Disney’s giving Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs the live-action remake treatment, but the production has not been without controversy. One issue with the film has been the online vitriol directed at lead star Rachel Zegler, who plays the live-action Snow White.

After it was announced that Zegler would be playing a Latina incarnation of Snow White, it wasn’t long before the “woke” complaints started rolling in on social media. Some have argued that the fictional character needs to be Caucasian, based on one version of the story referring to her having “skin as white as snow,” explaining her name. However, per Variety, Zegler pointed out how there’s another explanation given in the film for why her character has her given name, which also dates back to another classic version of the story.

“It fell back to another version of Snow White that was told in history, where she survived a snowstorm that occurred when she was a baby,” Zegler explained. “And so the king and queen decided to name her Snow White to remind her of her resilience. One of the core points in our film for any young woman or young person is remembering how strong you actually are.”

Some Snow White Fans Have Said Rachel Zegler Is Undeserving of the Role

Other fans had issues with Zegler’s casting based on her perception of the original animated film by Disney. She had made comments referring to the film as “weird,” and hinted that her Snow White wasn’t interested in finding true love. In another viral moment, she was suggesting the storyline was problematic with how the prince “literally stalks” the Disney princess. Zegler’s critics have suggested that she shouldn’t have been cast to play Snow White, perceiving that she doesn’t have enough respect for the original film. She now clarifies that certain comments were taken out of context or misinterpreted.

“In all honesty, it made me sad that it was taken in such a way, because I believe that women can do anything. But I also believe that they can do everything,” Zegler said, noting how her Snow White does want romance in her life, but she has other goals as well. “I would never want to box someone in and say, ‘If you want love, then you can’t work.’ Or ‘If you want to work, then you can’t have a family.’ It’s not true. It’s never been true. It can be very upsetting when things get taken out of context or jokes don’t land.”

It can be very upsetting when things get taken out of context or jokes don’t land.

She added, “The love story is very integral. A lot of people wrote that we weren’t doing [that storyline] anymore — we were always doing that; it just wasn’t what we were talking about on that day.”

“I’ve watched women get torn down my whole life, my whole career,” Zegler continued. “We’ll watch it in the election that’s upcoming. We’re gonna witness that for a long time, I fear. Sometimes it can feel like we’re going back; it certainly felt that way when that was happening.”

Zegler admitted that the way she’s been treated online has led to her considering shutting down her presence on social media. However, she also feels that to have done so would’ve given her critics the satisfaction they were looking for. With that in mind, Zegler has endured all of the vitriol. She also spoke about how her online presence allows her to weigh in on causes she feels passionately about.

“I don’t like to give them the satisfaction of knowing they hurt me in the moment,” Zegler said of her social media critics. “You give them a lot of power by taking a social media break.”

Zegler’s Snow White movie will be released on March 21, 2025.