The son of Snow White producer Marc Platt has said Rachel Zegler’s pro-Palestinian posts on social media damaged the film’s success and put others at risk.
Jonah Platt, a Jewish actor and host of the Being Jewish podcast, defended his father after reports emerged that Marc flew to New York to speak with Zegler following her online comments during the promotional campaign for Disney’s live-action remake.
Zegler, 23, thanked fans for the trailer’s popularity last August, adding: “And always remember, free Palestine.” She later posted messages criticising Donald Trump after his re-election, writing: “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace.”
In a now-deleted Instagram comment, Jonah Platt wrote: “Yeah, my dad, producer of an enormous piece of Disney IP with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, had to leave his family to fly across the country to reprimand his 20-year-old employee for dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie for which she signed a multi-million-dollar contract to get paid and do publicity for.”
He added: “Her actions clearly hurt the film’s box office,” which opened to just £69 million worldwide against a reported £214 million budget.
“Free speech does not mean you’re allowed to say whatever you want in your private employment without repercussions,” he continued.
Jonah Platt. Photo Credit: @jonahplatt
“Tens of thousands of people worked on that film, and she hijacked the conversation for her own immature desires… Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”
Following Zegler’s post, her Israeli co-star Gal Gadot reportedly received death threats and was given additional security. Gadot served in the IDF and has been a vocal supporter of Israel.
An insider told The New York Post that Zegler “didn’t understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone.”
Platt, who has appeared in Wicked and The Office, uses his weekly podcast to explore Jewish identity and rising antisemitism in entertainment and public life.
