Much was said about Snow White in the months leading up to its release. Ultimately, the movie opened to largely negative reviews (39% on Rotten Tomatoes) and grossed only $205.6 million at the worldwide box office.
Lead star Rachel Zegler started coming under fire from the moment she was cast, largely because the Colombian-American actor didn't have skin as "white as snow." However, more controversy followed when she made what many felt were derogatory remarks about the animated 1937 classic, while her decision to write "free Palestine" alongside an X post with the remake's trailer also caused a stir.
Things intensified after last year's U.S. elections when she wrote "F*** Donald Trump" on Instagram, and when i-D asked Zegler about the perception that's been formed of her online, she replied, "It's interesting. It's really alarming at times."
"My compassion has no boundaries, is really what it is," she continued, "and my support for one cause does not denounce any others. That's always been at the core of who I am as a person. It's the way I was raised."
"There are obviously things that are at stake by being outspoken, but nothing is worth innocent lives," Zegler noted. "My heart doesn't have a fence around it, and if that is considered my downfall? There are worse things."
With Snow White's failings blamed on Zegler by some, the Shazam! Fury of the Gods star admits that it's been hard to deal with both the online hate and seeing a dream role quickly turn into a nightmare. "My f***ing psychiatrist has seen me through all of it. 'What you're going through isn’t normal.' That sentence did such wonders for me in multiple situations in my life."
Zegler added that she's been medicated for anxiety as a result of her Snow White experience, "which was truly a game changer, because 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."
Despite it all, Zegler doesn't wish to be seen as a victim. "I think a victim mindset is a choice, and I don't choose it," she stated. "I also don't choose nastiness in the face of it. I don't choose negativity in the face of it. I choose positivity and light and happiness. And I do believe at times, happiness is absolutely a choice, and every day I wake up and I think I'm very lucky to live the life I live."
Zegler has bounced back with Evita on London's West End, leaving Snow White behind her. Many actors have shaken off critical and box office flops with ease, and despite the social media storm, audiences and critics appeared to respond positively to her take on the Disney Princess.
Snow White is now streaming on Disney+.