South Asian actors Avantika Vandanapu and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan were the target of racist hate comments on social media because of rumors that they are being considered for the role of Disney princess Rapunzel in the live-action version of the film Tangled. Trolls took to the internet to express their disappointment at the fact that South Asian actors are being considered for a character that has traditionally been white and blonde. However, it is notable that Disney has not even confirmed that a live-action version of the film Tangled is in the works, let alone who is being considered for the lead role.
The rumors broke when fan accounts on social media claimed that Avantika Vandanapu – who played Karen Shetty in the 2024 film Mean Girls – is screen-testing for a live-action version of the 2010 animated Disney film Tangled. While some social media users expressed support, many wrote racist comments on TikTok and Instagram saying Rapunzel should be white with blonde hair, and not a South Asian with dark hair. The actor’s Instagram account was also flooded with hateful messages.
Never Have I Ever star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan also became a target for the trolls due to rumors that she was also being considered for the role. Previously in June 2023, she received similar hate messages after she said that playing Rapunzel was a dream role for her. Now, she has hit back at trolls on social media pointing out that the film and its casting are both merely rumors, and that the idea that a South Asian cannot be Rapunzel is racist. “And to the racists, y’all still need a hobby FR,” she wrote on the social media platform X.