Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Everett Collection, Getty Images

If you’ve ever come across a TikTok of the Evil Queen from Snow White calling a Disney adult ugly to their face, you’re probably already familiar with Sabrina Von Bogenberg. The actor, who played the character at Disneyland for eight years, frequently went viral for her interactions at the park, which often involved playfully insulting guests and side-eyeing the hell out of Disney princesses. Well, I come to you today with some unfortunate news: A diva is down. After announcing last month that she was no longer working as a cast member, Von Bogenberg recently claimed she had been fired.

Von Bogenberg’s saga began back in October when rumors began circulating among Disney parks’ fans that Disney villains were being phased out as regular cast members and would instead appear only during the Halloween season. A spokesperson for Disney denied this to The Independent, calling it a “fan-site rumor” and saying villains are an “important franchise to us and will continue to be available in our theme parks.” It’s unclear where the rumor originated, but many think it started with a video posted by the TikTok account @fantasytravelers, which documents interactions with theme-park characters. In a TikTok posted by the account in October, the creator asked Von Bogenberg how she would feel if “October ends and all of your villain friends leave.” Von Bogenberg jokingly told the creator he should “complain” and “start a revolution.” “Go complain! Tell them you want me, specifically, all year round,” she said in another video posted by the account.

Apparently, Disney might not have liked that. In an interview with NewsNation on Monday, Von Bogenberg claimed the video had led to her “abrupt exit.” “Ultimately, that was a rule broken, according to the Rat,” she said, seemingly referring to Mickey Mouse and the company. Speaking with the New York Post, she said her dismissal came as a shock and claimed she didn’t “get a proper good-bye” before being escorted out. “I was walked out of the gates … the same gates I walked in from my first day there,” she said.

Disney has famously strict rules for its costumed characters (known in parks lingo as “cast members”). Past performers have said even the smallest instance of breaking character can lead to discipline or dismissal. In accordance with employee policies, Von Bogenberg never confirmed she played the Evil Queen until her exit — even as people asked her about it in her TikTok comments. “I did a good job of keeping that magic up until the end, when I no longer had to anymore,” she told the Post. 

It’s unclear when Von Bogenberg left, but she revealed her secret identity in a TikTok in December, suggesting she no longer worked at the park. Since then, fans have been mourning her departure and sharing their memories of meeting her. “You called me garbage once and it was probably the best day of my life,” one person commented. What a legacy.

The Cut has reached out to Disney for comment and will update this post if we hear back.