- Mired in controversy, Snow White is the biggest critical and commercial flop of any Disney live-action remake. Now the son of its producer has blamed a “Free Palestine” post by the titular star, rather than any of her other comments, as a key reason for its failure at the box office.
Jonah Platt, son of Snow White producer Marc Platt, has publicly criticized lead actress Rachel Zegler for her social media activity, claiming it negatively impacted the film’s box office performance.
In a since-deleted Instagram comment, Jonah stated that his father had to fly to New York in 2023 to address Zegler’s post supporting Palestine, which was shared during the film’s promotional campaign.
The star also took aim at recently elected U.S. President Donald Trump and echoed a statement made by the singer Ethel Cain, writing: “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace.”
After being confronted by an Instagram user over reports of his father reprimanding the now 23-year-old actress, Platt replied: “My dad, the producer of 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 publicity for.
“This is called adult responsibility and accountability. And her actions clearly hurt the film’s box office. Free speech does not mean you’re allowed to say whatever you want in your private employment without repercussions. 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.”
Platt is a multi-platform creator whose career spans acting, writing, directing, and podcasting. Beyond his work in theater and television, he hosts Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, a podcast exploring Jewish identity through candid conversations with notable figures.
Zegler compared herself to a priceless Louvre statue following the controversy
Currently one of the biggest critical and commercial flops of any live-action remake of a Disney classic, Snow White opened this past weekend to middling reviews and a disappointing $43 million domestic box office, far below projections.
Back in September 2022, Zegler bashed the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, a film that put Disney on the map, as hopelessly outdated and verging on creepy.
The actress, who has had leading roles in West Side Story and The Hunger Games prequel, knew she had become a focal point of the movie’s controversy.
In October 2023, Disney delayed Snow White’s release for a full year, citing the actor’s strike, but reports indicated execs hoped the backlash against the film would subside.
Shortly after the film’s release was bumped, Zegler compared herself to the priceless ancient Greek statue Nike of Samothrace that rests in the world’s most famous museum.
“To everyone who hates when I win,” she said. “the Winged Victory came to the Louvre in pieces and people still line up to see her.”
Fortune requested comment from Disney and Zegler but has had no response.
