Rachel Zegler reveals how the backlash to her casting in Disney’s Snow White interfered with her personal and home life. Directed by The Amazing Spider-Man‘s Marc Webb, the live-action remake of the classic animated movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs features Zegler as the titular princess and Wonder Woman‘s Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Since her role in Snow White‘s cast was first announced, Zegler has faced significant backlash, which has continued in the lead-up to the movie’s 2025 theatrical release.

While speaking with Cosmopolitan, Zegler shared that the backlash led to people standing outside her apartment and screaming profanities. She candidly addressed why such ongoing harassment occurred in the aftermath of being cast in Snow White, along with the effects that it has had on her. Zegler also explained what she learned about herself and the important self-reflection she has done in response. Check out her comments below:

For being brown. For having brown skin. For playing Snow White. There was a lot of harassment from a certain group of people—they were showing up at my apartment and screaming profanities.

Where I wanted to, in a way that made it seem like it was tongue in cheek. Then it got to a point where it was not funny anymore and I really hated myself for something that other people were telling me about myself. But my ability to bounce back from that and still be passionate about the work I did for that project is something that I admire about myself.

Why Rachel Zegler’s Snow White Casting Got So Much Backlash

The Backlash Is Not Really About The Character Or The Story

As Zegler discusses in her comments, the backlash to her casting is rooted in racism and bigotry, and the harmful idea that Zegler, who is of Colombian descent, should not play Snow White because she is a person of color. In many versions of the fairy tale, Snow White’s name is derived from the character’s pale complexion. However, Zegler explained that the origin of Snow White’s name in the live-action remake is based on a version of the story where she survives a snowstorm when she was a baby, with the name being a reminder of her resilience.

The controversies around Snow White continued with Zegler explaining how the live-action remake has updated the protagonist’s personality and motivations from the original animated Disney movie released in 1937. She emphasized that the live-action iteration of the character would not be as passive, fixated on finding true love, and simply saved by a prince, but would instead be a leader who would have more agency in her story. Zegler also referred to the prince in the 1937 movie as “a guy who literally stalks” Snow White.

Our Take On Rachel Zegler’s Comments

The Backlash Is Unacceptable

 

Racism and bigotry are always unacceptable, as is going to an actor’s home in an attempt to antagonize them. Like most fairy tales, there are countless versions of the Snow White story, and it is both inaccurate and disingenuous to claim that the character must be played by a White actor to be faithful to the source material. This is merely a thin excuse for hateful behavior and rhetoric. Zegler’s live-action costume and other elements will have similarities and differences as the new Snow White movie tells its own version of the story.