Bella Thorne Says She Lost Role at 10 Because Director Accused Her of 'Flirting with Him'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty

Bella Thorneis recounting a shocking moment from her childhood acting career.

The 25-year-old actress appeared on model and actress Emily Ratajkowski’spodcastHigh Low with EmRatafor Tuesday’s episode. During the wide-ranging conversation, the two discussed how girls become sexualized at a young age working in Hollywood.

Thorne has been acting and modeling most of her life, finding fame in 2010 after starring alongsideZendayain Disney Channel’sShake It Up.

She said it was “f—ing stressful” being a child actor in the public eye, especially when it came to discovering her sexuality with “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.”

Ratajkowski, 31, then shared a story fromwhen she was 16 and a modeling agenttold her, “This face — this is how we know this girl gets f—ed. You gotta give a lesson, Emily, on this.” She added, “But that is the reality of being a young woman in the industry.”

Thorne then shared a similar “insane” story that involved an unnamed director when she was a kid.

“I had a director give me feedback once and I was 10. 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.’ What the f— are you talking about, man? I don’t give a f— what I said. I don’t care if I said, ‘Eat my p—y right now’ — she is 10 years old! Why ever would you think that? Why?”

Stefania D’Alessandro/WireImage

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Added Ratajkowski, “Also him feeling that it was a real issue.”

“Also,” said Thorne, “you’re in a director session. You can’t really say or do much. You do the scene, you say hello, you walk out. There’s no time to like, lemme go sit on your lap or make you feel uncomfortable. What the f— are you talking about, man?”

Thorne said she goes back to this moment “every day.” “I’m trying to find, almost, fault in myself,” she continued. “Like, ‘What did you do, Bella? What didyoudo 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. Don’t even think that thought.’ It does drive me crazy.”

Back in January 2018, Thornerevealed that she was sexually abusedfrom a young age.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

source: people.com