Rachel Zegler is gearing up for major stardom, but there’s a price. The 17-year-old newcomer, who is playing Maria in Stephen Speilberg’s remake of West Side Story, announced that she will be taking a break from social media. The young actress has been getting bombarded with hate messages from critics after she wrote a heartfelt message about her co-star Ansel Elgort, who plays Tony and her love interest in the movie, writing that “falling in love with him” was easy.
© @rachelzegler“There really aren’t enough words to describe the pride I have in Ansel‘s growth and beauty and literal magic he possesses on screen and off,” she began in the now deleted message. "Falling in love with him was easy. Happy wrap mi amor; catch ya on a fire escape sometime soon.” After the wrap party, Rachel also wrote a message to the entire cast thanking them for the memorable experience on her first feature film. “To Ansel Elgort, my literal rock, i adore you and i always will. you’re the only thing i’ll see forever.”
Social media trolls are angry because Ansel, who has been dating ballerina dancer Violetta Komyshan since 2012, has since then revealed his modern view of love, saying he wants to be free to fall in love with other people besides his girlfriend. “It doesn’t need to be sexual. I could be done sexually with my girlfriend,” he explained in his interview with The Times. “I think we’ve been pretty clear that I want to feel free to fall in love with people and that [option] should be open, but sexually it can be closed off.”
© @rachelzeglerSince Rachel’s message to Ansel, his fans have been trolling, bullying and calling her names through direct messages. “The fact that i have to say something is absolutely absurd. but the DMs and the name-calling and throwing around the word homewrecker over me expressing genuine love i have for my coworker is heartbreaking and i don’t want any part of it. so peace for now, i guess. be nice,”she wrote in the now deleted message.
Rachel’s profile is still currently up, but she wrote one last message: “The internet has made me upset so goodbye for a bit be nice to each other.”
