Ariana DeBose Clarifies Post Criticizing Rachel Zegler

Ariana DeBose is setting the record straight.

In a now-removed Instagram post on April 1st, the actor who portrayed Anita in the 2021 film adaptation of “West Side Story,” and starred alongside Rachel Zegler as Maria, shared a quote that was originally penned by Jonah Platt, whose father, Mark Platt, is known for producing “Snow White.” This quote was initially directed at Jonah’s former costar.

“Narcissism,” the quote read, “is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”

Yet, the Oscar-winning individual later asserted that she had no understanding of the circumstances in which those remarks were made.

Ariana, 34, shared a quote on her Instagram Story that very night, mentioning she found it significant. However, she admitted openly that she hadn’t conducted any research about the origin of the quote and only learned about its connection when someone else brought it up.

She went on to say, “I don’t plan to get involved in current events discussions. You may have noticed that I often talk about handling narcissistic behavior, and I might do so again in the future. However, in the future, I’ll make sure to explain where my information comes from beforehand.

What prompted Jonah to initially call Rachel a “narcissist”? The backlash against Rachel, who is 23 and played a Colombian role in the movie, was already heightened due to racial bias. In the Being Jewish podcast, Jonah suggested that the film’s poor box office performance was due to Rachel “intertwining her personal political views” into the promotion of the movie.

In his now-deleted comment on Variety’s post about the movie’s backstage disputes, Jonah expressed that his father, a Disney IP producer with significant financial stakes, had to depart from family obligations to fly nationwide and reprimand an employee aged 20 for mixing her political views into the promotion of the film she contractually agreed to publicize. He stressed this was about maturity and accountability, as her actions negatively impacted the movie’s box office earnings.

It’s been whispered from the start that there may have been tension between the film’s main actresses, Rachel and Gal Gadot. These whispers have only intensified, as Rachel has shared a series of reflections about the movie’s effect on her life, without acknowledging Gal at all.

Regardless of the alleged turmoil and conjecture about the filming of Snow White, Rachel has handled the criticism with poise, expressing her joy at having the opportunity to bring such a powerful and motivational character to life.

In a February interview with Vogue Mexico, Rachel expressed her understanding of the audience’s emotions towards this movie as intense enthusiasm, and she felt privileged to contribute to something that stirred such strong emotions. She acknowledged that not everyone may share the same feelings, but all one can do is give their best.

For a deeper dive into all the Snow White drama, keep reading.

Just as when Halle Bailey, a Black actress, was chosen for the role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid – a cartoon character with white hair and red undertones – there were some vocal individuals online who objected to Rachel Zegler, who has Colombian heritage on her mother’s side, being cast as Snow White in Disney’s live-action adaptation.

In the 19th-century fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, the character is described with a unique color scheme: her skin is as white as freshly fallen snow, her lips are as crimson red as spilled blood, and her hair is as dark as the richest ebony.

She posted (and later removed) on social media: “Indeed, I am Snow White, but no, I’m not whitening my skin for the role.” Furthermore, she labeled those who persistently scrutinize her as ‘people fixated on preserving the racial purity of an animated character’ – a term she used to dismiss them.

During an interview with Variety in 2022, Zegler openly addressed the individuals who had expressed anger towards her, causing her to become a popular topic online.

She finished by saying, “We should guide them with affection,” and then added, “Ultimately, I have an assignment that I’m thrilled about. It allows me to embrace my role as a Latina royalty.” (This version maintains the original meaning but uses more common phrases and simplifies some of the language.)

The Westside Story alum once more disregarded internet trolls by posting on Twitter in 2023, stating, “I greatly value the support I receive from those standing up for me online, but kindly ask not to involve me in the senseless debates concerning my casting.

Peter Dinklage, born with a genetic condition causing dwarfism, emphasized his acceptance towards actors portraying characters not matching their natural traits. However, regarding individuals with dwarfism in today’s time, he might have preferred more authentic representation.

He expressed on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast in January 2022 that there seems to be a lot of inconsistency, showing little offense to anyone involved but expressing surprise. He found it peculiar when those who were proudly casting a Latina actress as Snow White continued to tell the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He suggested taking a step back and reconsidering the actions being taken, as he couldn’t understand the logic behind it.

Dinklage went on to say, “You’re forward-thinking in some aspects, but then you’re still telling an outdated tale of seven dwarves living in a cave. Why are you moving backward like this, sir?

Disney seemingly heeded the Game of Thrones actor’s objection forthwith.

