Ariana DeBose deletes Instagram post seemingly criticising Rachel Zegler amid 'Snow White' drama

Ariana DeBose deleted an Instagram post quoting criticism of 'West Side Story' co-star Rachel Zegler after backlash.

Ariana DeBose has deleted an Instagram post after quoting criticism aimed at her West Side Story co-star Rachel Zegler. The post, which cited a statement made by Jonah Platt, son of Zegler’s Snow White producer Marc Platt, described Zegler’s “narcissism” as “not something to be coddled or encouraged.”

The quote was originally in response to Zegler’s social media activity, in which she posted “and always remember, free Palestine” following the release of the Snow White trailer.

and always remember, free palestine.

— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) August 12, 2024

Jonah Platt claimed her political statement distracted from the film’s promotion and hurt its box office potential. He wrote, “She hijacked the conversation for her own immature desires at the risk of all the colleagues and crew and blue collar workers who depend on that movie to be successful.”

Photo: X

Photo: Instagram/@arianadebose

After reposting the quote on her Instagram story, DeBose faced immediate backlash. She later deleted the post and issued a clarification, writing, “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.”

DeBose stressed she had “no intention of inserting myself into a news cycle,” and added, “This is not the first time I've posted about dealing with narcissism before and it probably won't be the last, but next time I'll be sure to clarify its origins first.”

The two actresses first worked together on Steven Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story, a film that launched Zegler’s career and earned DeBose an Academy Award. Both stars continue to pursue high-profile projects despite growing scrutiny over their public and political statements.