Rachel Zegler is opening up about a shocking experience she faced while preparing to star in “West Side Story.” In a March cover story for Allure, the actor, 23, claimed that “white executives” asked her to prove her Latina heritage was “legit” during the casting process for Steven Spielberg’s remake of the famous 1961 musical.

As Zegler has experienced firsthand, the attacks on DEI initiatives in this country aren’t going away any time soon. “My only prayer for the future of diversity and inclusion,” she reflected to Allure, “is that we invest in and nurture talent no matter what they look like.”

"There's confusion because I don't have a single ounce of Latin in my name," the "Snow White" star said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday. "When I was in the running for Maria in 'West Side Story,