Rachel Zegler’s WORST Reaction Yet After Disney’s Snow White FLOPS!
Disney’s live-action Snow White has officially belly-flopped at the box office, and its star, Rachel Zegler, is making headlines once again—not for her performance, but for what many are calling her most unhinged reaction yet to the film’s failure. After years of hype, a $270 million budget, and a promotional campaign riddled with controversy, the film opened to a measly $87 million globally on March 21, 2025—a far cry from the blockbuster numbers Disney had banked on. Now, as the dust settles on this fairy-tale fiasco, Zegler’s latest outburst has fans, critics, and industry insiders buzzing about whether the 23-year-old actress has finally crossed a line. What did she say? And why has it sparked such a firestorm? Let’s unpack the drama that’s taken over Hollywood.
From Rising Star to Public Enemy
Rachel Zegler burst onto the scene in 2021 with her Golden Globe-winning role as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. Her casting as Snow White in Disney’s live-action remake was initially hailed as a coup—a fresh, diverse face to lead a modern retelling of the studio’s first animated feature. But what started as a promising chapter quickly turned into a PR disaster. From the moment Zegler began speaking about the project, she courted controversy with comments that alienated fans of the 1937 classic. At Disney’s 2022 D23 Expo, she famously dismissed the original Snow White’s romance-driven plot, calling the prince a “stalker” and insisting the remake would focus on leadership over love. “It’s not 1937 anymore,” she told Variety, a line that became a lightning rod for backlash.
Her remarks didn’t stop there. As production dragged on—plagued by costly reshoots, a set fire, and dual Hollywood strikes—Zegler’s social media presence only fanned the flames. In August 2024, she posted “and always remember, free Palestine” alongside a trailer announcement, a move that reportedly infuriated Disney execs and led to heightened security for her Israeli co-star, Gal Gadot. Then, after Donald Trump’s 2024 election win, she lashed out on Instagram with “Fuck Donald Trump” and “May Trump supporters never know peace,” prompting Disney to assign her a “social media guru” to curb further damage. By the time Snow White hit theaters, Zegler had become a polarizing figure—loved by some for her boldness, loathed by others for her perceived arrogance.
The Flop Heard ‘Round the World
When Snow White finally premiered, the numbers told a grim story. Against a $270 million production budget (not counting marketing), the film scraped together just $43 million domestically and $87 million worldwide in its opening weekend. Critics were unimpressed—Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent dubbed it “lazy” and “visually repellent” in a one-star review—while audiences stayed away, leaving theaters eerily empty. Photos and videos of sparse screenings went viral on X, with users mocking Zegler’s earlier claim that “people will wait in line to see” her work. “Welcome back to reality, princess,” one post quipped, capturing the gleeful schadenfreude of her detractors.
Disney insiders were quick to point fingers, and Zegler emerged as the prime scapegoat. Variety reported that CEO Bob Iger was “furious,” with sources claiming he was “done playing nice” after Zegler’s unchecked behavior torpedoed the film’s prospects. Producer Marc Platt’s son, Jonah Platt, went further, slamming her in a now-deleted Instagram rant as “immature” and accusing her of “hijacking the conversation” with her politics. “Her actions clearly hurt the film’s box office,” he wrote, echoing a sentiment shared by many who felt Zegler’s outspokenness had alienated half of Disney’s potential audience.
Zegler’s “Worst Reaction Yet”
But it was Zegler’s response to the flop that truly set the internet ablaze. On April 2, 2025, a YouTube video titled “Rachel Zegler Completely LOSES IT After Snow White Flops” dropped, claiming she’d “doubled down” on her stance rather than addressing the criticism head-on. Sources close to the actress say she took to Instagram Live shortly after the opening weekend numbers rolled in, delivering a tearful, rambling diatribe that veered between defiance and despair. “I gave everything to this film,” she reportedly said, her voice cracking. “If you don’t like it, that’s on you—I’m not here to beg for your approval.” She then pivoted to a cryptic jab: “Maybe if people cared more about art than their petty agendas, we wouldn’t be here.”
