The 2025 Met Gala, fashion’s most prestigious annual event, was a star-studded affair at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2025, drawing A-listers like Zendaya, Bad Bunny, and Jennifer Lopez. Yet one name was conspicuously absent: Rachel Zegler, the 24-year-old star of Disney’s Snow White remake. Rumors swirled that Zegler had been “removed” from the guest list, igniting speculation about bans, backlash, or embarrassment following her controversial year. The truth, however, is less sensational but no less compelling, tied to her career pivot, personal priorities, and the fallout from Snow White’s box office disaster.
The Met Gala: A Cultural and Career Milestone
The Met Gala, often dubbed the “Oscars of Fashion,” is more than a red carpet—it’s a cultural juggernaut raising millions for the Costume Institute, with tickets costing $75,000 and brands footing the bill for celebrities to showcase their designs. The 2025 event, themed “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” celebrated Black dandyism, hosted by co-chairs Zendaya, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour. For young stars like Zegler, an invitation is a career-defining opportunity, signaling their ascent in Hollywood’s elite circles.
Zegler, who debuted at the Met Gala in 2021 in a gold-patterned Dior gown and returned in 2024 channeling a “water princess” in a plunging blue Michael Kors dress, was no stranger to the event’s glamour. Her 2024 appearance, just days after her 23rd birthday, was lauded by Vogue for its dreamy aesthetic, tying into her Snow White role. So when reports emerged that she was “removed” from the 2025 guest list, fans and critics alike were abuzz, especially given her tumultuous year.
The “Removal” Rumor: What Sparked It?
The claim that Zegler was “removed” from the Met Gala originated from sensationalized online content, including a YouTube video titled “Rachel Zegler REMOVED From Met Gala – Real Story Inside!” posted on May 13, 2025. The video suggested she was “escorted out” or barred due to her controversies, particularly her outspoken political comments and Snow White’s failure. Social media amplified the narrative, with X posts speculating she skipped the event out of “embarrassment” over public backlash. One user wrote, “Rachel Zegler no acude a la Gala Met: ¿demasiado avergonzada tras la reacción negativa del público?” fueling the drama.
These rumors were further stoked by Zegler’s polarizing year. Her casting as Snow White in Disney’s live-action remake, released March 21, 2025, drew criticism from some fans who argued a Latina actress didn’t fit the “skin as white as snow” description. Her 2022 comments calling the 1937 animated classic “dated” and “weird” for its romantic focus alienated traditionalists, while the film’s feminist reimagining—replacing the prince with a new character, Jonathan, and the dwarfs with CGI “magical creatures”—was labeled “woke” by detractors. The movie bombed, earning $202.8 million globally against a $350 million budget, with a Mother’s Day re-release in 1,330 theaters grossing a mere $335,000.
Zegler’s political activism added fuel to the fire. Her pro-Palestine posts, including a “free Palestine” tweet after the Snow White trailer debut, clashed with co-star Gal Gadot’s pro-Israel stance, reportedly prompting Disney to hire a social media guru to vet her posts. Her comments following Donald Trump’s 2024 re-election, wishing “Trump supporters never know peace,” sparked outrage, though she later apologized for letting “emotions get the best of me.” These incidents made her a lightning rod, with some speculating the Met Gala snubbed her to avoid controversy.
The Real Reason: A Career Pivot
Despite the sensational headlines, the truth behind Zegler’s absence is straightforward: she was in London, rehearsing for her starring role as Eva Perón in a West End revival of Evita, set to run from June 14 to September 6, 2025, at the London Palladium. According to her representative, “Rachel will be in rehearsals for ‘Evita’ in London in May,” confirming she prioritized this career-defining role over the Met Gala. Sources like Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Page Six corroborated this, noting she left New York after her 24th birthday on May 3 to focus on the musical, directed by Jamie Lloyd.
Zegler’s excitement for Evita was palpable. She told Deadline, “Evita has been such an important musical to me since I was a little girl, when my dad and I would sing ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ together on my back patio.” Director Lloyd praised her, saying, “She’s going to blow the roof off the London Palladium.” This commitment explains her absence, debunking claims of a ban or removal. In fact, Zegler had secured a coveted Met Gala invitation, a testament to her star power despite Snow White’s flop, but chose her craft over the red carpet.
