Rachel Zegler says she was tired of being asked questions about Ansel Elgort’s alleged sexual assault. Elgort was the actress’s co-star in “West Side Story”.
In a conversation with Elle magazine, Rachel Zegler said that she was often asked unrelated questions by reporters during the press conference for West Side Story. The actress starred in the Oscar-nominated film with Ansel Elgort – the actor who was accused of sexual assault.
“Honestly, it was like a punch to me. I didn’t understand why I had to face questions about Elgort when he was standing there. Those were the worst days of my life,” Zegler said.
The star, born in 2001, said she was only 19 at the time. The actress found it uncomfortable to hear unrelated accusations, giving her opinions about things that did not belong to her.
Zegler said she never refused to answer questions about Elgort, but the actress herself felt devastated after each conversation: “It’s very frustrating when people want you to speak up, to take responsibility for a grown man who can speak for himself,” the actress told Elle.
The 21-year-old star said she always gets nervous when she attends press conferences. Although she reassures herself, she feels hurt when others don’t care about her feelings.
“I can’t imagine women going through that terrible thing. But I’m not involved in that and I hope people stop doing that,” she said.
Rachel Zegler takes on the lead role in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story. She stars alongside actor Ansel Elgort. In June 2020, while promoting the film, Elgort was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in 2014.
At the time, Ansel Elgort insisted that he had never and would not sexually assault anyone. This was a consensual relationship.
As for Rachel Zegler, her career took off after the Oscar-nominated film. The actress is set to appear in Warner Bros.’ Shazam: Fury of the Gods and play Snow White in the live-action version of Snow White.