I’ll say it: The Rachel Zegler hate is so forced. The girl’s greatest offense is being a cringe theater kid. If you’ve seen Rachel in West Side Story, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, or Romeo & Juliet, you know that her talent is undeniable. Like, she’s probably one of the top three most talented Gen Z girls in the biz. And yet, she faces relentless backlash for seemingly harmless comments.

Everyone was up in arms when she suggested that the original Snow White film was outdated, and she got slammed for saying she joined Shazam! because she needed a job. At the moment, she’s getting blamed for Snow White flopping because she shared pro-Palestinian views on Twitter. Let’s break down all the Rachel Zegler “controversies,” shall we? That’s in quotes because she’s never done anything actually bad. Lol.

Rachel Zegler Controversies, Explained

The “I Needed a Job” Answer

In 2023, Rachel revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that she signed on to Shazam! due to financial struggles. When she was asked why she wanted to step in to the world of DC heroes, she replied: “I needed a job. I’m being so serious … We were in the middle of a pandemic and I was not working, and I couldn’t get a job for the life of me.” For some reason, this really pissed everyone off.

The Extra and Variety Interviews Where She Criticized The Original Snow White Movie

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People were also furious at Rachel when she talked about modernizing Snow White during interviews at D23 back in 2022. “The original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so,” the actress told Extra at the time. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird, weird! So, we didn’t do that this time.” She noted that the new movie is “not about the love story at all” and said that’s “really, really wonderful.”

While speaking with Variety, Rachel teased: “She’s not going to be saved by the prince. She’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.”

Everyone on the internet passionately disagreed with this feminist 2025 take. On TikTok, people suggested that the plot should stay the same and pointed out that it’s okay if it’s outdated because it’s a fairytale. (Not that Rachel’s in charge of the plot?? She’s an actress, not a writer.)

The Pro-Palestine Tweet/Gal Gadot Feud/Jonah Platt Drama

 
Image Credit: Getty
 

For a while, there have been rumors of tension between Rachel and her Snow White costar, Gal Gadot. While Rachel’s expressed support for Palestine, Gal, an Israeli actress, is pro-Israel and previously served in the IDF. What we didn’t know is that the producer of Snow White, Mark Platt, apparently flew to New York to reprimand Rachel after she tweeted “free Palestine.” (She has not deleted the post.)

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In a since-deleted comment, Mark’s son, Jonah Platt, confirmed the Variety report about his father speaking to Rachel. “My dad, the producer of (an) enormous piece of Disney IP with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, had to leave his family to fly across the country to reprimand his 20 year old employee for dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie,” he wrote. He blamed Rachel for “hurting the film’s box office.”

Her Theater Girl Response To Backlash

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There’s a viral clip of Rachel defending herself (in a very theater girl way), and people hate it, of course. I’m guessing the video’s Snow White controversy-related, but it’s unclear exactly when or where it’s from. “To everyone who hates when I win, the Winged Victory came to the Louvre in pieces,” she says in the clip, seemingly on the verge of tears. “And people still line up to see her. And I can only hope that despite my flaws and despite my cracks and my breaks — and there are many of them — that at every premiere and everything I do, people will wait in line to see.” This diva. Yes, this is dramatic, but she absolutely does not deserve to be bullied for it.

Leave the girl alone!