When a quote intended to inspire ended up landing Ariana DeBose in unexpected controversy, the actress swiftly took action to clarify her stance. Here's what went down behind the scenes.
- April 3, 2025
AceShowbiz - Ariana DeBose sparked feud rumors with former "West Side Story" co-star Rachel Zegler. She found herself ensnared in the controversy after posting Jonah Platt's quote from his angry rant against the "Snow White" actress.
"Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged," read the quote shared by DeBose on Instagram. She did not mention the origin of the quote.
DeBose later deleted her post after being informed by her followers what the quote really meant. In a follow-up post, she issued a clarification, claiming that she was unaware that the quote was actually an attack against Zegler.
"I post quotes all the time and thought this one was meaningful," she explained in an Instagram story. "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."
She expressed regret over not verifying the source but did not offer a direct apology to Zegler. Instead, she said she had "no intention of inserting myself into a news cycle."
"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," she added.
Jonah Platt had issues with Zegler's political posts about "Free Palestine", blaming them for the "Snow White" flop. He slammed the actress for "dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie," arguing "her actions clearly hurt the film's box office."
Ironically, he made no mention of Zegler's co-star Gal Gadot who also got political by voicing her support for Israel. Gadot's recent Hollywood of Walk of Fame ceremony drew significant protests because of her stance, clearly showing that her statements have alienated a huge number of fans.
Amid these heated debates, Zegler found supporter in Pedro Pascal who boldly called her an "icon." Melissa Barrera, who was previously removed from the "Scream" franchise for her pro-Palestine stance, also stepped forward to defend Zegler. Barrera especially slammed a Variety article that bashed Zegler, describing it as a "hit piece."
