Glamour Names Rachel Zegler a ‘Woman of the Year’ Despite Disney Disasters and Political Outbursts

Hollywood’s media elite have struck again — this time, crowning one of the most controversial actresses of 2025 with one of its top honors. Glamour magazine has officially named Rachel Zegler a “Woman of the Year,” alongside fellow internet personality Ms. Rachel, actress Demi Moore, and singer Tyla. But the move is raising eyebrows across the industry, considering Zegler’s year has been defined far more by controversy than achievement.

A Year of Disaster, Not Distinction

The 24-year-old actress may have graced magazine covers, but her biggest headline of the year was the catastrophic failure of Disney’s Snow White remake — a film so poorly received that it forced the studio to rethink its entire slate of live-action adaptations. With a production budget reportedly around $270 million, the project became one of Disney’s most expensive flops in company history.

The dislike ratio for the Snow White trailer as of 02/03/25

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Zegler’s performance and public image were a major part of the backlash. From mocking the 1937 animated original as “dated” and “about a guy who literally stalks” Snow White, to claiming that Prince Charming could be removed entirely, she seemed to alienate Disney’s core fanbase before the movie even hit theaters.

And then came the politics.

The “Palestine” Fallout

When Zegler posted “and always remember, free Palestine” on social media as part of a post celebrating the release of the Snow White trailer, the backlash was swift. The New York Post reports that her comments angered Disney executives and created tension with her Israeli co-star Gal Gadot. They also led to safety issues for Gadot and her family following increased threats of violence from activists, reportedly forcing Disney to pay for additional security for the star and her young children.

Still, despite her words endangering a family with young children, Zegler reportedly refused to take her social media posts down. 

Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler present together at the Oscars – X, @priceoreason

The Anti-Defamation League has noted that the phrase “Free Palestine,” while used by many peacefully, has also been adopted by violent groups and individuals to justify anti-Jewish attacks worldwide. In fact, it was reportedly shouted by assailants during deadly incidents in both Washington, D.C. and Boulder, Colorado earlier this year — context that makes Zegler’s tweet particularly tone-deaf for a major Disney lead.

Even within her old social circles, not everyone came to her defense. Jonah Platt — son of Snow White producer Marc Platt — publicly stated that Zegler’s anti-Israel posts “clearly hurt the film’s box office,” before deleting the comment. Platt went on a now-deleted social media rant detailing how his father was forced to fly to New York to reprimand the controversial star in person and accusing her of “narcissism.” 

Doubling Down on Division

If that weren’t enough, Zegler further polarized audiences with a post after President Trump’s re-election, writing, “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace.” Though she later apologized for the outburst, she never deleted it — nor the earlier “Free Palestine” statement.

A screenshot of Rachel Zegler’s Incendiary tweets about Donald Trump and his supporters – Photo Credit Steph Anie, @MyNerdyHome Via X

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For an actress whose career depends on mass appeal, these stunts haven’t exactly paid off. Snow White tanked, her reputation within Disney took a nosedive, and yet, somehow, Glamour decided this was the perfect time to celebrate her as a role model. To their team, after all this, Rachel Zegler was somehow a Woman of the Year.

Hollywood’s Perverse Priorities

Glamour’s annual “Women of the Year” issue is meant to honor women “breaking barriers and shaping culture.” That’s certainly one way to describe Zegler’s year — though not in the flattering way the magazine implies.

Rachel Zegler via Variety YouTube

For Disney, she was a walking PR nightmare. For fans, she became a symbol of Hollywood arrogance — the kind of performer who lectures audiences about morality while starring in multi-million-dollar misfires. And for Glamour, apparently, that’s enough to earn top billing.

It’s another reminder that in modern Hollywood, controversy doesn’t end careers — it gets you cover stories. A performer who alienated global audiences, cost her studio hundreds of millions, and inflamed geopolitical tensions is now being celebrated as a feminist icon. Rachel Zegler, whose rhetoric reportedly endangered a family with young children, is somehow a “Woman of the Year.”

Rewarded for Failure

Zegler’s selection says less about her actual accomplishments and more about the entertainment media’s values. The same industry that mocks middle America and lectures its own customers about politics continues to reward defiance over decency.

Rachel Zegler as Snow White in Snow White (2025), Walt Disney Studios

If being a Glamour Woman of the Year now means openly trashing your studio’s legacy, alienating half the public, and calling for “no peace” for political opponents — then perhaps this award says more about Glamour than it does about Rachel Zegler.

Because in a year when true examples of courage, perseverance, and excellence could have been honored, Hollywood once again chose celebrity over substance.

How do you feel about Rachel Zegler being named a “Woman of the Year” by Glamour? Sound off in the comments and let us know!

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