Shortly after sharing an Instagram post that directly quoted recent criticism leveled at her "West Side Story" co-star Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose issued a clarifying statement. "I frequently post quotes that I find meaningful," DeBose revealed in an Instagram story on Tuesday. "I admit I didn't conduct any research on the origin of this particular quote, nor was I aware of its connection until it was brought to my attention." Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for both Zegler and DeBose for comment.
Earlier in the day, DeBose had shared and then reposted to her story a quote stating, "Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged." This post was a direct quotation from a since-deleted comment by Jonah Platt, the son of Zegler's "Snow White" producer Marc Platt. The younger Platt's remark had criticized Zegler for posting in support of Palestine shortly after the release of the film's trailer, implying that her actions had negatively impacted the live-action remake's box office performance.
Platt had accused Zegler of "hijacking the conversation for her own immature desires at the risk of all the colleagues, crew, and blue-collar workers who depend on that movie to be successful. Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged."
In her clarification, DeBose emphasized that she had "no intention of inserting myself into a news cycle. This isn't the first time I've posted about dealing with narcissism, and it probably won't be the last, but next time I'll make sure to clarify the quote's origins first."
The original post that sparked the chain of accusations and deletions came from Zegler on August 12, 2024. After thanking fans for the Snow White trailer's 120 million views within a day of its release, Zegler added, "And always remember, free Palestine."
A March 25 report from Variety alleged that Marc Platt had "flown to New York to speak directly with" Zegler following her post. Two days later, Jonah Platt responded to a comment on an Instagram post for his "Being Jewish" podcast, addressing the allegation by stating, "Yeah, my dad, the producer of a massive Disney IP with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, 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," according to circulating screen grabs.
Over the past year, DeBose hasn't posted any quotes on Instagram without providing a caption. However, the "Love Hurts" star is known for her outspoken political views, sharing posts advocating for women's rights and urging her followers to vote for Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in last October's presidential election.
Zegler and DeBose first collaborated on Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of "West Side Story," which marked Zegler's screen debut and earned DeBose an Oscar. In January, DeBose told Deadline that she was in negotiations to star in "Evita" at the London Palladium, but by the end of the month, she had reportedly moved on. In March, Zegler was announced as the lead in the Tony-winning Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, directed by Jamie Lloyd.
