Bella Thorne Says Disney Nearly Fired Her Because Of A Bikini Picture
2 March 2018, 13:14
This is A LOT of pressure for a kid.
Bella Thorne has been on our collective radars since she was a kid starring alongside Zendaya on Disney's Shake It Up. The young actress has since gone on to appear in many movies and TV shows, effectively shedding her child star persona.
Like many of her Disney Channel peers, Bella has a few stories about what it was like to work at the children's network. There's no doubt that her Disney Channel experience opened up a lot of doors for her, but it wasn't always smooth sailing, even as a young star.
In a new interview with Under The Influence, a channel that highlights online influencers, Bella revealed that she was given a warning from the network when a photograph of her in a bikini appeared online.
"They said 'you're lucky Bella has such a fanbase we can't afford to fire her at this moment in time but if she does one more thing we will.'"
Bella was a young teen here and it's understandable that she would want to try out a more grown up aesthetic. It's somewhat implied that Disney stars are supposed to be as "wholesome" as possible, so the photo would have ruffled some feathers.
However, an innocent beach day picture should not have put Bella in a position where she feared for her job.
In the past, Bella has also revealed that she would alter how she talked to suit a more wholesome persona during her time at the Disney Channel.
It's understandable that networks try and project a certain image via their stars, but this type of thing clearly puts a lot of pressure on young performers. Thankfully, Bella is older and can now give a bit more insight into what she experienced as a youngster in the industry.
Watch as Bella addresses the bikini situation starting at 2:15.
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