Ariana DeBose turns on Rachel Zegler with ‘narcissism’ post — then backtracks



She took a bite out of a poisoned apple. 

On Tuesday, Ariana DeBose, 34, posted a now-deleted Instagram post slamming her “West Side Story” costar Rachel Zegler, 23 over the latter’s “Snow White” controversy. 

The original post that the “Hamilton” actress displayed on her Instagram was a quote saying, “Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”

Ariana DeBose attends the 2024 Albie Awards presented by the Clooney Foundation for Justice at New York Public Library on September 26, 2024 in New York City. FilmMagic
Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) and Snow White (Rachel Zegler) in “Snow White.” Courtesy of Disney

On Tuesday night, after that initial post, DeBose said in a follow-up, “I post quotes all the time and thought this one was meaningful. Will fully cop to the fact I did not do any research on where this quote came from, nor did I know of the connection until it was pointed out to me.”

The actress won an Oscar for her supporting role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of “West Side Story.” Zegler starred as Maria in that film.

“I have no intention of inserting myself into a news cycle,” DeBose added in her follow up post. “This is not the first time I’ve posted about dealing with narcissism and it probably won’t be the last, but next time I’ll be sure to clarify its origins first.”

The original source of the quote was from Jonah Platt, the son of “Snow White” producer Marc Platt and the brother of actor Ben Platt. 

Marc E. Platt attends the World Premiere of Disney’s Snow White at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 15, 2025. Getty Images for Disney
Jonah Platt attends ‘Center Theatre Group presents the opening night performance of ‘A Transparent Musical’ at Mark Taper Forum on May 31, 2023. Getty Images
Ariana DeBose and Rachel Zegler attend the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards at The Savoy on March 13, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. Getty Images for Critics Choice Association

Last week, Platt blasted Zegler as “immature” and “narcissistic” after it was revealed his father flew to New York to speak to her after Zegler made political comments online criticizing Donald Trump supporters and supporting Palestine. 

“Yeah, my dad, the producer of the 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,” Jonah wrote on Instagram.

At the end of his rant, he included the line that DeBose quoted: “Free speech does not mean you’re allowed to say whatever you want in your private employment without repercussions,” he said. “Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”

Ariana DeBose, Steven Spielberg, and Rachel Zegler attend the New York premiere of West Side Story on November 29, 2021 in New York City. Getty Images for 20th Century Studios
Rachel Zegler at the European event for Disney’s “Snow White” at Alcazar de Segovia on March 12, 2025 in Segovia, Spain. Getty Images for Disney

According to Variety, “Snow White” production execs are blaming Zegler’s political comments on social media for the movie’s poor showing at the box office.

“Snow White” was No. 1 during its debut weekend, but it grossed $87 million worldwide — a meager amount considering its $270 million budget.

DeBose is the latest celeb to speak out about Zegler. 

On Sunday, Pedro Pascal, 49, posted a photo of Zegler on his Instagram Stories, tagging her and adding the caption, “icon.” Meanwhile, John Lennon’s son, Sean, slammed Zegler as a “brat.”



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