Actress Rachel Zegler has issued an apology for a heated social media rant directed at President-elect Donald Trump and his supporters, where she wished they “never knew peace.”
“I would like to sincerely apologize for the election post I shared on my Instagram last week,” Zegler wrote. “I let my emotions get the best of me. 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 explained it was a highly emotional time and acknowledged everyone’s right to their opinion. Zegler pledged to focus on contributing “positively toward a better tomorrow.”
The actress, who is playing Snow White in Disney’s upcoming reboot, had posted a strongly worded attack on Trump and his supporters after the election. She expressed outrage over Trump’s victory against Kamala Harris, criticizing the nation for its choice.
“I find myself speechless in the midst of this,” she wrote. “Another four years of hatred, leaning us towards a world I do not want to live in. Leaning us towards a world that will be hard to raise my daughter in. Leaning us towards a world that will force her to have a baby she doesn’t want. Leaning us towards a world that is fearful.”
Zegler also described the country as suffering from a “deep sickness” and said it was “terrifying” to see how many people supported Trump’s vision. Trump decisively won the Electoral College and is projected to secure the national popular vote as well.
In a particularly pointed comment, she wrote, “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace,” and urged her followers to leave X, the platform owned by Elon Musk. She concluded with, “F— Donald Trump.”
The backlash was swift, with some critics questioning whether her remarks could impact Disney’s release of Snow White in 2025.
Zegler, 23, has often spoken out on political issues. During the campaign, she urged voters to back Harris, warning of losing rights otherwise. Earlier this year, she faced controversy after ending a promotional post for Snow White with “free Palestine,” which some saw as a critique of her Israeli co-star, Gal Gadot.
Zegler gained fame for her role as Maria in the West Side Story remake and is currently starring as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet on Broadway.