Rachel Zegler’s social media blamed for Snow White backlash and threats against Gal Gadot

Disney reportedly blamed Rachel Zegler’s political posts for box office fallout and threats targeting Gal Gadot.

Rachel Zegler’s role in Disney’s Snow White was reportedly overshadowed by internal tensions following controversial posts on social media, with sources telling Variety that her activity prompted concerns at Disney and led to increased security measures for co-star Gal Gadot.

The situation began in August 2024, when Zegler celebrated the success of the film’s trailer, which had garnered over 120 million views in 24 hours. However, a follow-up tweet that included the phrase “free Palestine” sparked political backlash and worried Disney executives about the film’s commercial viability.

Those concerns deepened behind the scenes when Gal Gadot, who is Israeli, became the target of online death threats. In response, Disney reportedly enhanced her security. An insider told Variety that Zegler “didn’t understand the repercussions of her actions,” which further strained her relationship with the studio.

Producer Marc Platt flew to New York to address the situation directly with Zegler, but the actress declined to delete the post. Zegler’s relationship with Disney was further strained after she made additional political posts following the U.S. presidential election. These included criticism of Donald Trump and his supporters.

In an effort to regain control of the narrative, Disney brought in a social media specialist to oversee Zegler’s online presence. Despite this, Snow White underperformed at the box office, grossing just $87 million worldwide—well below expectations for a $270 million production. The film’s failure highlighted broader struggles Disney has faced with recent live-action remakes.

Speaking to Variety earlier this month, Gadot reflected on the growing hostility online, saying, “There is a challenge for people to speak... so much hate going on and so many bots.”