Rachel Zegler had the biggest year of her career last year, between starring in a DC movie Shazam! Fury of the Gods to winning Action Star of the Year (over Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves) for her blockbuster role in The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. However, she also made headlines regarding internet backlash to her upcoming role in the live-action Snow White. As the actress celebrated her 23rd birthday on social media, she spoke to the “hatred” she’s received from the public in the past year in particular, and what she’s learned from it.
As Rachel Zegler turned 23 on Friday, May 3, the actress took to her Instagram stories to post a message about the life milestone. Here’s what she posted first:
Alongside a photo of her cheesin’ in a gorgeous white gown, Rachel Zegler shared the “door is shutting on 22” for her and as she admitted, it’s been a “hard year.” Zegler was pretty straightforward regarding it having to do with public perception of her too, sharing that “if you’ve been online to any degree, you probably know why.”
She then shared gratitude for her life and her dog before conveying her hopes that her 23rd year will hold a “lot less hatred” and allow her to hopefully feel safer in public. She then followed up the post with this message:
While posing in a similar fashion, while wearing a bedazzled black dress, Zegler also shared her excitement regarding The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes hitting theaters, which she has often been sharing behind-the-scenes photos of. The prequel was a big hit, becoming one of the top 20 highest-grossing movies at the 2023 worldwide box office.
In regards to the backlash around Rachel Zegler, the actress became the subject of internet hate after doing interviews at D23 over the summer about the new Snow White movie. She spoke about the project’s updated narrative that would have the princess “dreaming about the leader she knows that she can be” rather than “true love.” She also said the romantic interest in the original “literally stalks her.” This angered some fans of the 1937 movie, and it led to greatly exaggerated rumors that Zegler had been fired from the movie.
The comments led David Hand, the son of the filmmaker of the animated Snow White, to call Zegler out and say his father and Walt Disney would be “turning in their grave” regarding the live-action remake. Prior, Peter Dinklage had also spoken out about Disney remaking the film from his own perspective, saying “You’re progressive in one way, but you’re still making that fucking backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together.”
With a new year ahead of her, Zegler is hoping to leave some of the internet hate behind her. Yes, Zegler’s Snow White movie is among Disney’s upcoming movies. It’s set to be released in theaters on March 21, 2025.
Happy birthday to Rachel Zegler!