Bella Thorne once declined to sign self-portrait images for an autograph seeker.
The actress said she refused to sign the photos because they were “sexy” and revealing. Thorne also noted that despite the person’s persistence, she did not agree to his request.
Some of the images were taken when she was still a minor, which made her feel it was “inappropriate.” However, “The DUFF” star admitted that she understood why the person was persistent. She previously spoke about being sexualized and her worries about having a girl kid.
Keep on reading to learn more.
Bella Thorne Was Topless In One Of The Photos
In a chat with The Hollywood Reporter’s Chris Gardner, Thorne recalled choosing not to sign photos of herself for an individual.
The actress encountered the person during the premiere of Eddie Alcazar’s “Divinity” at the annual Sundance Film Festival in January.
She said, per Insider, “It was this guy, and he was shoving photos in front of me and I looked away for a second and looked back, and there was a photo of me from my GQ magazine cover. It’s super sexy, and my butt is out., and I’m wearing lingerie, and I’m topless.”
Thorne, who starred in the science fiction thriller, pointed out that she declined to autograph the photo due to its risqué nature. However, the fan refused to accept her decision but tried to deceive her into signing it.
She added, “I said I wouldn’t sign that and he took it away and then put it back in front of me again. I said, ‘No, I’m not signing that.'”
Bella Thorne On The Inappropriate Pictures
The individual then asked Thorne to sign a second image after the actress refused to budge on her stance.
Thorne further recalled, “He pulled out another photo of a magazine with another sexy image. He was like, ‘Come on, Bella. Sign it for me.”
Noticing that the new photo was no different than the previous one, Thorne once again turned it down, describing the individual’s wishes as “inappropriate.”
She added that some of the pictures were taken from a Candy campaign that she shot when she was 16.
“It was clear that he wanted me to sign things that were viewed as sexy and even underage and I was like, ‘Give me something else.’ He said, ‘Aren’t they all sexy?’ No, enough is enough,” said the “Midnight Sun” star at the time.
‘It’s Not Always Going To Be Your Choice’
Although she ultimately did not sign any of the risqué pictures, Thorne shared she understood why the individual was persistent.
“But I get it, they have to make money, and everyone has a job so I get that,” the actress said, hinting how the picture would be worth far more if she had signed it.
Elsewhere in the interview, she drew parallels between the experience and one of her upcoming short films, which discusses the challenges women face in today’s society.
She said, “It’s about growing up and being told from a very young age or by experiences that life as a woman means that people are either going to take something from you or you’re going to give it to them. It’s not always going to be your choice. And how do you deal with that?”
Bella Thorne’s Previous Experience With Being Sexualized
In the past, Thorne has discussed facing a public backlash as a teenager in the film industry. She shared that the barrage of criticism came after she was photographed wearing skimpy attire to the beach.
At the time, she was starring in Disney’s “Shake It Up” and almost got fired due to the incident.
Per Insider, she said on a podcast, “I almost got fired. It was all over the media, it was literally viral in that time. It was, ‘How dare this little girl do this? This is so disgusting.'”
She also confessed that the incident and other experiences of being sexualized make her “genuinely so scared” to raise a girl child.
“How do you tell your little girl that every day she steps out of the house that, one, she might be raped? Two, don’t trust anybody,” Thorne said, adding, “Because that’s a really shitty one, and I really don’t think I want to have that conversation.”
