How Rachel Zegler went from shining new star to Hollywood's most controversial actress

When Rachel Zegler was cast in West Side Story as a teenager with no prior professional acting experience, the entire world seemed to be fascinated by her over-night journey from normal high school student to award-winning actress.

And when the film came out, Rachel's powerful singing voice and undeniable talent blew people away and earned her even more attention - and it seemed like it would be the beginning of an impressive career that spanned across decades.

But flash forward just four years later, and Rachel has now become one of the most controversial stars on the planet.

Despite her dazzling start, the 23-year-old actress' future in Hollywood is now in fierce jeopardy amidst the flop release of her latest film: Disney's live-action remake of Snow White.

The $270 million film premiered last week with dismal reviews and poor ticket sales, and in the wake of the movie's failure, many have been left wondering: how did this happen? 

Well, the film seemed to be plagued by scandals every step of the way - including backlash over casting Rachel, a Latina actress, to play the famously German princess, swirling rumors of a feud between Rachel and costar Gal Gadot, scrutiny over numerous 'woke' changes made to the plot, and debate over Disney's decision to include CGI dwarfs. 

But most notable were the numerous controversial comments that Rachel made in the months leading up to its release.

Thanks to her outspoken political social media posts and brazen admissions about her disdain for the original animated classic that the film was based on, Rachel seemed to cast a dark shadow over the movie that it simply couldn't shake.

While she is certainly not the only one to blame for Snow White's downfall, Rachel's undeniable contributions to it have transformed her from a shining star into a scandal-ridden one, who is on the verge of being cast out of Hollywood altogether.

And now the question remains: will she be able to bounce back and overcome the plethora of bad press or will she face an untimely departure from the spotlight?

As the world waits to see if Rachel will be able to fix her tainted reputation or if she will crumble under the immense scrutiny, FEMAIL has recapped her rollercoaster ride journey from start to finish.

From her meteoric rise to fame and her whirlwind downfall to the many controversial things that she has said and the real reason why she's facing so much backlash, here's everything you need to know about the young star.

Her meteoric rise to fame: Rachel was picked to star in West Side Story despite having no past acting experience after a video of her singing went viral

Rachel grew up in Clifton, New Jersey. Her mother, who is of Columbian descent, worked at a school for children with disabilities while her father, who is Polish, was a construction worker.

Her maternal grandmother immigrated from Columbia to the United States in the 1960s.

She has said that her love of acting developed when she was only four years old after her parents took her to see her first Broadway show, Beauty and the Beast.

At age 12, self-proclaimed 'theater nerd' Rachel started starring in school plays, acting in Fiddler on the Roof, The Little Mermaid, Shrek the Musical, Legally Blonde, and Les Miserables over the years.

In 2015, she started posting videos of herself singing to her YouTube channel and on X, formerly Twitter, and they soon started to get some attention.

One video of her covering the song A Star Is Born earned her viral fame in 2018, and it now has nearly four million views on YouTube and over 12 million on X.

Around that time, acclaimed director Steven Spielberg posted an open casting call via X for his new movie adaptation of West Side Story.

A then-16-year-old Rachel replied with a video of her singing a few songs from the beloved musical and it caught Steven's attention.

She was eventually selected out of over 30,000 women who auditioned to play Maria, despite having no past professional acting experience. 

First movie role overshadowed by scandal: Rachel's West Side Story co-star Ansel Elgort was accused of sexual assault just before its premiere, which he denied

Rachel's first movie role quickly became embroiled in scandal when her costar, Ansel Elgort - who was set to play her love interest, Tony - was accused of sexually assaulting a fan.

The woman claimed that years prior, in 2014, a then-20-year-old Ansel had sex with her when she was only 17 years old, despite her not 'wanting to do it' and 'sobbing in pain.'

He denied the allegations and said their relationship was 'entirely consensual,' but the scandal completely took over the media and cast a dark shadow over West Side Story.

When asked about the allegations by The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the film's release, Rachel said, 'We made a movie two and a half years ago, and a lot has gone on in the world since then.

'A lot has changed very publicly, and privately as well. There's been a lot of awakening. 

