions between Zegler and co-star Gal Gadot, whose pro-Israel stance clashed with Zegler’s pro-Palestine views. Death threats against Gadot led Disney to beef up her security, and Zegler’s post-election Instagram rant—“Fuck Donald Trump” and wishing Trump supporters “never know peace”—prompted the studio to hire a social media guru to vet her posts. When Snow White finally hit theaters, it flopped, dropping 66% in its second weekend and projecting a $115 million loss. Disney needed a scapegoat, and Zegler, with her polarizing persona, was an easy target.
Public and Industry Reaction: Scapegoat or Icon?
The fallout was swift and brutal. Jonah Platt, son of producer Marc Platt, publicly slammed Zegler as “narcissistic” and “immature,” claiming her political comments tanked the film’s box office. His now-deleted Instagram post was echoed by Zegler’s West Side Story co-star Ariana DeBose, who shared his quote before backtracking, claiming ignorance of its target. Pundits like Megyn Kelly declared Zegler’s career “over,” with X users like @DC_Draino calling her “kryptonite” to studios. Variety’s report, citing anonymous Disney sources, painted Zegler as erratic, prompting over 50 journalists to sign an open letter condemning it as a “hit job” targeting her pro-Palestine stance.
Yet, Zegler had defenders. Fans on X, like @zeglian and @christress, hailed her resilience, noting her casting in Evita and a new film with Marisa Tomei as proof her career was far from dead. Critics like David Ehrlich and journalist Mark Harris praised her integrity, with actress Melissa Barrera calling her “cool as hell.” Zegler’s Latina identity fueled the debate, with Refinery29 arguing she was an “easy target” in an anti-Latine climate, her casting as a non-white Snow White sparking racist harassment, including profanities shouted at her apartment. The discourse, as BBC noted, turned Zegler into a “battleground” for culture wars, with her critics and supporters equally vocal.
Zegler’s Career: Down but Not Out
Despite the doomsday headlines, Zegler’s career is far from over. She’s set to star as Eva Perón in Evita at London’s West End, with previews starting June 14, 2025, and has landed a role in a new film alongside Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei. These projects signal confidence in her talent, even if Snow White’s fallout may make studios wary of casting her in big-budget leads for now. Her Golden Globe for West Side Story and strong performance in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes remain undeniable assets. Zegler’s recent pivot—softening her Snow White critiques on Good Morning America and apologizing for her Trump remarks—shows a strategic recalibration.
Hollywood’s memory is short, as Israel Hayom noted, and Zegler’s youth and versatility give her room to rebound. Unlike Melissa Barrera, fired from Scream 7 for similar political comments, Zegler’s profile and fanbase offer a buffer. However, she faces challenges: her polarizing image could limit roles, and Snow White’s financial hit may linger in studio boardrooms. Still, her ability to “school” critics, as The A.V. Club put it, and her refusal to bow to trolls suggest a star who’s learning to navigate the spotlight.
Hollywood’s Blame Game and Zegler’s Resilience
The Snow White saga exposes Hollywood’s ugly habit of scapegoating young women, especially women of color, for systemic failures. The New Yorker called blaming Zegler “perversely flattering,” noting the film’s dull trailer, uninspired execution, and market fatigue for live-action remakes as bigger culprits. Disney’s own missteps—mismanaged marketing, ignoring fan nostalgia, and failing to address casting controversies early—set the stage for disaster. Zegler, as Vanity Fair argued, became both a scapegoat and an icon, her defiance in the face of harassment and death threats resonating with fans who see her as a voice for Gen Z progressivism.
As a Latina actress, Zegler’s casting broke barriers, but also exposed her to disproportionate vitriol, from racist backlash to accusations of “pseudo-feminism.” Yet, her supporters, including Halle Bailey and Brandy, see her as a trailblazer, doing it “for the little girl” who lacked representation. Zegler’s story, as Teen Vogue framed it, is one of speaking truth to power, whether defending peers or standing by her beliefs.
The Real Rachel Zegler
So, what really happened to Rachel Zegler? She took a bruising from Snow White’s flop, caught in a maelstrom of studio politics, culture wars, and her own unfiltered voice. But “canceled”? Hardly. With Evita and a new film on the horizon, she’s pivoting, not plummeting. The backlash has toughened her, as she told Variety, making her “solid Teflon.” Hollywood may hesitate, but her talent and tenacity—forged through Golden Globes, viral auditions, and surviving racist mobs—aren’t easily dimmed. Snow White may have been a poisoned apple, but Zegler’s story is far from its final chapter. She’s still singing, still fighting, and still very much in the game.
