Rachel Zegler has been named Glamour magazine’s “Woman of the Year” after a whirlwind year filled with nonstop controversy over her strong anti-Israel posts and Disney’s massive live-action Snow White failure. YouTuber Ms Rachel, Rachel Griffin Accurso, was also announced as a Glamour honoree, even though she, too, sparked global backlash last year over her emotional prayers for Gaza and criticism of Israel during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Rachel Zegler and Ms Rachel honored by Glamour as Women of the Year amid Israel-Hamas backlash
24-year-old actress Rachel Zegler became a viral name this year not for Snow White success, but for the chaos around it. Disney spent nearly $270 million on the film, but it crashed in theaters, with even producer Marc Platt’s son, Jonah Platt, saying her anti-Israel social media posts “hurt the box office.” The backlash began when she posted “free Palestine” as soon as the Snow White trailer was released, reportedly causing tension with her Israeli co-star Gal Gadot.The Anti-Defamation League notes that the phrase has been used by extremists to justify violence against Jews, including accused DC embassy shooter Elias Rodriguez and Boulder firebomber Mohamed Soliman, both reportedly shouting it before attacking. Rachel Zegler still refuses to delete the post. She also sparked anger after Donald Trump’s 2024 victory, writing, “May Trump supporters never know peace.” She later apologized but kept her anti-Israel tweets. She even mocked the 1937 original Snow White, calling it “a dated movie about a guy who stalks the girl.”
Ms Rachel faces antisemitism backlash after Gaza prayer videos with Motaz Azaiza
Ms Rachel, real name Rachel Griffin Accurso, a 42-year-old YouTube educator with over 10 billion views, was also accused of pushing Hamas-backed narratives after posting multiple tearful videos praying for Gaza children. Also Read: Emiru Explosively Accuses Mizkif Of Sexual Assault And Blackmail Days After TwitchCon IncidentThe group StopAntisemitism claimed she was spreading pro-terror propaganda, though they gave no hard evidence, but pointed out she once shared a fake starvation photo later proven to be a medical case.Ms Rachel responded saying she was praying “for all innocent children, Gaza and Israel.” Still, backlash escalated again when she appeared in a video with Palestinian journalist Motaz Azaiza, who has publicly written “May God curse the Jews” on X. Despite that, her channel continues to dominate YouTube’s children’s space. Also honored by Glamour this year were multiple WNBA stars and legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath.
