Rachel Zegler’s PR Disaster: Publicist Quits, Team Collapses, and Hollywood Watches a Star’s Fall

Rachel Zegler, the 23-year-old actress once celebrated as Hollywood’s next big thing, is now grappling with a career-defining crisis. In May 2025, reports surfaced on X and entertainment platforms, including a YouTube video by @Draculordx, claiming that Zegler’s publicist has quit, leaving her PR team in “total chaos” as she navigates the fallout from Disney’s Snow White flop and ongoing controversies. Insiders allege that her management is unraveling, with key allies distancing themselves due to her polarizing social media presence and professional missteps. This article explores the alleged departure of her publicist, the collapse of her support system, and what this means for Zegler’s future in an industry that’s turning its back on her.

The Publicist’s Exit: A Breaking Point

The claim that Zegler’s publicist has quit emerged from a May 18, 2025, X post by @Draculordx, which linked to a YouTube video titled “Rachel Zegler’s Publicist QUITS After PR Strategy Collapses.” The video, echoed by another YouTube channel on May 17, suggests that her publicist—reportedly Ashton Foster or Danielle Tabor, per Booking Agent Info—abandoned her mid-crisis due to an unsustainable workload and Zegler’s refusal to follow PR guidance. While no official statement confirms the exit, the narrative aligns with reports of her team’s struggles, detailed in a Variety article from March 2025, which described Disney’s frantic efforts to control Zegler’s social media after her inflammatory posts.

Zegler’s PR woes began with her 2022 comments trashing the 1937 Snow White as “dated” and its prince as a “stalker,” sparking fan backlash. Her August 2024 X post promoting the Snow White trailer, followed by “and always remember, free Palestine,” escalated tensions, drawing 8.8 million views and prompting death threats against co-star Gal Gadot, an Israeli actress. Disney hired a social media strategist to vet her posts, but Zegler’s November 2024 Instagram outburst—“Fuck Donald Trump” and “May Trump supporters never know peace”—further alienated audiences. Insiders claim her publicist’s departure was triggered by these incidents, with the Snow White flop in March 2025, grossing just $43 million domestically against a $350 million budget, sealing the decision.

The Snow White Debacle: A Career Killer

Snow White’s failure is the cornerstone of Zegler’s crisis. Released on March 21, 2025, the live-action remake was projected to lose Disney over $200 million, with a global opening of $87 million. Critics slammed its “woke” reimagining—replacing the seven dwarfs with diverse companions and sidelining the prince—while Zegler’s promotional missteps fueled the fire. Her absence from major U.S. press interviews, as reported by Page Six, and Disney’s reliance on influencer-led promotion signaled a lack of trust in her ability to navigate the spotlight. The film’s scaled-back premiere at the El Capitan Theater, with Zegler and Gadot seated apart, underscored the studio’s damage control efforts.

Insiders, per a Daily Mail report from April 2025, claim Zegler was “blacklisted” from major projects post-Snow White, with her team unable to mitigate the damage. Producer Marc Platt’s son, Jonah Platt, publicly criticized her on Instagram, calling her “immature” and “narcissistic” for hijacking the film’s narrative with political posts, a sentiment echoed by industry sources who labeled her a “liability.” The PR team’s alleged collapse, with her publicist’s exit, reflects the exhaustion of managing a star whose actions consistently undermine her brand.

A Fractured Team: Who’s Left?

Zegler’s professional isolation extends beyond her publicist. Booking Agent Info lists her agents as Sean L., Adam S., and Lorrie B., but reports suggest they’ve reduced involvement, frustrated by her defiance. A YouTube video from May 18, 2025, titled “What’s Behind Hollywood’s CHILLING SILENCE on Rachel Zegler’s Career,” claims her management is “in disarray,” with no clear strategy to salvage her image. Her refusal to remove controversial posts, despite Disney’s pleas, has strained relationships with her team, who face the impossible task of spinning her actions to a polarized public.

Her personal connections are also fraying. West Side Story co-star Ariana DeBose, once a close ally, appears to have distanced herself, with mutual unfollows on Instagram noted in April 2025. Tensions with Gal Gadot, fueled by their differing views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, culminated in Zegler’s “professional pageant queen” jab at Gadot during the March 2025 Oscars, per Variety. Even her Evita cast and crew, where she plays Eva Perón in a West End revival, have reportedly clashed with her, with unverified X posts claiming she walked off set during rehearsals, alienating director Jamie Lloyd.

