25 Former Female Child Stars Who Exposed The Dark Reality Of Hollywood

12. Bella Thorne

Bella Thorne has been one of the most vocal stars to condemn the treatment she received during her child acting era at Disney Channel. At just 14 years old, a bikini photo taken by a fan went viral, nearly costing her a role on the popular show Shake It Up , which also starred Zendaya. She discussed the experience with Emily Ratajkowski on a December 2022 episode of the podcast High Low With EmRata . Thorne recalled, “There was a fan; they got a photo of me on the beach, and I almost got fired. It was all over the media, it was literally viral at that time.” “Not only the whole world watching you, but specifically men, and people and women around you telling you this is the box you have to fit in.” Thorne also revealed that her objectification began much earlier. At just 10 years old, a director told her agent that she had made him “uncomfortable” during a session. She remembered, “The casting director calls my agent, and the agent calls my mom, and they're like, 'So, she's not moving forward because the director felt like she was flirting with him, and it made him really uncomfortable.'” The incident left her questioning herself for years. “I’m trying to find, almost, fault in myself,” she admitted. “Like, ‘What did you do, Bella? What did you do that made him feel like this?’ And every time I’m like, ‘Bella, stop it. Even that thought right there is becoming part of the problem.’” After the bikini photo went viral, Disney allegedly mandated that she wear “boy shorts and a loose T-shirt” whenever she was on the beach, sending the message that her body had to be carefully managed to avoid scandal. Thorne has also alleged in interviews and her book Life of a Wannabe Mogul that she endured s*xual and physical ab*se from a young age until she was 14. She emphasized that the lack of safeguards in the entertainment industry allowed predators to operate with impunity, leaving young performers vulnerable. Despite these experiences, Thorne has said in multiple interviews that she remained at Disney not out of ambition, but to support her family after her father passed away in 2007.