At a Glance
- Meg Cabot posted a Sound of Music GIF meant to show anti-Nazi sentiment, but a glitch displayed only the flag for some viewers
- The author lost her mother, Barbara “Jinx” Cabot, on November 27, and the Jan. 18 post was meant as a tribute
- Cabot stressed her opposition to fascism, referencing her Princess Diaries world of “democracy and constitutional monarchies run by princesses”
- Why it matters: The incident highlights how technical errors can distort intent on social media, especially around sensitive historical symbols
Meg Cabot has issued a public apology after a Facebook GIF she shared to honor her late mother malfunctioned, briefly showing some followers an isolated Nazi flag rather than the full scene of Captain Von Trapp destroying it.
The Glitch That Reversed the Message
On January 18, the Princess Diaries author uploaded a clip from her mother’s favorite film, The Sound of Music. The sequence shows Christopher Plummer’s character tearing down a Nazi banner and ripping it in half. Cabot captioned it: “Just posting my mom’s favorite scene from her favorite movie here for no reason whatsoever.”
For an unspecified number of users, however, the animation failed to load past the first frame, leaving only the flag visible and creating the impression that Cabot was promoting the very ideology the movie scene condemns.
Immediate Apology and Family History
Cabot quickly posted a follow-up message on Facebook:
- She apologized “to anyone who was hurt or confused”
- Revealed her grandfather “was shot during WWII, fighting Nazis”
- Affirmed she is “not a fan of fascism, only democracy and constitutional monarchies run by princesses”
The clarification post ended the brief uproar among fans who had seen only the static flag image.
Mourning Barbara “Jinx” Cabot
The GIF tribute came three days after Cabot announced her mother’s death. Barbara Cabot died on Thursday, November 27, a detail the author shared in a January 15 Instagram carousel showing:
- A recent photo of her mother on a golf cart
- A vintage picture of Barbara as a young woman
- A floral painting Barbara created
Cabot wrote that losing her mother on Thanksgiving “was tough,” but praised caregivers and followers for their support, adding, “‘Jinx’ will be missed, but never forgotten.”
Princess Diaries Legacy Expands
Cabot’s 38-country bestselling series, already adapted into the 2001 hit film starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, will reach new readers through a graphic novel due April 7, 2026. Illustrated by Bethany Crandall, the book is available for preorder now.
The author told News Of Los Angeles that revisiting Mia Thermopolis’ story provided comfort during grief because her mother never connected the books to her daughter’s career. “She knows that her daughter wrote these books… She doesn’t make the connection that I’m her daughter, which is really sad,” Cabot said, adding that returning to the project “helped at a time when I was feeling emotionally vulnerable.”
Key Takeaways
- Technical glitches can strip context from social media posts, turning tributes into controversies within minutes
- Cabot used humor and family history to defuse tension while reinforcing her anti-fascist stance
- The incident underscores the emotional weight of symbols, especially when family histories intersect with global conflicts
- Despite the mishap, Cabot continues to expand the Princess Diaries universe, ensuring her mother’s favorite adaptation lives on for the next generation
