Rachel Zegler Says She’s Facing Alarming Levels of Online Hate

Los Angeles: Hollywood actress Rachel Zegler has revealed that she is facing a disturbing amount of hate online. The 24-year-old has been targeted by internet trolls, particularly after taking the lead role in Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White. She has also drawn criticism for being openly critical of former U.S. President Donald Trump and for expressing support for Palestine.

According to Female First UK, Zegler described the backlash as deeply troubling.

In an interview with i-D magazine, she said, “It’s interesting. It’s really alarming at times.” Despite enduring severe online abuse, Zegler said she refuses to see herself as a victim.

“A victim mindset is a choice, and I don’t choose it,” she said. “I also don’t choose nastiness in response. I don’t choose negativity. I choose positivity, light, and happiness. And I really do believe that happiness is a choice — every day I wake up feeling lucky to live the life I live.”

Zegler, who is currently performing in a revival of the musical Evita on London’s West End, also shared that during the height of the backlash, she returned to her family home in New Jersey and leaned on therapy and medication for support.

“My f****** psychiatrist has seen me through all of it,” she said. “They told me, ‘What you’re going through isn’t normal.’ That one sentence helped me in so many moments of my life. And the medication truly changed things — because I just wasn’t functioning. And I wanted to function in a way that made me feel confident about how I move through the world.”

Zegler’s post in support of Palestine last year also drew significant backlash. Still, she remains committed to speaking out about the Gaza conflict, even if it affects her career.

“There’s definitely a risk in being outspoken,” she acknowledged. “But no risk is worth staying silent when innocent lives are at stake. My heart doesn’t have a fence around it — and if that’s seen as a weakness, so be it. There are worse things.”

She added, “My compassion knows no boundaries. Supporting one cause doesn’t mean I’m against another. That belief has always been central to who I am — it’s how I was raised.”

With inputs from IANS