Rachel Zegler Feared for Her Safety in Public Amid 'Snow White' Backlash

Rachel Zegler just hit the big 2-3 this week -- and while she's looking forward to a new year of life, she notes age 22 was brutal for her ... and a big reason seems to be 'Snow White.'

The actress posted some telling messages to her Instagram Story Thursday night -- which show her posing in a couple different dresses (with the top of her head cropped out) and lengthy captions attached that touch on how rough this past year has been for her.

She writes, "I hope 23 holds a lot less hatred, a lot less being afraid for my safety in public, and a lot more understanding for growing up."

Rachel adds, "I also had a nice time bringing you all tbosas and I hope you know that it will always be considered (along with the acquisition of my dog) one of the bright spots of what I consider to be the hardest year of my life. ... so far."

While Rachel ended the year on a high with her 'Hunger Games' flick -- she'd hit a lot of bumps along the way throughout 2023 ... and much of that had to do with her work in the upcoming 'Snow White' live-action remake, which had her under a magnifying glass.

A bunch of old press comments she'd made -- dating back to 2022 -- came back to bite her ... where a lot of people felt she was crapping on the story of 'SW' and sounding snobby in discussing it ... while also promising her version was going to be a fully feminist reboot.

Even outside of her 'Snow White' controversy -- Zegler ruffled feathers for lots of other reasons ... including comments she made during the strikes last year, where she passionately spoke on the need for actors to get a fair wage. Some felt she came across as entitled.

Beyond that, she caught some flak even earlier in 2023 during her press run for 'Shazam 2' -- when she said she basically took the job 'cause she needed a gig ... not because she was passionate about the work or excited about her character, a standard PC/PR thing to say.

Everyone was well-aware that Rachel was polarizing and that she spoke her mind -- even if it, at times, came back to bite her in the ass ... but now, we're learning how heavily all that hate she got weighed on her. Seems like it was way more serious than anyone realized.

Remember, RZ is super young and fairly green in Hollywood as the latest breakout star. While some might feel she's misstepped along the way -- others feel like she deserves grace.