Rachel Zegler Explains Why She’s ‘Thankful’ For Snow White Backlash

Getty Images

In response to the criticism she received for her remarks on Snow White, Rachel Zegler has spoken out and shared her thoughts.

Rachel Zegler recently talked about how she handles criticism from movie fans, a subject she has become increasingly used to.

She stated in an interview with Variety that she was appreciative of the criticism she had gotten over her impending role in the live-action Disney adaptation of Snow White.

But let's take a moment to remember what initially sparked the uproar.

FilmMagic

The rumor that Disney was delaying the release of the Snow White movie until 2025 first surfaced in October of this year. 

Originally, the picture was supposed to come out in March of 2024.

Although the cause of the delay was not disclosed, a number of fans suggested it was because of the negative criticism the movie and its main actor were receiving.

Zegler described the 1937 story as centered on a love story 'with a guy who practically chases' Snow White in an interview with Extra TV, branding the film as 'weird'.

Disney

"I just mean that it's no longer 1937. She's not going to be saved by the prince and she's not going to be dreaming about true love," she added.

Fans, however, took offense at her remarks. 

Many said they would boycott the film and asked why the main performer seemed to not like the original work.

Zegler talked about the response from fans in an interview with Variety alongside actress Halle Bailey, who experienced controversy after it was revealed that she would be playing Ariel in the live-action version of The Little Mermaid.

She said: “I feel so thankful for those moments because it started to make me feel like solid Teflon.”

“That nothing can hurt anymore because they’ve said the worst that can be said. You just say, “Thank you so much for this. I have a lot of love in my life, and I’m very thankful.” We get to do our work and have that speak for itself instead.”

Having said that, she acknowledged that she wanted to get even with some of her critics, but she also knew that in certain cases, doing so would only fuel the fires.

“Choosing thankfulness and gratefulness is choosing peace. As much as you’d like to remind people verbally that being in the spotlight doesn’t absolve you of your humanity — that you’re allowed to have human moments — it doesn’t necessarily do what you want it to do. It fuels them more,” she said.

Zegler basically said that she thought those who opposed her should think about being a little bit kinder, which is something that many of us can agree with.

Zegler mentioned her dislike for the original storyline on multiple occasions in 2022 interviews.

Rachel Zegler, facing criticism for her Snow White role, shares insights into fame's challenges, emphasizing gratitude and kindness in navigating public scrutiny.

Her reflections offer a valuable perspective on resilience under the spotlight.