Disney Hired 'Social Media Guru' to Monitor 'Snow White' Star Rachel Zegler After Controversial Posts: Report
Disney reportedly had to hire a social media expert to intervene and monitor posts made by "Snow White" star Rachel Zegler after she made a series of controversial statements.
In August, following the release of the "Snow White" trailer at Disney's D23 fan event, Zegler posted several politically charged messages on social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. In one of these posts, the actress expressed gratitude to her fans and added, "and always remember, free Palestine."
That post allegedly led to death threats against co-star Gal Gadot, who played the Evil Queen. This reportedly forced Disney to hire additional security, per Variety.
The situation escalated further in November after Zegler posted "F--k Donald Trump" and "May Trump supporters Trump voters Trump himself never know peace" on Instagram following the U.S. presidential election. Disney decided to intervene, sending producer Marc Platt to New York to speak with the actress.
When the posts remained, the studio allegedly hired a social media expert to review the star's posts, leading the actress to apologize for contributing "to the negative discourse."
The controversy surrounding Zegler's social media activity was not isolated. She had previously faced backlash for criticizing the original 1937 "Snow White" film, describing it as "weird" and "creepy" and calling the prince character a "stalker."
The report also suggests that Disney's decision to monitor Zegler's social media was partly motivated by concerns about alienating potential audiences. With "Snow White" being a $270 million investment, the studio was reportedly worried about losing nearly 50% of Americans who supported Trump during that period.
Despite these efforts, "Snow White" faced a disappointing opening weekend, grossing only $87 million worldwide, with just $43 million domestically, which was below expectations for a film of its budget and pedigree. It is now one of the worst-performing recent live-action Disney adaptations, above only "Mufasa: The Lion King," which made $35 million globally on its opening weekend, according to Forbes.
