On paper, Snow White‘s Rachel Zegler seems like the quintessential Disney princess: a young woman full of talent, with an angelic voice and the beauty to match. Of course, we already know this story doesn’t have a fairytale ending.
After landing what should have been her dream role as Snow White in Disney’s live-action adaptation, Zegler has faced an unending stream of intense backlash. Although much of the criticism has been of her own making, there is also the unpleasant reality that fans expected someone more physically appropriate to the role—that is, someone with “skin as white as snow”. This, combined with a history of problematic social media posts and perhaps some odd styling choices for the princess, has eclipsed Zegler’s potential to be ranked as one of Disney’s most cherished princesses. Instead, she’s found herself as one of Hollywood’s biggest memes for 2025.
Whether it’s been articles comparing her looks to that of the Evil Queen played by the unquestionably beautiful Gal Gadot, memes poking fun at her “Lord Farquaad-esque” hairstyle in the movie, and yes, even compilations of her cringe-worthy statements about the real Snow White, Zegler’s portrayal of Snow White has unfortunately become known for all the wrong reasons.
Sadly, this negative publicity seems unlikely to die down anytime soon. Despite the praise from many critics and even Disney fans for her enchanting voice and endearing performance in the recently released Snow White film, Rachel Zegler remains embroiled in controversy.
So much so that the online drama surrounding the lead actress has even been blamed for the movie’s mediocre opening weekend at the box office, which brought in a sleepy $87 million globally. And it doesn’t help that fans are comparing her press coverage to other live-action princesses, such as Lily James, who was graceful and enchanting as Cinderella, and Elle Fanning, who delighted audiences as Aurora in Maleficent.
In all honesty, if you’re going to play a Disney princess, it should be one you like or at least respect and have a genuine passion for portraying, as many of the previous actresses who have portrayed these iconic characters have shown. Too many times, the young actress has been seen on camera criticising Disney’s beloved first princess, and that was never going to play out well.
So, as talented, beautiful and even charismatic as Rachel Zegler may be, Snow White was probably not the right fit for her.
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