Rachel Zegler faces backlash for her homage to Snow White actor after criticising the original film: ‘A lying hypocrite’
Rachel Zegler has faced backlash after paying “homage” to the original Snow White, despite having previously criticised the animated film as “weird” and sexist.
Actor Rachel Zegler has come under fire for paying "homage" to Disney’s original Snow White, after she previously dismissed the animated classic as “weird” and sexist. The Westside Story actor shared a photograph of herself sporting a new hairstyle inspired by Adriana Caselotti, the voice behind the titular character in Disney’s 1937 animated film.
"Just had to pay homage to the original Snow White, Miss Adriana Caselotti," Zegler wrote on Instagram on Sunday, amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the live-action remake. "To whom I owe everything ."
In the image, the 23-year-old showcased her dark hair styled in a curly bob with a red bow, mimicking Caselotti’s iconic look. She also struck a similar pose to the original Snow White, gazing to the side with her hands lifted near her shoulder.
Alongside her own picture, Zegler included a photograph of Caselotti in the same pose, reinforcing the visual tribute. However, despite the seemingly heartfelt gesture, many Disney fans were unimpressed, flooding the comments with criticism due to her past remarks about the original film.
"Really? You want to pay homage to her now after all the nasty stuff you have been saying about her film. Too little too late in my book," one person remarked. "So you can pay homage to her ‘looks’ but can’t respect her story? Kind of contradicts the whole idea of being a modern feminist perspective to the story, doesn’t it?" another added. "You talked bad about this movie and now [this] is your inspiration? Hahahaha," a third mocked. "So you’re paying homage to somebody who is dated?" another user questioned.
Over on X (formerly Twitter), the backlash continued. "HOMAGE!!??? She literally hates the OG Snow White storyline," one person wrote. "I thought she hated the original after all the negative things she said about it. Ironic she’s now using it to garner positive publicity," another chimed in. "Wait a minute, I thought Rachel Zegler said she didn’t like the original film. She’s a huge, lying hypocrite, and even Pinocchio knows when to cut the crap!" yet another critic added.
The live-action remake has been mired in controversy since Disney announced that it would significantly alter the beloved fable, including the removal of the iconic song Some Day My Prince Will Come, a revised love story, and replacing the Seven Dwarfs with a diverse group of magical beings.
Zegler, in particular, became a focal point of the backlash following remarks she made at the 2022 D23 Expo when asked how she planned to give Snow White a "modern edge." "She’s not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love," she told Variety at the time. "She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true," she continued.
She also referred to the original film as “weird” during an interview with Extra at the same event. "The original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with the guy who literally stalks her. Weird, weird," she told the outlet. "So we didn’t do that this time," she added, explaining that the remake takes “a different approach” and is "really not about the love story at all."