The Evita Gambit: A Last Chance?

Zegler’s casting in Evita, set to open at the London Palladium on June 14, 2025, was meant to be a career reset. The role of Eva Perón, a complex figure in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, offered a chance to showcase her vocal and dramatic talents, building on her Broadway debut as Juliet in 2024’s Romeo and Juliet. However, the production has been marred by drama. A Daily Mail report from April 2025 noted Madonna’s disapproval of Zegler’s casting, while X posts, including @Shelley_OBR’s from May 18, allege “disruptive” behavior, including a rehearsal meltdown. Ticket sales, reportedly sluggish, reflect the lingering Snow White backlash, with fans wary of Zegler’s reputation.

The Evita controversy mirrors earlier reports of Zegler’s challenges, as discussed in our prior conversations about her unprofessional behavior allegations in May 2025. These claims, though unverified, suggest her team’s collapse has left her without the guidance needed to navigate high-stakes projects. If Evita fails, it could cement her status as “too dangerous to touch,” as a NewsNation source described her in March 2025.

Public Sentiment: A Polarized Divide

X posts reveal a deeply divided public. Critics, like @YellowFlashGuy, mock Zegler’s “downfall,” citing her Snow White posts as evidence of hubris, while @CultureCasino calls her PR chaos a “self-inflicted wound.” Supporters, however, defend her as a victim of racist and misogynistic harassment, pointing to her Latina heritage and outspoken politics. A Reddit thread on r/blankies from March 2025 praised her Snow White performance, arguing she brought “life” to a “bland” film, while condemning Disney’s scapegoating. These defenders, including actress Melissa Barrera, who praised Zegler’s “integrity” on Instagram, see her as a young star targeted for her principles.

The controversy reflects broader Hollywood tensions over “woke” stars. Zegler’s pro-Palestine stance and anti-Trump rhetoric, while resonant with progressive fans, alienated conservative audiences and Disney, which seeks broad appeal. Her case parallels Gina Carano’s 2021 firing from The Mandalorian for controversial posts, highlighting the risks of activism in family-friendly franchises.

Industry Implications: A Cautionary Tale

Zegler’s PR crisis underscores the challenges of managing young stars in the social media age. Her team’s alleged collapse, with her publicist’s exit, highlights the limits of traditional PR strategies when a client defies counsel. Disney’s experience—hiring a social media guru, scaling back promotion—sets a precedent for studios wary of outspoken talent. The Snow White flop, projected to lose $115 million per Daily Mail, may also prompt Disney to rethink live-action remakes, as fans clamor for fidelity over modernization.

For Zegler, the stakes are personal and professional. Her upcoming film She Gets It From Me with Marisa Tomei and her voice role in Netflix’s Spellbound (November 2024), which earned positive reviews, offer glimmers of hope. However, without a functional team, securing major roles will be daunting. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in 2022, Zegler’s talent—evident in her Golden Globe-winning West Side Story performance—remains undeniable, but her career hinges on rebuilding trust.

A Path Forward?

To recover, Zegler must address her PR vacuum. Hiring a new publicist with crisis management expertise, like those who guided Robert Downey Jr. through his 2000s comeback, could stabilize her image. A strategic pivot to theater or indie projects, where her musical roots shine, might sidestep blockbuster scrutiny. Engaging fans with humility—perhaps through a candid interview addressing her Snow White missteps—could soften critics, as her 2024 Trump apology briefly did.

Her Evita performance is critical. A triumphant run could silence doubters, proving her professionalism and talent. Conversely, further drama could end her West End prospects, as sluggish ticket sales already threaten the production’s viability, per a YouTube video from May 12, 2025.

Conclusion: A Star on the Brink

Rachel Zegler’s PR nightmare, marked by her publicist’s alleged exit and her team’s collapse, is a stark warning of fame’s fragility. The Snow White backlash, compounded by her unfiltered social media and reported set conflicts, has left her isolated in an industry that thrives on collaboration. At 23, Zegler has time to rewrite her story, but without a team to guide her, the path is treacherous.

Her saga reflects the high stakes of modern stardom, where a single post can unravel years of goodwill. As Hollywood watches, Zegler stands at a crossroads: will she harness her talent to rise again, or will her chaos consume her? For now, the spotlight burns bright, and the world awaits her next move.