Ariana DeBose, known for her role in West Side Story, recently found herself at the center of controversy involving her co-star Rachel Zegler. On March 1, DeBose shared a quote on her Instagram that was later deleted, leading to speculation about its context and intent.
In a subsequent Instagram Story, DeBose addressed the situation, emphasizing that she frequently shares meaningful quotes but often lacks knowledge regarding their origins or the surrounding circumstances. She expressed that her objective was never to engage in media sensationalism and assured followers she would provide context in the future.
“I post quotes all the time and thought this one was meaningful. Will fully cop to the fact 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,”she stated.
As reported by Page Six, the quote in question was attributed to Jonah Platt, son of Marc Platt, producer of Snow White. Notably, on March 26, Platt responded to a Twitter user, critiquing Zegler and labeling her behavior as “immature” in a now-deleted post.
He argued that Zegler’s controversial remarks negatively impacted her colleagues, crew members, and various behind-the-scenes workers who contributed to the film’s success:
“Tens of thousands of people worked on that film and 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. Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”
Following this, a user on X (formerly Twitter), @JackPosobiec, shared a screenshot of Platt’s deleted comments, which quickly gained traction, amassing over 100,000 likes.
Box Office Performance of Snow White Starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot
Disney’s live-action Snow White debuted in theaters on March 21, garnering $42 million during its opening week. This figure represents a significant decline compared to previous Disney live-action films such as The Little Mermaid, which earned $95.5 million, and Beauty and the Beast, with $174.7 million during their first weeks.
In its second week, Snow White earned $14.2 million, while Jason Statham’s A Working Man outperformed it by grossing $15.2 million over the same period.
Rachel Zegler’s Previous Comments on the Original Snow White
Previously, Rachel Zegler generated headlines during the 2022 D23 Expo by discussing the 1937 animated version of Snow White, which she critiqued for its portrayal of the prince as a stalker. She indicated that the live-action adaptation would take a more progressive approach.
“I mean, you know, the original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird. 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, Andrew Burnap, great dude,”she commented.
With the film now released in theaters, Forbes reports that it might find its way to Disney+ around June 2025, signaling yet another chapter in Disney’s evolving narrative landscape.