Why the Rumors Persisted
The “removal” narrative gained traction due to Zegler’s high-profile controversies and the Met Gala’s exclusivity. Anna Wintour’s curated guest list is notoriously selective, and past reports of celebrities like Real Housewives star Rebecca Minkoff being overlooked for minor faux pas—like sharing an elevator with Wintour—fed speculation that Zegler’s political outspokenness or Snow White backlash led to a snub. Her 2024 Met Gala attendance, where she faced criticism for participating amid Palestine-related protests, also primed audiences to question her 2025 absence. A Reddit user on r/Fauxmoi noted, “Being invited to the Met Gala is a huge career opportunity for a young starlet like Rachel Zegler, and if she had refused to go it wouldn’t have helped Palestine at all, it’d only hurt her career.”
Yet the evidence points to logistics, not drama. Zegler’s Evita rehearsals were a non-negotiable commitment, and flying back to New York for a one-night event was impractical. Her decision reflects a strategic shift toward stage work, where she’s found critical success. Her Broadway debut as Juliet in a 2024 Romeo and Juliet revival earned raves, and Evita positions her as a serious theater actress, distancing her from Hollywood’s culture wars.
The Snow White Fallout and Zegler’s Scapegoating
Zegler’s absence from the Met Gala was amplified by the narrative that she’s become Hollywood’s “most controversial actress.” Snow White’s failure, with a 40% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 1.6/10 IMDb rating marred by review-bombing, led some Disney insiders to blame her, per Vanity Fair. An anonymous source claimed, “The reality is Rachel Zegler should not be playing Snow White,” citing her political comments and criticism of the original film. Producer Marc Platt’s son, Jonah, accused her of “dragging her personal politics” into promotion, though he deleted the post after fan backlash.
However, Zegler has garnered significant support. Fans on X praised her integrity, with one writing, “Rachel Zegler RULES and so obviously has a lifetime of incredible roles ahead.” Actress Melissa Barrera, fired from Scream 7 for pro-Palestine posts, called her “cool as hell” on Instagram Stories. Journalist Mark Harris labeled Disney’s blame game a “hit job,” arguing Zegler was unfairly scapegoated for the film’s broader issues, like its $270 million budget and “clumsy” modernization.
Zegler’s Resilience and Future
Despite the controversies, Zegler’s career remains robust. Her Snow White role, though a commercial failure, pushed her career box office past $700 million, second only to The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes ($349 million). She voiced the lead in Netflix’s Spellbound (2024) and starred in A24’s Y2K (2024), showing versatility. Her upcoming comedy drama with Marisa Tomei, She Gets It From Me, signals a potential pivot to indie projects. Forbes named her to its 30 Under 30 list in 2022, and her Evita role cements her as a theater force.
Zegler’s personal life also reflects growth. In a May 2025 Instagram post, she reflected on turning 24, calling 23 “neither good nor bad but a secret third thing,” hinting at the challenges of Snow White’s backlash and public scrutiny. She’s spoken about balancing her career with dreams of family, telling Allure, “I want a family, but I also want to work until I die.” Her relationship with actor Josh Andrés Rivera, met on West Side Story, remains steady, grounding her amid the chaos.
What the Met Gala Absence Means
Zegler’s absence from the 2025 Met Gala was neither a ban nor a snub but a deliberate choice to prioritize her craft. The “removal” rumors, fueled by clickbait and social media, reflect a broader tendency to sensationalize her every move. As she navigates Hollywood’s highs and lows, Zegler remains a polarizing yet undeniable talent. Her Evita role may mark a turning point, shifting focus from red carpet drama to stage acclaim.
The Met Gala will always be a spectacle, but Zegler’s absence proves she’s writing her own narrative—one that values art over optics. As she prepares to embody Eva Perón, she’s not just surviving the storm but emerging as a star who refuses to be defined by it.