'You just hope that the people involved are okay, that they are asked in a respectful manner and that they are given the opportunity to answer for themselves.'

Rachel has also since revealed that she was asked to prove her Latin descent to executives while she was in the auditioning phase for West Side Story.

'There's confusion because I don't have a single ounce of Latin in my name,' she told Allure earlier this year.

'When I was in the running for María in West Side Story, they kept calling to ask if I was legit.

'I remember thinking, "Do you want me to bring my abuelita in? I will. I'll bring her into the studio if you want to meet her.''

She said looking back, she found 'a bunch of white executives having her prove her identity to them' amusing, adding, 'It's an interesting experience being part of that diaspora in the current climate we live in. But I love being Colombian.'

Even so, after West Side Story premiere in 2021, Rachel earned much acclaim for her performance and was transformed into a massive star practically overnight.

She won the Golden Globe for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy that year, making her the youngest winner in the category at only 20 years old.

After that, she was cast in the superhero film Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and the Hunger Games prequel Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, both in 2023.

She was also supposed to star in the third Paddington film, Paddington in Peru, but dropped out due to the SAG strike.

But amidst her newfound success, Rachel admitted to THR that she struggled with the sudden thrust into the spotlight.

'There was a huge imposter syndrome shadow that loomed over me,' she recalled.

'I was reading these horrible things people were saying, like, "What kind of dirt does she have on whoever holds the puppet strings in Hollywood? Because that has to be the only reason she's booked gigs while waiting for this movie to come out."

'As much as it's bulls**t to read, it takes a toll.'

Facing backlash from the moment she was cast in Snow White: Some people were furious a Latina actress was picked to portray the princess

Disney revealed that Rachel had been cast as Snow White in its live-action remake of the animated classic in June 2021, but almost immediately, the announcement was met with fierce criticism.

At the time, director Marc Webb said the West Side Story alum had been chosen due to her 'extraordinary vocal abilities, strength, intelligence, and optimism.' 

But some people were furious that a Latina actress had been picked to portray the German character - since Snow White is famously described as the 'fairest one of all' with 'skin as white as snow' in the beloved fairytale. 

But Rachel was quick to fire back at the haters, writing in a now-deleted tweet, 'Yes, I am Snow White and no, I am not bleaching my skin for the role.' 

The actress spoke further about the negative reaction to Variety months later. She recalled, 'When it was announced, it was a huge thing that was trending on Twitter for days, because all of the people were angry.'

'Never in a million years did I imagine that this would be a possibility for me,' added the star.

'You don't normally see Snow Whites that are of Latin descent, even though Snow White is really a big deal in Spanish-speaking countries.

'You don't particularly see people who look like me or are me playing roles like that... But at the end of the day, I have a job to do that I'm really excited to do. I get to be a Latina princess.'

She spoke further about the backlash she has faced over her heritage for years, explaining, 'My dad is white - he's American. 

'His family has been in this country for many, many, many years. And the same can't be said for my other side of the family. 

'I'm more immersed in my Colombian culture than I've ever been immersed in my American culture, so why does someone else get to tell me what I am?

'I don't know, I grew up in a house that spoke the language. It was never really taught to me, because there was this idea from my abuelita since my mom was a kid and when I was a kid, that you will be American. 

'You will speak English. You will go to an American school and you will get a good job and make money and have a family. And that's the life that's set up for you before you're born.

'I just don't really understand why people think that certain facets of your life dictate your identity. 

'You know, the thing about my identity is that it's my own. And this is the way that I navigate through the world, and nobody knows my day-to-day struggle.'

Rachel claimed that she was once 'spit on' for 'speaking Spanish' on the subway.

'I've been spit on. I've been told to go back to where I came from, even when I was born in suburban New Jersey,' added the actress. 

'It doesn't matter to these people. But they're the same people that will hide behind a profile on Twitter and tell me that because my dad is American or because my mom wasn't born in Colombia or because I wasn't born in Colombia that my identity is invalid.'

Her eyebrow-raising comments: Rachel branded the original animated flick 'weird' and 'scary,' which only fueled the backlash

Things only got worse when Rachel made some eyebrow-raising comments about the original animated flick that the new movie was based on.

