Rachel Zegler has been called out online after having some strong words to say about the original Snow White movie.
It comes after a clip from 2022, featuring the 22-year-old speaking about the 1937 version of the movie went viral again on TikTok.
In the video, which was a snippet taken from Disney's D23 Expo in California, Zegler claimed the movie was "weird" and even went on to brand the prince a "stalker."
"The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so," she said at the time. "There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird! So we didn't do that this time."
She continued: "We have a different approach to what I'm sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie. All of Andrew's [Burnap] scenes could get cut, who knows? It's Hollywood, baby!"
The actress also admitted that she was "scared" of the original movie.
"I think I watched it once and never picked it up again. I'm being so serious," she said in the interview alongside Gal Gadot, who played the Evil Queen. "I watched it once, and then I went on the ride in Disney World, which was called Snow White's Scary Adventures. Doesn't sound like something a little kid would like."
Rachel Zegler attends Disney Studios' Los Angeles Premiere of "West Side Story" in 2021. Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty"I was terrified of it, never revisited Snow White again," she added.
In a follow-up interview with Variety, she clarified her stance, stating that rather than trying to overwrite the original, she was hoping to bring a more modern twist to it.
"I just mean that it's no longer 1937. She's not going to be saved by the prince and she's not going to be dreaming about true love," Zegler said.
"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 added.
However, not everyone agreed with the 22-year-old's point of view.
Taking to the video-sharing platform, a TikTok user who goes by the name @cosywithangie, called out the Snow White lead for failing to acknowledge that women have the right to choose whatever future they desire.
"I could literally write a PhD thesis on the pseudo feminism that is criticizing Disney Princesses. Criticizing Disney Princesses is not feminist," Angie said. "Not every woman is a leader, not every woman wants to be a leader, not every woman wants or craves power, and that's okay."
She continued: "It is not anti-feminist to want to fall in love, to want to get married, to want to stay at home, to want to be a homemaker. None of these things make you less valuable as a person or a woman."
In the caption, she also doubled down on her views, stating: "Just because a woman values something different, does not make her any less valuable. Some women want a career and not marriage.
"Some women want a marriage or family and not a job. Some women want BOTH. All are to be heard, and seen, and valued," the caption added.
"Write stories about ALL women and depict them ALL as valuable and worthy, instead of trying to mold [sic] them into one specific image of what you deem worthy. Thank you," she went on.
Others also seemed to agree with Angie, with hundreds taking to social media to express their opinions too.
"Because Rachel Zegler is so annoying, and this woman nailed the pseudo feminism that is her entire personality," wrote one user, while another added: "Despise rachel zegler and her faux feminism which she is using to mask the fact she just wants more money !! you’re a millionaire and soon to be disney princess PLEASE."
Some jumped in to defend the star, saying that feminism means supporting her opinion too.
"If rachel zegler says a few words u think are rude and suddenly ur feminism evaporates and u are possessed by the spirit of a conservative tradwife then maybe u don’t like women as much as u think u do," this user wrote.
"The same people who are preaching feminism and mental health are the same ones who are completely harassing rachel zegler. i f****** hate humans sometimes."
Snow White is set to come out in 2024.
