Actress Rachel Zegler has faced intense public criticism in recent years—first from Disney fans opposed to her casting as Snow White due to her Latina background and later from Israeli and pro-Israel audiences who condemned her outspoken pro-Palestinian views and social media jabs at Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who played the Evil Queen in the live-action remake.
Despite the backlash, Zegler says the criticism hasn't fazed her. In a new interview with British magazine i-D, she said she refuses to feel like a victim. "I think a victim mindset is a choice, and I don’t choose it. I also don’t choose nastiness in the face of it. I don’t choose negativity in the face of it.
“I choose positivity and light and happiness," she said. “And I do believe at times, happiness is absolutely a choice, and every day I wake up and I think I’m very lucky to live the life I live.”
During the press tour for “Snow White”, Zegler repeatedly voiced support for the Palestinian cause. In one instance, she shared a clip from the film alongside the message, “And always remember—free Palestine.” In another post, she appeared to mock Gadot by captioning a photo of herself with the phrase, “Always the fairest of them all.”
According to reports, her behavior drew sharp criticism from the film’s Jewish producer, Marc Platt. Whether related or not, Snow White was both a critical and commercial failure, with poor reviews and disappointing box office returns, ranking among the year’s biggest flops.
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Zegler, however, expressed no regret. “My compassion has no limits,” she said. “That’s just how I am, and my support for one cause doesn’t come at the expense of others. I was raised this way.”
She acknowledged that her activism could come at a cost to her career. “Obviously I’m taking a professional risk by speaking my mind,” she said. “But nothing matters more than human lives. My heart can’t ignore that—and if that’s what sinks me? There are worse things.”