Disney Star Apologizes After Explosive Comments on Trump Sparks Outrage

Disney’s Snow White actress Rachel Zegler is in hot water after her sharp comments about Donald Trump’s re-election drew fierce backlash from conservatives and fans alike.

The 23-year-old star of the upcoming $200 million live-action Snow White film took to social media to apologize, admitting that she “let emotions get the best” of her.

The controversy erupted last week when Zegler, who previously starred in West Side Story, posted a fiery response to Trump’s re-election on Instagram. “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace,” she wrote, calling out what she termed a “deep, deep sickness in this country.”

She didn’t stop there, adding, “Another four years of hatred, leaning us towards a world I do not want to live in.” The post quickly circulated on X (formerly Twitter), where it lit up the conservative commentariat.

In response to the storm, Zegler issued an apology on Instagram Thursday night. “Hi everyone, I would like to sincerely apologize for the election post I shared on Instagram last week,” she wrote. “I let my emotions get the best of me. Hatred and anger have caused us to move further and further away from peace and understanding, and I am sorry I contributed to the negative discourse.”

Zegler’s apology appeared to be an attempt to address the backlash, which has been anything but forgiving. Megyn Kelly, a prominent conservative commentator, didn’t hold back in her response, slamming the Disney star as a “pig” and critiquing Disney for casting her. “You’re gonna have to redo your film again because this woman is a pig, and you fired Gina Carano for far less than this nonsense,” Kelly posted, referencing Disney’s controversial firing of Carano from The Mandalorian over social media posts.

Zegler’s friction with conservative audiences isn’t new. She made waves last year with comments about how the reimagined Snow White film veers sharply from the 1937 original. “She’s not going to be dreaming about true love,” Zegler said of her Snow White character. “She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.” She further told Extra TV, “The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so. 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.” For many traditional Disney fans, Zegler’s remarks about the “dated” values of the original film were unsettling, stirring further controversy.

The live-action Snow White has faced a series of hurdles on its way to release. Originally set to debut this year, the film’s launch was postponed amid the SAG-AFTRA strike and to accommodate reported reworkings, including changes to the portrayal of the Seven Dwarfs. Disney is banking on big names, with Gal Gadot playing the Evil Queen, Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman, and Martin Klebba reprising the role of Grumpy.

Zegler’s repeated clashes with conservative commentators have placed her firmly in the spotlight. While her apology sought to bring down the temperature, it’s clear that the young actress has become a lightning rod in a polarized climate. Whether audiences will flock to theaters when Disney’s new take on Snow White arrives next March remains to be seen, but the film’s release will no doubt be watched closely by both her critics and fans alike.