It’s easy to see the glamour of Hollywood from the outside, but behind the scenes, it can be a mental and emotional minefield.
Just ask Snow White star Rachel Zegler. After the highly controversial remake of Disney’s beloved 1937 classic tanked at the box office, the 24-year-old actress admits she hit rock bottom — mentally, emotionally, and professionally.
“I Wasn’t Functioning”: Rachel Describes Her Struggle
In a candid interview with i-D magazine, Rachel didn’t hold back.
She revealed that the backlash following Snow White’s release sent her spiraling.
“My f***ing psychiatrist has seen me through all of it,” she said, opening up about how deeply the criticism affected her.
The constant negativity made her feel overwhelmed and mentally paralyzed, to the point where she had to begin medication for her anxiety.
“It was a game changer,” she shared. “I just wasn’t functioning.
And I wanted to function in a way that made me feel confident in the way I was moving through the world.”
A $270 Million Misfire That Sparked Massive Controversy
The live-action remake of Snow White came with a whopping $270 million price tag — but instead of being a magical revival, it became one of Disney’s most talked-about disasters.
The film only pulled in $69 million domestically, with estimated losses running into the hundreds of millions.
The movie ditched the original’s “dated” romance and reimagined the Seven Dwarfs as a diverse group of magical beings of various races, genders, and sizes.
Instead of praise, the changes were met with fierce backlash, both from fans and industry voices.
Facing the Internet’s Wrath and Public Blame
Rachel found herself at the center of the storm, blamed by many for the film’s flop.
Film critics ripped it apart, review sites tanked its ratings (with IMDb scoring it a brutal 1.5 — one of the worst ever), and Disney loyalists turned their anger toward the lead actress.
She admitted the online hate was intense. But instead of playing into the negativity, Rachel made a conscious choice.
“I think a victim mindset is a choice, and I don’t choose it,” she said.
“I don’t choose nastiness in the face of it. I choose positivity and light and happiness.”
Backlash Over Heritage and Old Comments Resurface
Rachel’s casting had been controversial from the start.
Critics pointed to the original fairy tale’s iconic line, “skin as white as snow,” and claimed that casting an actress of Colombian and Polish descent strayed too far from tradition.
But Rachel explained that in Disney’s new take, the character earns the name Snow White after surviving a snowstorm — a more metaphorical twist.
Still, her remarks over the years didn’t help ease tensions.
In a 2022 red carpet interview, she called the 1937 version “dated,” and slammed the original love story as problematic.
“There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her.
Weird. So we didn’t do that this time,” she said.
After fan outrage, she later clarified that romance would still play a key role in the remake — but the damage had already been done.
Disney’s Woke Revamp Fails to Win Over Critics
The film didn’t just face criticism over Rachel’s role.
It became a lightning rod for Disney’s broader push toward inclusivity — a direction that’s drawn mixed reactions.
Actor Peter Dinklage called out the studio’s contradictions, saying their efforts to be “progressive” still fell flat.
“You’re still making that fing backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together — what the f are you doing, man?” Dinklage said in a 2022 interview.
Even The Daily Mail’s own Brian Viner slammed the film, calling it “a painfully muddle-headed affair” and suggesting that Disney’s efforts to avoid offending anyone had ironically “offended everyone.”
Off-Screen Politics Add More Fuel to the Fire
To make matters even more complicated, geopolitical tensions crept into the film’s promotional cycle. Gal Gadot, who played the Evil Queen, received criticism over her vocal support for Israel amid the Gaza war.
Rachel, meanwhile, shared posts expressing support for Palestinian liberation — and the contrast between the co-stars drew even more media attention.
The film’s message got lost in the noise, and instead of winning hearts, Snow White became a cultural flashpoint.
Choosing Joy Amid the Chaos
Despite it all, Rachel is trying to move forward with hope and resilience.
She says happiness is a choice she makes every single day.
“I wake up and think I’m very lucky to live the life I live,” she shared.
For someone who’s been under that much scrutiny, that kind of optimism takes real strength.
Final Thoughts
Rachel Zegler’s journey through the Snow White saga shows just how brutal the entertainment industry can be — especially when controversy snowballs online.
She’s battled mental health struggles, public blame, cultural criticism, and political crossfire.
And while the film may have flopped, Rachel’s ability to speak openly about anxiety, therapy, and choosing joy might just make her story more impactful than any movie script.
You can read the full interview and digital cover with Rachel now at i-D.co/RachelZegler.