Rachel Zegler's uninhibited comments - the star of Snow White - are said to have caused a conflict with her co-star Gal Gadot and caused the Disney film to be turned away by audiences.
According to Variety, Rachel Zegler called Gal Gadot a "professional beauty queen" after the two presented an award at the Oscars on March 2. The source said the comment was considered disrespectful to her colleague - who played the queen in the film. Gal Gadot was crowned Miss Israel 2004 and competed in Miss Universe - a contest she said she reluctantly entered - before starting her acting career.
Previously, Rachel, 23, and Gal, 39, were said to have clashed over their views on the conflict in Gaza. In August 2024, Rachel wrote "Free Palestine" on X when the first trailer for Snow White was released. Meanwhile, Gal Gadot is Israeli.
The source said that Snow White producer Marc Platt flew to New York to talk to Rachel Zegler about the pro-Palestinian post, but she refused to delete it. The source said that Disney had to pay extra security costs to protect Gal Gadot after she received death threats from extremists on social media.
"Zegler did not foresee the consequences of his actions on the film, Gal Gadot, or anyone else," the source said.
Before the film's release, Disney decided to let Zegler and Gadot do separate promotional activities. This decision, according to Variety, "raised suspicions of discord" between the two stars. At the Los Angeles premiere on March 15, the two female leads were virtually separated. During the movie, Zegler sat two rows away from Gadot and the Wonder Woman actress’s family. In the days that followed, they each went to different places to promote the film.
After the film's premiere, Rachel Zegler shared an Instagram post with several behind-the-scenes photos, none of which featured Gadot as the Evil Queen. Zegler called the film "a life-changing experience" and said she "became a real adult in the process" of making it.
Additionally, Zegler sparked controversy by criticizing Disney's original animated Snow White before the remake was released. She called the Prince a "stalker" and promised that her film would be "more modern" than the "old-fashioned" animated classic. The Latina actor also criticized supporters of President Donald Trump following the 2024 election, prompting some Disney fans to boycott her new film.
Variety wrote that Disney "had enough" of Zegler after the Trump post. Producer Marc Platt, 67, reportedly met with Zegler again and Disney hired a social media expert to review the young actress's posts.
Representatives for Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot and Disney have not responded to the reports.
Snow White opened in North America on March 21 with a $43 million opening weekend, falling far short of expectations and becoming one of Disney's worst-selling live-action remakes in its opening weekend. The controversy surrounding the female lead Rachel Zegler is said to have overshadowed the film. In addition, Rachel Zegler, whose appearance deviates from the Snow White depicted in the story and the animated film, has not been popular with many audiences since Disney announced her casting.
Rachel Zegler was born in 2001 in New Jersey, USA, to a Colombian mother and a Dutch father. With her singing and acting talents, she has participated in many musicals and musical films. Rachel is best known for her role as María in West Side Story (2021), which won her a Golden Globe for Best Actress – Comedy/Musical. She also appeared in the films Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023).