Rachel Zegler shares her views on the backlash surrounding her “Snow White” comments.

The 23-year-old actress, who stars as Snow White in Disney’s live-action remake, engages with the criticism stemming from her previous statements about the film. In a profile featured in Variety, Zegler claims her comments have been misinterpreted and highlighted that the online negativity she has experienced is a common issue for women in the spotlight.

“I’ve seen women get criticized my whole life and career,” she stated. “We’ll see it during the upcoming election; it’s a cycle we can expect to continue. It felt especially regressive during that time.”

Zegler expressed having moments when she wanted to “disappear” due to how her “very existence has served as a lesson for those lacking basic empathy.”

This past year, clips from interviews resurfaced on TikTok and X, where Zegler discussed the “Snow White” remake. Critics suggested these clips showed her lack of appreciation for the original film. In one widely circulated video, she mentioned that the new version would present a different perspective on the main love story.

“The original animated classic was released in 1937, and it’s very clear,” she remarked during an interview with Extra. “The original places a heavy emphasis on her romantic relationship with a man who literally stalks her. That’s just odd. So, we chose not to follow that narrative closely.”

She further stated that the remake would take “a different direction regarding what many might expect to be a love story, just because we included a male character.”

In another conversation with Variety in 2022, Zegler mentioned, “It’s not 1937 anymore,” indicating that Snow White won’t be “saved by the prince” and isn’t going to be “dreaming about true love.”

However, in the recent Variety article, Zegler expressed sadness over how her earlier comments were perceived, as her intention was to emphasize that love isn’t Snow White’s sole objective in this narrative. She also stressed that the remake does feature an important love story.

“I would never restrict someone and say, ‘If you want love, you can’t work,'” she noted. “Or ‘If you want to work, you can’t have a family.’ That’s simply not the case. It can be really frustrating when statements get misconstrued or jokes don’t land as intended. The love story is central to the plot. Many people suggested we were omitting it — we always planned on including it; it just wasn’t the focus of that particular discussion.”

Rachel Zegler explains how the ‘Snow White’ remake interprets the character’s name

Some critics have questioned the choice of Zegler, who is of Colombian heritage, for the role of a character known for having “skin as white as snow.” However, during her conversation with Variety, Zegler shared that the upcoming film will offer a fresh explanation for the character’s name.

“It goes back to another historical interpretation of ‘Snow White,’ where she overcame a snowstorm as a baby,” she explained. “So, the king and queen chose to name her Snow White to remind her of her strength. A significant theme in our movie focuses on teaching young women—and young people in general—about their own resilience.”

Zegler previously addressed the “Snow White” backlash, expressing on X that she didn’t want to be included in “nonsensical discussions” concerning her casting. “I genuinely don’t want to engage with it,” she remarked, hoping that “every child knows they can be a princess, regardless of background.”

Many actors of diverse backgrounds who have portrayed Disney princesses have encountered similar online criticisms, including Halle Bailey, who played Ariel in the live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid.”

The “Snow White” remake has also attracted discontent due to images that seemed to show a diverse set of actors portraying the seven dwarfs. Yet, when the first teaser trailer was unveiled in August, the dwarfs appeared closer to their iconic representations from the original animated film.

“Snow White” is expected to be released in theaters on March 21, 2025.