Rachel Zegler apologizes for impassioned election reaction after Megyn Kelly call-out

Rachel Zegler is walking back some of her post-election reaction after passionately declaring “Fuck Donald Trump” on her Instagram Story. Zegler, who has found herself the center of many a media firestorm, was swiftly called out by the likes of Megyn Kelly. Kelly called Zegler a “pig” for her words about Trump supporters and questioned Disney’s decision to have the actor lead a tentpole film like Snow White. On Thursday night, Zegler apologized for her remarks in another Instagram Story post. 

“Hi everyone, I would like to sincerely apologize for the election post I shared on my Instagram last week. I let my emotions get the best of me,” the West Side Story star wrote. “Hatred and anger have caused us to move further and further away from peace and understanding, and I am sorry I contributed to the negative discourse.” She concluded, “This week has been emotional for so many of us, but I firmly believe that everyone has the right to their opinion, even when it differs from my own. I am committed to contributing positively toward a better tomorrow.”

In her previous posts (via Deadline), Zegler asserted that the 2024 presidential election results revealed “a deep sickness in this country,” and that the number of people who stand behind Trump and his rhetoric is “terrifying.” She wrote, “It is a foolish subscription to a false sense of security, of masculinity, of intelligence, of patriotism, and of humanity. there is no help, no counsel, in any of them. I could go on. I won’t. I feel sad. You probably do, too. Fuck this.” Amongst other fiery remarks, she paraphrased singer Ethel Cain, saying, “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace.”

Unsurprisingly, Kelly pounced on Zegler’s comments. (Obligatory “a lot of pundits only seem to care about freedom of speech until someone says something they don’t like” mention here.) “Hello, Disney, you’re going to have to redo your film again, because this woman is a pig, and you fired Gina Carano for far less than this nonsense. I’m sorry, Disney, she has to go right now,” the ex-Fox News host said on her podcast. “You’re going to put out a Disney film with Snow White, a beloved American character, with a woman who hates more than half the country, the half that just elected Donald Trump? This is an incredible pivot point right now.”

Snow White is a fairytale of German origin. The film, starring Zegler and Gal Gadot, has already been filmed and is slated for release in March 2025.