Disney Suggests Rachel Zegler's Pro-Palestine Comment Contributed to 'Snow White's Failures

Let's be real: Disney's live-action remake of Snow White was doomed from the start. The controversy kicked off right away with racist backlash over casting Rachel Zegler as the princess with "skin as white as snow," and it only got worse from there.

The film quickly became the target of online outrage, with critics questioning everything about it. Then rumors of tension between the lead actresses surfaced, and when the movie finally hit theaters, it earned mixed reviews and is now tanking at the box office.

Naturally, Disney's looking for someone to blame — and guess who they've chosen? None other than Rachel Zegler. In fact, the film studio is using her pro-Palestine comments as an excuse, claiming it sabotaged the movie's promotion.

On March 25, 2025, Variety released a report citing anonymous sources who claimed Rachel Zegler's pro-Palestine comment negatively impacted the Snow White promotion.

After unveiling the film's first official trailer at Disney's D23 fan event in August 2024, the actress thanked her supporters on X (formerly Twitter). She ended the message with, "and always remember, free Palestine."

The comment allegedly shocked many at Disney, with some questioning why its leading lady would intertwine a political statement with the film's promotion. A Disney executive reportedly raised concerns with Rachel's team, and producer Marc Platt flew to New York for a direct conversation. Despite the pressure, Rachel stood firm, and the post remained.

Meanwhile, tensions escalated off-screen, with death threats aimed at Rachel's co-star Gal Gadot, an Israeli actress, leading Disney to provide extra security for her.

One insider told Variety that the young actress "didn't understand the repercussions of her actions" on the musical film or her co-stars.

Aside from her pro-Palestine comments, Rachel Zegler allegedly continued to undermine the Snow White promotion, according to Disney. After the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Rachel shared anti-Trump remarks on her Instagram Story, including "F--k Donald Trump" and "May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace."

These comments ignited severe backlash, and by this point, Disney had grown frustrated, believing that the star was alienating half of the already-divided audience for a film that was already struggling with costly reshoots.

Once again, producer Marc Platt confronted Rachel. After some back and forth, she issued a public apology and agreed to work with a "social media guru" hired by Disney to vet her posts before the film's March 21 release.

Disney also seemingly suggested that Rachel's criticism of the original 1937 Snow White may have further turned off potential viewers. Rachel had previously remarked that in the original, the prince "literally stalks" the titular character, which the major film studio feared could discourage audiences from watching the new version.

All in all, Snow White's troubled production and release reveal just how much tension exists behind the scenes at Disney. With the film underperforming and Disney scrambling to manage the fallout, it's uncertain where the studio goes from here — but one thing's for sure: This is far from a happily-ever-after.