'The reality is that the cartoon was made 85 years ago and therefore it's extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power and what a woman is fit for in the world,' she told Entertainment Tonight in September 2022.

'And so when we came to reimagining the actual role of Snow White, it became about the "fairest of them all" meaning who is the most just and who can become a fantastic leader.' 

She also branded the original as 'weird' to Extra TV that same month, while revealing that her character would be focused more on being a leader than on finding love with a prince.

'There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her [in the original]. Weird,' she said.

'So, we didn't do that this time. [The new movie] is really not about the love story at all, which is really, really wonderful.'

The star also once admitted to Entertainment Weekly that she 'hated' the original movie and was 'scared of it' as a child.

'I watched it once and never picked it up again,' she stated. 

Her comments caused a frenzy on social media, with angry fans accusing Disney of making unjust changes in its attempt to be more 'woke.' 

David Hand, the son of the original director of the animated film, even blasted Disney's 'pathetic' and 'insulting' remake, and claimed the company had no respect for the classic.

He said that he believed the new adaptation would have both his father and Walt Disney himself 'turning in their graves.'

Amidst the backlash, Rachel defended the new adaptation and doubled down, insisting that the original 'needed' an update and that the remake is more 'politically correct.' 

'It's an 85-year-old cartoon, and our version is a refreshing story about a young woman who has a function beyond "Someday My Prince Will Come,"' she told Vanity Fair in October 2022. 

Outraging Disney execs with her political statements: Things got worse when Rachel publicly aired her stance on Donald Trump and the Palestinian conflict

In addition to her comments about the original Snow White, Rachel began facing backlash over her political stances - which she proudly shared with the world in the months leading up to the film's release.

In August 2024, while celebrating the first Snow White trailer being released, Rachel posted on X, 'I love you all so much! Thank you for the love and for 120 million views on our trailer in just 24 hours. What a whirlwind.'

She then added in a second post, 'And always remember, free Palestine.'

According to Variety, Disney didn't want the film to be associated with anything political and the movie's producer Marc Platt flew to New York to speak to her about the matter. But the publication said she 'stood her ground.'

They added that her costar Gal Gadot, who is Israeli, had a 'spike' in 'death threats' and Disney 'had to pay for additional security for' her.

'She didn't understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone,' an insider told them. 

In November 2024 following Donald Trump's Presidential win, Rachel posted a scathing message to Instagram.

'I find myself speechless in the midst of this. Another four years of hatred. leaning us towards a world I do not want to live in,' it read, in part, concluding with, 'May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace.'

Her post received immense attention, and days later, Rachel issued a groveling apology.

'Hi everyone, I would like to sincerely apologize for the election post I shared on my Instagram last week,' she wrote.

'I let my emotions get the best of me. This week has been emotional for so many of us, but I firmly believe that everyone has the right to their opinion, even when it differs from my own. I am committed to contributing positively toward a better tomorrow.'

Earlier this week, Marc's son Jonah Platt defended his dad and unleashed an explosive tirade against Rachel after Variety released its report.

In a now-deleted Instagram post, Jonah branded Rachel as 'immature' and insinuated that she has 'narcissistic' tendencies. 

He replied to a comment that said, 'Your dad flew to NYC to reprimand a young actress?'

'Any words on this? Cuz that's creepy as hell and uncalled for. People have the right to free speech no? Shame on your father.'

'You really want to do this?' he shot back. 'Yeah, my dad, the producer of the enormous piece of Disney IP with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, had to leave his family to fly across the country to reprimand his 20-year-old employee for dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie for which she signed a multi-million dollar contract to get paid and do publicly for.'

'Free speech does not mean you're allowed to say whatever you want in your private employment without repercussions,' he continued. 

'Tens of thousands of people worked on that film and she hijacked the conversation for her own immature desires at the risk of the colleagues and crew and blue collar workers who depend on that movie to be successful.'

'Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged,' Jonah concluded his explosive rant.

