It has been a month since Walt Disney Studios released the musical fantasy film “Snow White,’’ starring Colombian American actress Rachel Zegler as the title character and co-starring Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. This is the fifth live-action reimagining of classic Disney fairy tales.

The film has garnered much controversy and dismal reviews, with review-bombing on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB – not for the judgment of the story, but for the external circumstances regarding the reputation of the lead actress. Despite this, some film critics have shouted out Zegler as the shining star of the film.

Looking back, the controversy was sparked during a Variety interview with Zegler at Disney’s D23 Expo, where she spoke about the new interpretation of Snow White being a more modern take and described the original film as outdated.

“I just mean that it’s no longer 1937… She’s not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about being the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true,” said Zegler.

This quote caused many to view her as disrespectful and ungrateful to Disney, who gave her the part, and perceiving it as a lack of respect for the source material.

Later came her comment during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, where she and other actors were advocating for fairer wages and improved contracts. She said, “If I’m going to stand there 18 hours in a dress of an iconic Disney princess, I deserve to be paid for every hour that it is streamed online.”

This also caused an uproar online, with many comments saying that she was being greedy and ungrateful.

Even worldwide news companies such as Sky News Australia have made hit pieces on Zegler. The double standard in question is how Zegler receives hate while actors like Harrison Ford can speak their minds freely and shoot down questions, with commenters finding humor and admiration in his bluntness.

Notwithstanding all the backlash, Zegler is very active on social media, where she has spoken out against President Trump and voiced her support for the free Palestine movement. While the post speaking on Palestine remains, she has since deleted a series of posts via her Instagram story in which she stated her frustration with the election, Trump supporters and Trump himself, eventually apologizing.

Disney only intervened in regard to Zegler expressing the disapproval of Trump’s election and support of Palestine, which is her right as an American to exercise freedom of speech. This is hypocritical, as Gal Gadot has been voicing her support of Israel freely. It comes across as Disney trying to make Zegler acceptable to the public, and also for the executives forcing her to promote the Disney brand their own way.

These incidents frustrate me because Disney did not bat an eye amid racist and misogynistic attacks. Instead, they coerced Zegler to delete her post about Trump. To take it a step further, even producer Marc Platt intervened by visiting the actress in an attempt to defuse her speaking out about Palestine. According to the AV Club, this led to the hiring of a ‘’social media guru’’ to curate her posts leading up to the film’s release.

Zegler is not the first actress under the Disney wing who has faced online harassment, with many using racist and misogynistic rhetoric to demean her and those who came before her. Many come to mind, such as Zegler’s princess predecessor Halle Bailey and many Star Wars actors, including John Boyega, Kelly Marie Tran, Moses Ingram and Amandla Stenberg.

Lucasfilm under the Disney umbrella has defended the ‘’Kenobi’’ actress, Ingram, from racist backlash, with producer and star Ewan McGregor releasing a video supporting the actress. From that point on, Disney should have continued defending their BIPOC actors by releasing similar statements and incorporating the moderation and removal of comments – instead, they have let racism fester online.

This racism stems from some having an issue with Zegler’s Colombian heritage, believing that the race of the characters is paramount to “keep white characters white.” Some have referred to Zegler’s portrayal as “Snow Brown.”

This is abhorrent as colorblind casting is important in showing anyone can be a princess, hero or a Jedi. Disney needs to put diversity and equity in all parts of the company, not just the screen.

In online spaces, Disney can set a precedent to defend their talent from such severe, unjustified backlash by limiting comments on their advertisements and promotional content. Taking cues from Amazon, there should also be on-set therapists, as well as the company publicly admonishing and condemning the threats and racist rhetoric.

In this time where diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are being struck down, I can only hope that Disney sticks to their guns and continues being inclusive towards all races and people so they can be seen on the big screen.

While Disney is pulling back on some representation, their website says differently, speaking on how they want all people to belong and thrive. According to them, “We create entertainment that appeals to a global audience, and having a workforce that reflects the consumers we serve helps drive our business.”

To be chosen to portray an iconic and beloved character should be an unforgettable and lavish experience for an actor on the rise. Sadly, due to this relentless bullying and harassment that is not mitigated in online spaces, this can take a toll on their mental health and discourage other actors from seeking similar opportunities.

It is imperative for Disney and other studios not to let this continue and protect their talent to avoid further disorderly situations and complicated press junkets. Zegler is an authentic voice, wanting to be true to herself rather than another cog in the machine playing the Hollywood game. She is using her 15 minutes of fame wisely to stand up for what she believes in.