Ariana DeBose deletes post criticising West Side Story costar Rachel Zegler amid backlash, issues clarification

Ariana DeBose was criticised after she shared an Instagram post which had a quote that was criticism of her West Side Story costar Rachel Zegler.

Updated on: Apr 2, 2025, 16:56:05 IST

By Santanu Das

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Ariana DeBose faced backlash for posting a picture which had a quote that was critical of her West Side Story costar Rachel Zegler. She deleted the Instagram post and issued a clarification, saying that she ‘did not do any research on where this quote came from.’ The quote was from a recent comment made by Jonah Platt, who the son of Snow White producer Marc Platt. (Also read: Snow White box office hurt by Rachel Zegler's political comments, claims producer's son: ‘Free speech does not mean…’)

Ariana DeBose issued a clarification after deleting a post that was critical of Rachel Zegler.

About the controversy

It all started when Ariana posted a quote which read, "Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged." That was a comment made by Jonah Platt, son of Snow White producer Marc Platt. A few days ago had criticised Rachel for making political comments and said how that has hurt the Disney remake's box office performance.

Several users criticised Ariana for bullying her West Side Story co-star Rachel instead of standing beside her. Many took to X to lash out at Ariana, and said that Rachel deserved better in the industry.

Ariana's clarification

Since then, Ariana has deleted the post and posted a clarification on her Instagram Stories regarding the issue. She wrote, “I post quotes all the time and thought this one was meaningful. Will fully cop to the fact that I did not do any research on where this quote came from, nor did I know of the connection until it was pointed out to me. This is not the first time I have posted about dealing with narcissism and it probably won't be the last, but next time I'll be sure to clarify its origins first.”

Rachel and Ariana starred in director Steven Spielberg's 2021 adaptation West Side Story. The film went on receive critical acclaim, with Ariana winning the Oscar in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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