Snow White's flop opening: The movie had dismal box office numbers and received poor reviews following months of controversies and a scaled-back premiere

Between the star princess' shattered reputation paired with controversy surrounding the dwarfs in the film and rumors of a feud between Rachel and her costar Gal, it came as no shock that when Snow White opened last week, it didn't perform well at the box office.

The movie, which had a budget of $270 million, made only $87 million globally and $43 million in the US opening weekend.

It didn't help that Disney completely scaled down the film's release, opting for low-key screenings with very little press rather than a big red carpet premiere. 

The remake was panned by critics, with one describing it was 'exhaustingly awful' with 'tiresome pseudo-progressive additions that tie the whole thing in knots.'

Another said the 'boring, mediocre live-action Disney retread vanishes from your mind the second it's over.' 

DailyMail.com's Brian Viner gave Snow White two out of five stars, calling it a 'painfully muddle-headed affair' and 'pallid reimagining' but admitted Rachel 'plainly has oodles of talent.' 

What's next for Rachel and will she be able to bounce back? She has turned her focus to theater amidst the scrutiny but a PR expert says it's not too late

So now the question remains: will Rachel be able to bounce back from the plethora of bad press or is the immense scrutiny just too much for her to overcome? 

PR expert Jon Harris, from Chicago, Illinois, told DailyMail.com that he doesn't think Rachel's career is 'beyond saving,' but said her next move is 'critical.'

'She's clearly talented. Her breakout in West Side Story proved she has the chops, and landing the lead in Snow White only solidified her as someone to watch,' he said. 

'But her rapid rise came with a rapid wave of backlash - and it's all tied to how she's come across publicly.

'Here's the thing: it's not just what she said about Snow White - it's how she said it. People felt like she was dismissing a beloved classic and alienating a fanbase that expected reverence for something iconic. 

'The tone didn't land at all. Add in the perception that she hasn't embraced the 'grateful young starlet' role, and suddenly she's viewed as ungrateful or arrogant.'

'Can she come back from this? I believe so. But here's what needs to happen,' he continued.

Jon said while Rachel 'doesn't have to walk back on everything she said, acknowledging what she's learned and showing that she hears feedback' could 'go a long way.'

'She should reintroduce herself strategically A smart, thoughtful interview or podcast appearance could reshape how people see her. Let them see a real person behind the headlines,' he added.

'She should also soften her online presence. A little more relatability, a little less defensiveness. 

'People want to root for someone who's real - and who can laugh at themselves once in a while.'

He said 'choosing the next role' is also vital, and suggested a 'passion project or a return to her musical theater roots.'

'Let her talent - not the controversy - be the headline,' he concluded.

'Bottom line: it's not too late. Hollywood *loves* a comeback. If she leans into authenticity and growth, Rachel can absolutely rewrite the narrative.'

Eric Schiffer, a 'leading international expert in reputation, brand and political strategy,' from Los Angeles, California, agreed.

'To bounce back, she'll need more than apologies - she'll need a complete personality transplant,' he said.

'But, a comeback is possible if Rachel learns that humility sells. Hollywood loves a redemption arc, but she must prove she's learned from her mistakes first. 

'She'll need more than an apology tour; she'll need actions. Redemption starts with accountability - and Rachel hasn't shown much. 

'If she wants a second chance, she'll need to stop fighting battles no one asked her to fight. 

'This means a sincere apology that makes people forget how much they loathe her. Redemption arc? Only if she rewrites herself as someone who respects the audience that pays for her movies.'

After a booming few years landing huge roles in quick succession, Rachel has yet to announce what her next big movie part will be.

Things certainly didn't seem to slow down for her throughout 2024 - as she voiced a character in the Netflix animated musical movie Spellbound, and starred in the film Y2K in 2024.

In recent months she has turned her focus to live theater, starring in the Broadway show Romeo and Juliet from September 2024 to February 2025. 

She is currently gearing up to star in the West End revival of Evita for a limited summer engagement.

It's unclear what she has planned after that, but considering that what she does next will be a huge deciding factor in whether or not she can overcome her recent problems, one thing is certain: all eyes will remain on Rachel as the world awaits her next move.