Just like in 2016, I’ve been surprised by how few celebrities have made any public comments about Donald Trump’s “victory.” In 2016, I think celebrities were just stunned and they didn’t know what to say – very few celebs are built like Michael Shannon, you know? This time around, the mood is darker. We know what he’s capable of and people are scared, even celebrities. Well, just after the election, Rachel Zegler decided to say something. She was mad as hell and she she posted an IG Story in which she blasted Trump AND the people who voted for him and support him. She said, in part: “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace. It is terrifying the number of people who stand behind what this man preaches. It is a foolish subscription to a false sense of security, of masculinity, of intelligence, of patriotism, and of humanity.” Honestly? I agree with that 100%. She wasn’t making any kind of implicit or explicit threat, she just shared a general hope that MAGA cultists never know peace, that they stew in their own bigotry, hatred, ignorance and misogyny. Well, instead of standing ten toes down on that, Zegler walked it back:
Rachel Zegler has apologized for comments she made following Donald Trump’s re-election, which included “F–k Donald Trump” and “May Trump supporters … and Trump himself never know peace.” Her remarks drew backlash from conservatives including Megyn Kelly, who demanded she be fired from Disney’s live-action “Snow White.”
“Hi everyone, I would like to sincerely apologize for the election post I shared on my Instagram last week. I let my emotions get the best of me,” Zegler wrote on Instagram. “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 continued, “This week has been emotional for so many of us, but I firmly believe that everyone has the right to their opinion, even when it differs from my own. I am committed to contributing positively toward a better tomorrow.”
In an Instagram story posted after the election, the “West Side Story” and “Romeo + Juliet” star wrote that she was “speechless” in anticipation of “another four years of hatred.”
“There is also a deep, deep sickness in this country that is shown in the sheer amount of people who showed up for this man who threatens our democracy,” Zegler wrote of Trump, who beat Kamala Harris in both the Electoral College and popular vote. She continued, “Sending love to everyone who needs it today” and emphasized the importance of local politics, before signing off her note with, “F–k Donald Trump.”
Note the Megyn Kelly name-check – Kelly has found her latest unhinged cause du jour – trying to get Rachel Zegler canceled for publicly hoping that Trump voters get every single thing they voted for. Kelly has been screaming for days about how Disney needs to fire Zegler, and Kelly also called the young Latina actress a “pig.” To be fair, Megyn Kelly was probably on her period. She had blood coming out of her wherever. The Nu Trump Era is a devolution of our culture, our decency, our humanity. With that cultural coarsening, that bleach blonde piggy Megyn Kelly is going to need to grow a thicker skin.
Also, it just occurred to me – Zegler is only 23 years old. She was all of 15 when Trump “won” in 2016. This was probably only the second presidential election she even voted in. Let the young people be outraged and disappointed – they weren’t around for the first go-round.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.