On August 12, 2024, Rachel Zegler introduced the first official trailer for Disney’s live-action “Snow White” at the D23 fan event. The trailer quickly gained 120 million views in just 24 hours. But in a follow-up social media post, Zegler wrote, “and always remember, free palestine.”

Her statement, which reached 8.8 million views, shocked Disney executives. They were concerned about the impact on the film and her co-star Gal Gadot, who is Israeli. Following the post, death threats toward Gadot increased, forcing Disney to provide her with extra security.

An insider said, “She didn’t understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone.”

A few months later, after the U.S. presidential election, Zegler shared another post, saying, “F*** Donald Trump” and “May Trump supporters … never know peace.” At this point, Disney decided to intervene. Since her statements could alienate half the film’s potential audience,...