Amid the backlash surrounding Snow White, Sean Ono Lennon added fuel to the fire by calling Rachel Zegler “ungrateful” and saying it was no “surprise” the movie was poorly received by some.
What was meant to be a fairytale revival of Snow White turned into a nightmare for Disney even before the movie was released on March 21.
As the outrage continued, 48-year-old Sean, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, joined the heated discussions.
John Lennon’s son Sean joined the heated discussions about Disney’s live-action remake Snow White
Sean, who is one of the late singer’s two sons, shared a series of messages on social media about Disney’s latest live-action remake.
He spoke about the leading lady, Rachel Zegler, and Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen.
“Both Gal Gadot AND Rachel Zegler are exceptionally beautiful women. Some of y’all are bugging,” said Sean in one tweet.
His post sparked a discussion online about beauty on the outside and beauty on the inside.
“They’re both horrid shells of human beings. Actors … They are not real but manufactured idols for you to worship,” one X user said.
Sean, 48, discussed Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot’s beauty in a series of posts on X
Sean responded, saying, “wtf are you even talking about? I never said they were nice people. So many have been insulting them as ugly and that’s just crazy. And now you’re bugging too.”
“They’re objectively beautiful,” he continued. “I said nothing of their ‘inner beauty.’ Why do you so often think like a moron.”
Among the many responses Sean received, one said, “Both actresses are good performers in general, yet [Rachel] Zegler does not deserve the vilification that Variety and a lot of Disney ‘fanboys’ are constantly giving her.”
However, Sean had a different perspective and believed the movie earned some of the criticism it received.
“I agree the vilification went too far,” he said in one response. “But she also acts like a spoiled ungrateful and disconnected brat. So it’s no surprise.”
Rachel, who plays the titular role in Snow White, “acts like a spoiled ungrateful and disconnected brat,” Sean said
Another X user replied to his tweet, saying, “Rachel is a pathetic hateful and untalented person. Gal is a phenomenal human being.”
Sean did not completely disagree with the comments.
“Maybe,” he said. “Nothing to do with my post but maybe.”
The son of The Beatles legend also had strong opinions about what beauty means and disagreed with people who said “beauty is on the inside.”
“That is not the kind of beauty that gets you modeling or acting or even body building jobs. Some people are genetically gifted in the beauty department and that is a fact of life,” he said.
Sean strongly disagreed with people who said “beauty is on the inside,” especially when casting actors
“Let’s not be babies,” he said before declaring, “physical beauty is not on the inside.”
The new Snow White was poised to be one of the masterpieces in Disney’s collection of big-budget live-action remakes, but controversy surrounded the film months before its March release.
It was branded as a modern retelling of the iconic 1937 film and had a staggeringly high production budget of $270 million. An additional $100 million or so was earmarked for marketing.
The remake was expected to clear $100 million globally in its first weekend on the big screen. However, it came in at $87.3 million instead.
In the U.S., the movie fared below expectations, with weekend numbers hitting around $43 million instead of the $85 million target.
The release of Snow White was not only met with controversy, but its opening weekend numbers were nowhere near box office targets
Snow White has been in controversial territory ever since the casting announcement of Rachel—who is of Colombian and Polish descent—for the lead character, originally described in the 1812 fairy tale as a princess with “skin as white as snow.”
It was also criticized for turning the Seven Dwarfs into CGI-created “magical creatures” of all sizes and genders.
Rachel was slammed for making political remarks ahead of the film’s release.
Her description of the Disney classic’s remake—including comments about Snow White “not going to be saved by the prince” and “dreaming about becoming the leader” instead of “dreaming about true love”—was not welcomed by many.
Rachel faced immense backlash for her past comments and her description of the Disney remake
Moreover, there were also rumors about a behind-the-scenes feud brewing between Rachel and her co-star Gal.
Insiders claimed they had no beef during production, but tensions arose ahead of the release.
Rachel called Gal a “a professional pageant queen” in an Instagram reply following their joint appearance at this year’s Academy Awards. Sources said it was seen as a “dismissive” way of describing the fellow actress.
Observers also felt they were kept apart during promotional activities for the film.
David Hand, whose father by the same name directed Disney’s original 1937 Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, said the remake was “insulting” and “woke.”
He claimed the new version “destroyed” what his father created almost nine decades ago.
“I mean, it’s a whole different concept, and I just totally disagree with it, and I know my dad and Walt would also very much disagree with it,” David told The Telegraph in 2023.
Rachel addressed the controversy surrounding the film in a February interview with Vogue Mexico.
“I interpret people’s feelings about this film as passion for it, and what an honor to be able to be a part of something that people are so passionate about,” the West Side Story actress told the magazine.
“We’re not always going to have the same feelings as everyone around us and all we can do is give our best,” she continued.
