Snow White star Rachel Zegler mocked over bizarre jaw movements at Met Gala 2026
Snow White star Rachel Zegler was brutally mocked over her strange facial expressions at the 2026 Met Gala on Monday.
The actress, 25, who suffered a fall from grace amid promotion for the controversial Disney flop last year, sparked concern with her posing during the glitzy event held at New York City‘s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Zegler was seen jutting her jaw out and pouting while she modelled a stunning Atelier Prabal Gurung gown, accessorized with a Jennifer Behr custom silk mask.
While Zegler confirmed the blindfold referenced Paul Delaroche’s famous 1833 painting The Execution of Lady Jane Grey – who was beheaded in 1554 for high treason – fans were left baffled by her over-the-top sultry expressions.
One fan wrote: ‘What’s with the faces?’ while a second typed: ‘does she have TMJ?’
Others wrote: ‘Is she struggling to breathe? why is she doing that? Can the instagram gang confirm if these are the new poses to try to look cute!
Snow White star Rachel Zegler was brutally mocked over her strange facial expressions at the 2026 Met Gala on Monday
The actress, 25, who suffered a fall from grace amid promotion for the controversial Disney flop last year, sparked concern with her posing at the glitzy event held at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art
‘She looks ridiculous. I wonder if these are actual facial tics at this point.’
‘What is actually wrong with her face. Does she do this on purpose?
Other X users defended the star and claimed she was getting into character, writing: ‘I don’t want to be in a position of defending these people, but you appear ignorant with this critique.
‘The theme was “costumes”. She has a corset facing the incorrect way and a blindfold with anguished facial expressions to exemplify the juxtaposition between wearing a beautiful costume and the pain it requires.’
A second typed: ‘Mocking her jaw movements is body shaming and not okay. The Met Gala is for bold, artistic expressions. Criticize if you want, but leave people’s appearance alone. She is very pretty!!!!’
Zegler broke her silence on the speculation on Tuesday – and revealed she found the red carpet ‘nerve-racking.’
She wrote on Instagram: ‘i really did feel so beautiful last night – these high visibility moments are so much more nerve-racking than I let on.
‘thank you prabal for the dress of my dreams and to anna (+ team vogue) for having me. and thank you always to my village of creative friends and collaborators that help boost my confidence every time.’
Zegler had starred as Snow White in Disney’s woke live-action adaptation last year, but it was fraught with controversy, including changes to the plot and claims of behind-the-scenes tension between her and co-star Gal Gadot.
After the film flopped at the box office, Zegler has reinvented herself as a West End star with her performance in Evita. It was announced last week that she will reprise the role of Eva Perón on Broadway in 2027.
In a March cover story with Harper’s Bazaar UK, Zegler opened up about the backlash that threatened to derail her career.
Zegler was seen jutting her jaw out and pouting while she posed in a stunning Atelier Prabal Gurung gown, accessorized with a Jennifer Behr custom silk mask
While Zegler confirmed the blindfold referenced Paul Delaroche’s famous 1833 painting The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, who was beheaded in 1554 for high treason, fans were left baffled by her over-the-top sultry expressions
One fan shared a snap of a viral clip from Snow White which showed Zegler pulling the same expression
Others defended the star for her red carpet posing
Zegler broke her silence on the speculation on Tuesday – and revealed she found the red carpet ‘nerve-racking’
She told the publication that she’d not only faced trolling but also threats to her safety, after being branded not Latino enough for her role as María in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, but then too Latino for Snow White.
‘I was told I wasn’t enough of one thing for West Side Story and too much of another for Snow White. It was a really confusing time to be in my early twenties and hearing that’.
‘I grew up proud of being Colombian – eating the food, wearing the dresses, drinking the coffee, doing all the things that were so intrinsic to who I was as a kid and who I am as an adult – but I do think there’s an argument to be made that.’
‘In the public eye at least, when you’re two things, you’re simultaneously nothing. But I refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort.’
She went on: ‘If I’d been able to predict everything that would come my way, the threats to my safety, I would have just thrown my phone into the ocean. I think any sane person would have.’