After conservative media personality Megyn Kelly called for Disney to fire actress Rachel Zegler over her remarks following Donald Trump’s election, Zegler, who plays Snow White in Disney’s upcoming live adaptation, apologized on Thursday, saying she “let [her] emotions get the best of” her.
After Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the election, Zegler took to Instagram to express her “speechlessness” and “heartbreak” and her hope that “Trump supporters, Trump voters, and Trump himself may never know peace.”
Kelly went after Zegler for the comments on her SiriusXM show Thursday, calling Zegler “a pig,” saying there was “something wrong with this person,” and telling Disney they would have to “redo their film” as Zegler should be fired.
Zegler apologized for the message Thursday, saying in an Instagram story, “Hatred and anger have caused us to move further and further away from peace and understanding,” but she believes “everyone has a right to their opinion even when it differs from my own.”
Zegler has been involved in numerous other controversies. Kelly and other right-wing commentators criticized Zegler last year after a resurfaced interview of hers revealed that the new film would portray Snow White in a modern manner, without depicting her “be(ing) saved by the prince.” Zegler said her character would be dreaming about “becoming the leader she knows she can be” rather than “dreaming about true love.”
Ben Shapiro, a conservative pundit, criticized Zegler’s attempt to portray the film as a “girl boss” story, while Kelly criticized Disney for casting Zegler, a Hispanic, in a story about a princess with “skin as white as snow.” Zegler faced criticism for referring to the original “Snow White” as a “weird,” “extremely dated” story that centered on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her.
Prior to the “Snow White” controversies, Zegler made headlines by claiming that doing press for “West Side Story,” in which she costarred with Ansel Elgort, was “a real gut punch” due to constant questions about Elgort’s alleged sexual assault.
When telling Disney they would need to redo “Snow White”—which is set to hit theaters next March—Kelly pointed to them firing Gina Carano “for far less than this nonsense.” Carano alleged Disney and Lucasfilm fired her in 2021 from “The Mandalorian” after she posted things on X, formerly known as Twitter, that were not “in line with the acceptable narrative of the time.”
Elon Musk, a billionaire who now supports Trump, and X partially funded Carano’s lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm. In a statement at the time, X expressed its pride in providing financial support for Carano’s lawsuit, empowering her to seek vindication of her free speech rights on X and the ability to work without bullying, harassment, or discrimination.
Disney’s response. The company has remained quiet about Zegler’s comments as of early Friday afternoon, and Forbes reached out to the company for comment. Zegler was one of a number of celebrities to react negatively in the days following Trump’s victory last Tuesday.
Billie Eilish called Trump’s victory “a war on women,” actresses Hilary Duff and Jessica Alba shared a message saying women are the “heartbeat of progress,” and NBA star LeBron James posted a photo with his daughter with a promise to “protect you.” Zegler, 23, rose to fame after starring in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” reboot. She went on to have roles in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and the “Hunger Games” spinoff, “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.”