(Image: Disney)
A recent Variety report detailed the measures Disney has taken to manage the public relations crisis surrounding its live-action "Snow White" film. The article noted that the studio was particularly shocked last year when star Rachel Zegler shared the first trailer for "Snow White" on X while also calling on fans to support the liberation of Palestine. Disney reportedly felt it was inappropriate to mix sensitive personal political stances with the film's promotion.
According to the report, producer Marc Platt, acting on behalf of other concerned Disney executives, flew to New York to personally discuss the matter with Zegler. However, Zegler stood by her principles and refused to delete the post. The article has drawn significant attention not just from the public, but also from Zegler's peers in the industry—though their perspective differs from the mainstream narrative.
(Image: HOLA)
The Variety piece was later screenshotted and criticized by queer influencer Matt Bernstein. Bernstein argued that the magazine's "latest hit piece" attempted to paint Rachel Zegler as difficult and politically radical, but that it ultimately failed. Instead, he wrote, the article only succeeded in making her "sound cool and full of integrity."
Bernstein also pointed out that the article's author, Tatiana Siegel, has written numerous similar reports for Variety. This includes extensive coverage of "Scream" star Melissa Barrera (pictured above), who was fired from the franchise and would not be returning for the seventh film after sharing pro-Palestine messages.
Bernstein's post quickly gained traction, earning a 'like' from Barrera herself. Other actors also showed their support, including Alan Cumming, who played Nightcrawler in "X-Men 2," and Olivia Cooke from the HBO series "House of the Dragon."
(Image: Melissa Barrera's Instagram)
Barrera strongly agreed with Bernstein's commentary on Zegler, reposting it to her Instagram Stories. She also shared a screenshot of a previous article by Siegel about her own firing, deliberately circling the reporter's name in red to draw her followers' attention to the author. As both Barrera and Zegler are Latina actresses who have faced backlash for their pro-Palestine statements, it's suggested Barrera feels a particular sense of solidarity with Zegler.