Jonah Platt has criticized actress Rachel Zegler, accusing her of harming the reputation of the Snow White remake.
Platt, the son of the film’s producer, expressed frustration over Zegler’s decision to share personal political views during the movie’s promotion. He claimed this played a role in its poor performance at the box office.
The live-action remake struggled in its opening week, earning only $87 million. With a $270 million production budget, it has yet to reach $100 million after nearly a week in theaters. Critics have also given it a low 42 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Platt suggested that Zegler’s social media activity may have contributed to the film’s struggles.
According to Variety, his father, Marc Platt, flew to New York to speak with Zegler about her controversial posts. These included comments supporting Palestine and criticizing former U.S. President Donald Trump.
One post drew particular attention. Right after sharing the Snow White trailer, Zegler wrote, “And always remember, free Palestine.”
Some people involved in the film also blamed her for putting co-star Gal Gadot at risk. Gadot, who is from Israel, reportedly received threats online following Zegler’s comments.
Platt responded strongly when someone questioned his father’s decision to address the situation.
“Yes, my dad, the producer of a major Disney project worth hundreds of millions, had to fly across the country to talk to a 20-year-old employee about mixing personal politics with movie promotion,” he wrote.
He argued that Zegler’s actions had consequences. “This is called responsibility and accountability. Her words clearly affected the film’s performance.”
Platt continued, “Freedom of speech doesn’t mean there are no consequences in a professional setting.”
“Tens of thousands of people worked on this film, and she shifted the focus for her own reasons. This put the jobs of many hardworking people at risk.”
The film has faced backlash since its announcement. Some criticized Disney for casting a Latina actress in the lead role, while others objected to Gadot’s involvement.
Disney also received criticism for its casting choices regarding the seven dwarfs, leading to further controversy.