The reaction was swift and brutal. Clips of the Live spread across X and TikTok, with users branding her “narcissistic” and “out of touch.” One viral post from @AmiriKing read, “Snow White tanked because Rachel Zegler SELFISHLY sabotaged a $270m project with her smug attitude and snarky remarks.” Others pointed to her political posts, with @amuse noting, “The remake has flopped, yet the left hails its demise as a victory over tradition.” Even her supporters winced—@SandyofCthulhu wrote, “I feel bad for Rachel Zegler… She’s a kid, entitled to be foolish. The way Disney is throwing her under the bus is shameful.”
Zegler didn’t stop there. In a follow-up Instagram post on April 5, she shared a photo of herself in her Snow White costume, captioned with a defiant, “This was my heart and soul—sorry it wasn’t enough for some of you.” The post, liked by over 300,000 users, drew a mixed response: fans praised her resilience, while critics accused her of playing the victim. “She’s faking happiness to overcompensate,” one X user, @dom_lucre, speculated, pointing to her “goofy” red-carpet antics days earlier as evidence of a meltdown in disguise.
Why the Reaction Hit a Nerve
So why has Zegler’s latest outburst struck such a chord? For one, it’s the culmination of years of tension. Her initial comments about the original Snow White—calling it “weird” and outdated—already rubbed nostalgia-driven fans the wrong way. Coupled with her political posts, many saw her as ungrateful for the opportunity to helm a Disney tentpole. “She hates her Snow White character,” X user @JohnFord wrote, “and after she came out against the original movie, she’s now crying over the backlash.” The sentiment tapped into a broader “go woke, go broke” narrative, with conservative commentators like Megyn Kelly calling her a “pig” for her Trump remarks.
Yet there’s more to it than politics. Zegler’s reaction exposed a raw vulnerability that clashed with her earlier bravado, leaving observers divided. Was this a genuine cry for understanding from a young star under pressure, or a calculated bid for sympathy? Film critic Kelechi Ehenulo told the BBC that Zegler had become a “victim of culture wars,” caught between Disney’s expectations and an unforgiving online mob. “Actors from underrepresented backgrounds often become targets,” Ehenulo noted, referencing Zegler’s Latina heritage as a flashpoint for racist backlash since her casting in 2021.
Disney’s Role in the Mess
While Zegler’s taken the brunt of the blame, Disney isn’t off the hook. The studio’s decision to greenlight a “modernized” Snow White—complete with CGI “magical creatures” instead of dwarfs and a trailer that looked “A.I.-generated,” per critics—was divisive from the start. The company stuck with Zegler despite her controversies, a choice X user @AGHamilton29 called out: “It was Disney’s choice to make her the lead and stick with her as she trashed the audience.” The muted premiere—no red carpet, no press—signaled a lack of confidence, and the film’s failure to resonate suggests audiences are tiring of Disney’s remake formula, as seen with flops like Mufasa: The Lion King.
Insiders say Disney’s now in crisis mode. Variety reports that Bob Iger is reevaluating the live-action pipeline, with projects like a Tangled remake on hold. “They spent $270 million, and you get some young girl, and you don’t talk to her about, ‘Hey, don’t get political,’” Joe Rogan quipped on his podcast, suggesting the studio’s oversight was as much to blame as Zegler’s actions.
What’s Next for Zegler?
For Zegler, the fallout is personal. Her career, once sky-high, now hangs in the balance. She’s slated to play Eva Perón in a June 2025 London production of Evita, a return to her musical theater roots that could redeem her image. Supporters like Melissa Barrera, fired from Scream 7 for similar political stances, have called her “cool as hell,” while over 50 journalists condemned Variety’s “hit job” coverage. But the damage is real—Hollywood insiders whisper she’s been “blacklisted” from major films, with one source telling the Daily Mail, “Her future rests on Snow White’s success.”
As of April 8, 2025, Snow White has grossed just $145 million worldwide, a nine-figure loss looming for Disney. Zegler’s “worst reaction yet” has only amplified the narrative of a star spiraling amid a sinking ship. Whether she can rise above this—or if Disney will course-correct—remains the million-dollar question. For now, her meltdown is the talk of the town, a fairy-tale ending no one saw coming.
