Rachel Zegler slams 'nonsensical discourse' on her 'Snow White' casting: 'Do not want to see it'

Rachel Zegler won’t bite the poisoned apple of other people’s criticism.

The actress, who stars in the upcoming live-action adaptation of Disney’s “Snow White,” took to social media over the weekend to respond to the backlash surrounding her casting as the iconic Disney princess.

“Extremely appreciative of the love I feel from those defending me online, but please don’t tag me in the nonsensical discourse about my casting,” Zegler, who is of Colombian descent, tweeted Saturday. “I really, truly do not want to see it.”

Backlash surrounding Zegler’s casting erupted after set photos from the Marc Webb-directed film (which don’t feature Zegler) were leaked by The Daily Mail in a story published Friday. A person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to USA TODAY Wednesday the photos were from the film’s production, but were not official photos.

Along with her tweet, Zegler also shared some childhood photos of herself dressed up as a princess, including a shot of her dressed up as Snow White. “I hope every child knows they can be a princess no matter what,” she added.

Fellow live-action Disney princess Halle Bailey weighed in on the controversy with some words of encouragement for Zegler.

Bailey’s casting as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” similarly divided fans, who debated the accuracy of casting Bailey – a Black woman – in the role of Ariel, who appeared as a light-skinned, redheaded mermaid in the 1989 animated film.

“We love you so much,” Bailey wrote. “Truly the perfect princess.”

Zegler is set to co-star alongside Gal Gadot, Andrew Burnap and Ansu Kabia in “Snow White,” which has an expected March 2024 release, according to the film’s IMDb page.

The “West Side Story” star previously opened up about the scrutiny the film has already received for its modern-day reimagining of the classic fairytale.