In a statement issued following the release of the episode, the studio explained that to prevent perpetuating stereotypes from the initial animated movie, they are choosing a unique approach for the seven characters. They have been seeking advice from members of the dwarfism community and are excited to reveal more details as the film progresses into production, having gone through an extended development phase.

There were other actors with dwarfism, however, who didn’t sign on to Dinklage’s lament.

Dylan Postl expressed his disappointment to DailyMail.com, stating he felt ill due to the possibility that seven dwarf roles, which are scarce or non-existent for little people in normal casting, could vanish because of this individual. He further mentioned, “Disney, I’m reaching out! This role would be a dream come true for me. Please consider me for it.

Actor Jeff Brooks expressed his view that Disney was hasty in their response. He shared this opinion with the Mail, adding “I’m hoping they hire little people for the roles and provide them with employment.

In the end, a diverse group of actors, regardless of their height, landed voice roles: By 2025, in the movie Snow White, all the Seven Dwarfs are computer-generated imagery (CGI) characters.

After a picture from the set leaked, featuring seven actors (some male, some female), stirring controversy among those who thought Disney had excluded characters like Dopey from the remake, Disney quickly shared an image of Zegler in costume alongside the digitally created ensemble.

Some traditional fans raised concerns when Halle Bailey mentioned plans to modernize certain outdated elements in the upcoming retelling of “Snow White.

In a conversation with Extra in September 2022, this New Jersey native expressed that there was previously a strong emphasis on her character’s relationship with a man who was stalking her. Finding it unusual, she stated that they decided against portraying such a plotline this time. Instead, the story takes a unique direction compared to what many might assume is a love story, simply because a male actor is cast in the film. However, contrary to expectations, the narrative isn’t centered around a romantic tale at all, which is refreshingly different and delightful.

On the contrary, critics who harbor skepticism towards any changes in the narrative argue this point. (Notably, this story had undergone significant alterations during its transformation from a classic German fairy tale to a Disney animated film.)

The trailer for Snow White was fine in terms of trailers, but issues arose when its August 2024 release led to discussions about the political views of the actors, particularly Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Gal Gadot, who portrays Snow White’s wicked stepmother, has been vocal about her support for Israel since the Hamas attack on her native country on October 7, 2023. On the other hand, Zegler endorsed the Artists4Ceasefire letter to former President Joe Biden, advocating for an end to Israel’s airstrikes against Gaza, and closed a social media post in August 2024 with the message, “never forget, seek peace for Palestine.

The events mentioned didn’t relate to “Snow White” at all, but they planted the seeds for ongoing rumors of tension between the movie’s main actresses that persists to this day.

At the Oscars, which were broadcasted on ABC (a network owned by Disney) on March 2nd, Gadot and Zegler made an appearance together, but they didn’t engage in many joint interviews or promotional events.

Two weeks on, they were still beaming – even striking poses together – at the premiere of “Snow White” a fortnight later.

Instead of expecting the world premiere of “Snow White” to be a grand spectacle with a star-studded red carpet event on Disney’s calendar, Variety reports that the studio opted for a more subdued approach. On March 15, they held a casual daytime gathering instead, followed by an afternoon screening. Only photographers and an in-house crew were present on the red carpet for any press coverage.

Martin Klebba, who gave voice to Grumpy and played one of the dwarfs in 2012’s Mirror Mirror, mentioned earlier to The Hollywood Reporter that the event will take place at El Capitan, which is exciting. However, he explained it would essentially be a pre-screening gathering, where they’ll watch the movie, but that’s all. This decision was made due to the ongoing controversy, as organizers are concerned about potential backlash from various sectors of society.

It was pointed out by THR that Klebba didn’t have access to the premiere plans or the thinking behind them.

In her March 20 Instagram post preceding the film’s release, Zegler didn’t specifically acknowledge Gadot. She described working on the movie as a “life-changing experience” and praised the crew collectively as “the greatest in the world.” Although she didn’t name anyone, she did express her affection for the team she worked with during three summers in London.

Even though online sleuths aiming to disprove a fairy tale perceived Gadot’s absence as an insult, one commentator put it this way (translated from Spanish): “Disney is struggling to refute the Rachel Zegler-Gal Gadot disagreement because Rachel posted 19 pictures on Instagram thanking her co-stars for helping her grow throughout the 4-year process, but she didn’t acknowledge or share any photos of Gal.

2025-04-02 20:49

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