Credit: Looseey, FlickrNew details have emerged about why Disney ultimately fired Sabrina Von Bogenberg, the longtime Evil Queen performer whose sharp-tongued interactions helped turn the character into a viral sensation at Disneyland.
For years, Disneyland Resort guests lined up phones-first to meet an Evil Queen who was icy, vain, and effortlessly funny. Videos of Von Bogenberg’s take on the iconic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) villain frequently went viral on the likes of X and TikTok.
That’s why fans were left so shocked when the actress was fired from the company after eight years. Now, we know why.
The Comment That Crossed the Line
In a recent interview with NewsNation, Von Bogenberg said her firing stemmed from a single video filmed during a guest interaction. In it, she suggested that visitors who wanted to see the Evil Queen more often should “go tell City Hall” and make their voices known.
“A video of me not really disclosing anything but saying if guests want to see the Evil Queen around, go tell City Hall, and make your voices known,” she said. “Ultimately, that was a rule broken, according to the rat.”
@newsnationnow @sabrinavonb was shown the door after playing the classic from “Snow White” for nearly a decade at Disneyland. “Ultimately, that was a rule broken, according to The Rat,” she tells @natashazouves.
Disney tightly controls how, when, and why characters appear. Those decisions are handled internally, based on crowd flow, seasonal needs, and brand priorities—not guest advocacy prompted by performers in costume. It also has a series of complex rules about what characters can or cannot say to guests, and this statement clearly went too far.
According to Von Bogenberg, the comment was interpreted as encouraging guests to pressure management, even though she did not reference scheduling, contracts, or internal decisions.
Shortly after the video circulated, her employment ended. However, the actress stressed that she was grateful for her time with The Walt Disney Company.
“I’m just very grateful that people love and find an ‘evil’ character funny. … The most rewarding part is just getting to make people love a character that they don’t conventionally love,” she said.
Fame Inside a System Built on Anonymity
In her earlier interview with PEOPLE, Von Bogenberg described the strain of becoming recognizable while remaining officially anonymous. Guests speculated about her identity, tracked her appearances, and treated her like a known figure.
Internally, she was still expected to blend seamlessly into the broader character pool. That tension intensified as her videos continued to rack up views. What made her valuable to fans made her riskier to the company – a phenomenon previously experienced by talented actors portraying the likes of Peter Pan and Tally the Elf during the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at Magic Kingdom.
Von Bogenberg has said she believed she protected Disney magic until the end. She never publicly identified herself while employed and avoided discussing internal processes.
Disney park fans have chimed in on the recent revelation, and not everyone is shocked that the comment led to Von Bogenberg’s dismissal.
“She literally did this to herself sadly enough,” one X user wrote. “YES, if social media wasn’t a thing the masses wouldn’t have known & it probabaly wouldn’t have gotten to upper management but she was bitter & acted out by requesting the people go to city hall.
Another said, “I used to love her and all but after working so many years for Disney you’re telling me she couldn’t figure out on her own that her comment was a bad idea? As soon as it appeared on my FYP I was like, ‘Is she allowed to do that?'”
they fumbled this talented diva. she needs her own disney show! pic.twitter.com/w0wSUtAIyj
— َ (@pinksview) February 10, 2026
Others have spoken out in her defense.
“What is she supposed to say though when guests ask her those kinds of questions?” one user wrote. “I’d think it’s not always easy to divert a conversation when you’re in character.”
Do you think Disney made the right move?