With Disney’s Snow White remake underperforming at the box office and facing widespread public backlash, a wave of Hollywood celebrities and media allies are now circling the wagons to defend its embattled lead actress, Rachel Zegler.
Rachel Zegler singing the original song “Waiting on a Wish” from Disney’s Snow White live action remake – YouTube, Disney
The film, which has earned only $143 million worldwide in its first two weeks, is nowhere remotely close to breaking even on its $250 million production budget and massive marketing push. Despite this dismal performance and widespread criticism of Zegler’s past comments surrounding political discourse and the film itself, a growing number of celebrities are now voicing their support—and some outlets are actively attempting to reframe the narrative around her.
Ariana Grande, Helen Mirren, and Lucy Liu Back Zegler Behind the Scenes
Zegler told Allure that several major stars have reached out to her privately in recent months.
“Jameela Jamil is like a big sister to me,” she said. “I love that she has no regrets about being outspoken, about being strong-willed and strong-minded.”
She added that pop icon Ariana Grande had also contacted her personally.
A Screenshot of Ariana Grande From the Wicked Movie Trailer, YouTube – Universal Pictures
“She is so deeply kind. She has gone through so much in the public eye, and I have always really, really admired her courage in the face of all of that,” Zegler said.
Zegler also noted that her Shazam! Fury of the Gods co-stars Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu have expressed private support amid growing scrutiny.
Melissa Barrera and Pedro Pascal Join Public Support Efforts
Actress Melissa Barrera, who was dropped from Scream 7 for her own political statements, reposted a message to Instagram defending Zegler after Variety’s exposé on the backstage drama at Disney.
The post Barrera shared called Variety’s piece a “hit piece” and added: “It makes her look cool as hell and full of integrity.”
Indie singer Ethel Cain echoed the sentiment in an Instagram story, writing: “@rachelzegler don’t let em get u down, legend.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Pedro Pascal speaks onstage during the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Pedro Pascal, an outspoken Hollywood progressive, also weighed calling Zegler an “icon” in his own Instagram Story.
Vanity Fair Reframes the Narrative: Zegler as Victim, Not Liability
In an astonishing pivot, Vanity Fair published a lengthy feature arguing that the more people criticize Zegler, the better she looks.
The article states: “The more that comes to light about Zegler and the Snow White debacle, the better 23-year-old Zegler looks to many observers.”
Rachel Zegler as Snow White in Snow White (2025), Walt Disney Studios
It even attributes the backlash to race issues from Disney’s conservative fanbase, despite the fact that Snow White performed equally bad in red and blue counties alike.
“From the instant her casting was announced in June 2021, she was subject to racism and vitriol from conservative-leaning Disney fans,” they said.
Vanity Fair even criticized Variety’s reporting, saying the outlet “attempts to paint Rachel Zegler as difficult and politically radical,” and quoted journalist Mark Harris, who called it “Very clearly an attempt to blame the movie’s failure on her expressed politics… It’s astonishingly graceless, and it’s not honest.”
Jonah Platt and Russell Brand Push Back
Not everyone in Hollywood is on board. Actor Jonah Platt, son of Snow White producer Marc Platt, posted in a now-deleted Instagram comment that Zegler was: “Dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie” and said this “hurt the film’s box office.”
Jordan Platt confirms that his father had to fly to NY to reprimand Rachel Zegler – Instagram
He added, “Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”
Meanwhile, former actor and commentator Russell Brand resurfaced a 2022 Zegler interview and labeled her attitude as “haughty,” calling it a symptom of being a movie star and having people “puff you up.”
Disney’s Quiet Distancing
According to Variety’s reporting, Disney was so concerned about Zegler’s impact that it hired a “social media guru” to monitor and approve her posts. Producer Marc Platt allegedly flew to New York in 2024 to confront Zegler directly after she posted: “and always, free palestine” in a thread promoting the Snow White trailer.
Rachel Zegler via Variety YouTube
Tatiana Siegel reported that this tweet led Disney to beef up security for co-star Gal Gadot, who received threats due to her support of Israel. Disney has not publicly commented on the matter.
Can the Hollywood Elite Revitalize Rachel Zegler?
With the film struggling and Zegler’s public image at the center of a growing culture war, celebrities and media allies appear determined to shield her from the fallout. Whether that effort is enough to salvage Zegler’s long-term prospects—or the film’s legacy—remains to be seen.
Rachel Zegler as Snow White in Snow White (2025), Walt Disney Studios
Hollywood is always as quick to defend outspoken progressive activists like Rachel Zegler as it is to condemn known conservatives like Gina Carano. The Hollywood system’s response to this controversy isn’t shocking, but the reaction of the public and big studios will certainly be interesting to track.
What do you think about Hollywood shielding Rachel Zegler from her role in the failure of Snow White? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Yet again there is a disconect of reality. There is actors and there is Hollywood Producers, the problem of social media is that It made the actors Who are just the clowns of the modern Circus, believe they have some sort of power or inteligence when the sad true is that they are just clowns for entertainment purpouses if people dont want them the dude with the hat that runs the Circus Will just Kick the clowns
Any rich Marxist who actually believes in “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need” would give away a lot of their own stuff.
The rest of Hollywood are just as bad as Zegler, some of them are just better at hiding it.
Is Rachel Zegler really the hill they want to die on? Seriously???
The rest of them couldn’t care less about Rachel Zegler as a person. They only care that she’s turned a big old spotlight on how the rest of them really think and feel. And that terrifies them because it means people are wising up to what they all really stand for.
The only thing they’ll accomplish by shielding her is that they’ll get the same treatment she did.
That’s precisely what I hope will happen.
“Progressive” idiots are keeping together.
[…] Fonte: thatparkplace […]
As long as it’s not their money being blown they’ll openly support far left progressive view points.