Controversial Evita actress Rachel Zegler has been called out by Dave Benson Phillips for leaving his son ‘most upset’ after he was refused an autograph

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The controversial actress Rachel Zegler, known for her role as Evita, has faced criticism from Dave Benson Phillips following an incident where his son was left disappointed after being denied an autograph by Zegler.

On Tuesday night, the children’s entertainer, aged 60, shared that his son stood as the initial one in line at the stage entrance, eager to meet Ms. Zegler or get her autograph. However, unfortunately, he was denied access.

Benson Phillips mentioned that his 15-year-old son, Benjamin, simply wished to express his admiration for her act and acquire her signature.

However, an overly formal security guard informed him that only individuals holding a pass for the event on that specific day would be granted access to witness the Snow White actress.

The CBBC star had been to the popular musical three weeks earlier with his son.

On Tuesday, they went back to witness the well-known balcony performance where Zegler sang Don’t Cry For Me Argentina to the crowd gathered outside the London Palladium.

Benson Phillips commented: ‘We understand she has a precious schedule, spending this time with him would have made a perfect conclusion for his summer break before returning to school.’

‘The security man’s final words were, “you had your chance”.’

Despite many others attending who had watched a previous performance that appeared to be unjust towards his son, he allowed most of them to remain.

‘Others also then turned up who clearly hadn’t seen the show and he didn’t stop them.’

He added: ‘As parents, we try and do the best we can for our children… oh well.’

It’s uncertain whether Zegler witnessed the incident involving Benson Phillips and the security guard at the Palladium.

Representatives for Rachel Zegler and the London Palladium have been contacted for comment. 

Zegler’s performance in the Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical about Eva Peron, the Argentinian politician, has received widespread critical acclaim.

The Mail awarded five stars and commented on their lead actress: “The 5-foot-2, 24-year-old Zegler is a petite powerhouse, as her refined yet profound voice fits seamlessly into the role of the legendary Latin American political figure, just as if she were wearing custom-made Ferragamo shoes.

The actress has also found love with a backing dancer in the hit show. 

It has been observed that she has been spending time with Nathan Fernard, who used to work as a dancer in Magic Mike Live (at the age of 27). They’ve been seen together on several outings in and around the city.

It’s thought that the new pair likely came across each other for the first time during rehearsals, which kicked off in April for Jamie Lloyd’s adaptation of the musical.

Over the weekends, the couple often takes trips together along with the rest of the Evita cast, as Rachel has developed a strong bond with them.

This year, she faced criticism after appearing in a modern, socially conscious adaptation of Disney’s Snow White, but unfortunately, it didn’t fare well at the movie theater.

At the Disney expo last year, Zegler expressed that her character won’t be rescued by a prince. Instead, she won’t be pining for true love; rather, she’ll strive to become the strong leader she believes she can become.

Later, she shared with Variety that she aspires to become a leader, just like her late father envisioned – a leader who is fearless, fair, courageous, and honest, if she dares to be so.

In a critique, Zegler referred to David Hand’s 1937 animated film as outdated regarding portrayals of powerful women, having only watched it one time.

‘The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so,’ she told Extra TV in 2022.

This narrative had a significant emphasis on her romantic tale with an individual who was essentially stalking her. That’s quite unusual, isn’t it? In the new version, however, we chose not to follow that pattern.

In our film, despite the fact that it may be mistakenly perceived as such due to the male lead, we have taken an unusual route in our narrative.

Disney executives faced challenges due to Zegler’s pro-Palestine standpoint as they reportedly persistently contacted her and her representatives to encourage her to soften her stance on the matter in her social media posts.

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2025-09-04 14:03