Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White has been at the center of controversial discourse connected to comments previously made by Rachel Zegler. Snow White‘s cast is led by Zegler, who plays the тιтular princess after previously showing her musical and acting talents in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and in the Netflix animated musical film Spellbound. As for the Evil Queen, who is also Snow White’s stepmother, she is played by Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot.

While there have been many Disney live-action remakes in the past decade, from Cinderella to Dumbo, Snow White is the first since The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey was released in May 2023. The production and release of Snow White experienced numerous delays, including the movie being pushed from 2024 to 2025, but this is only a small piece of the conversation surrounding the movie. Given the amount of discourse surrounding Rachel Zegler’s Snow White comments, it is important to clarify what she actually said, and to clarify misconceptions.

What Rachel Zegler Said About Changing The Original Snow White & Why It Was Controversial

She Explained How The Remake Is Different From The Original Movie

While speaking with Variety, Zegler was asked to elaborate on her comments about bringing a “modern edge” to the Snow White remake. Zegler explained that her version of the Disney princess is not going to be saved by a prince rescuing a damsel in distress, and that Snow White is not focused on finding her true love. The live-action iteration of Snow White is instead focused on becoming a leader, which Zegler discussed as an empowering story, particularly for younger audiences. Check out her comments below:

I just mean that it’s no longer 1937, and we absolutely wrote a Snow White that’s not gonna be saved by the prince, and she’s not gonna be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true. And so, it’s just a really incredible story for young people everywhere to see themselves in.

In a separate interview with Extra TV, Zegler was asked to explain how her portrayal of Snow White is different. Zegler mentioned again how the 1937 Snow White now feels dated, primarily because of its overwhelming focus on the love story. She referred to the original prince as “a guy who literally stalks” Snow White and underscored how this is not the case in the live-action remake. Zegler emphasized that the story is more about Snow White’s “inner journey” and “find[ing] her true self.” Read her comments below:

The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird, weird. So we didn’t do that this time.

We have a different approach to what I’m sure a lot of people will ᴀssume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie, Andrew Burnap, great dude. It’s one of those things that I think everyone’s going to have their ᴀssumptions about what it’s actually going to be, but it’s really not about the love story at all, which is really wonderful. Whether she finds love along the way is anybody’s guess until 2024.

It’s an inner journey that she goes on to find her true self and she meets a lot of people along the way that make the journey really incredible.

These comments largely became controversial because of the way Zegler spoke about the original Disney movie. The 1937 Snow White is still considered an enduring cinematic achievement, with animation that has stood the test of time nearly a century later, along with being a childhood favorite movie for multiple generations. Her remark about the prince drew a particular amount of ire. Zegler’s comments were viewed as more of a criticism of the original film and of Walt Disney’s legacy, instead of being context for her explanation of how the remake would update the classic story.

What Rachel Zegler Said About The Backlash To Her Snow White Casting

The Backlash Turned Into Real-Life Harᴀssment

Prior to the specific comments Zegler made about the 1937 Snow White, she had already faced racist backlash for being cast as the well-known princess. The backlash turned into targeted harᴀssment after the negative reception to her remarks were blown significantly out of proportion. This was all further amplified after Zegler explained a change to Snow White’s origins in the new movie. Instead of getting her name for having “skin as white as snow,” this version of the character would have her name come from surviving a snowstorm that happened when she was a baby.

The change to the origin of Snow White’s name was already used in ABC’s popular fairy tale television series Once Upon A Time with Ginnifer Goodwin’s version of the character. Nevertheless, the change to the central character’s name became the basis for more bigoted reactions to Zegler’s casting. The harᴀssment was originally constrained to online spaces, but she later shared that the Snow White casting backlash led to individuals standing outside of her apartment, where they screamed profane insults at Zegler. Read how she responded to this situation below:

For being brown. For having brown skin. For playing Snow White. There was a lot of harᴀssment from a certain group of people—they were showing up at my apartment and screaming profanities.

Where I wanted to, in a way that made it seem like it was tongue in cheek. Then it got to a point where it was not funny anymore and I really hated myself for something that other people were telling me about myself. But my ability to bounce back from that and still be pᴀssionate about the work I did for that project is something that I admire about myself.

Zegler has ultimately done nothing but champion the live-action Snow White movie with enthusiasm for the modern take on the beloved fairy tale. In response, she has been vilified in a prejudiced and dangerous manner. Her comments about the impact that the harᴀssment had on her daily life and on her mental health speak volumes about how dangerous such hateful reactions can be. Despite years of enduring this, Zegler has remained at the forefront of celebrating Disney’s new take on Snow White and expressing graтιтude and excitement for portraying such an iconic character.

Source: Variety, Extra TV