Jenna Ortega Breaks Silence On Her Absence From X

Like most celebrities, Jenna Ortega has experienced the worst side of A.I. technology, especially on social media.

The "Wednesday" star recently spoke about her dislike for A.I. and why it sent her running from X at a young age. She described the experience as "disgusting" and "uncomfortable."

Jenna Ortega rose to fame as a child actress, earning recognition for her role as young Jane in the comedy-drama series "Jane the Virgin." However, she is still recovering from childhood stardom.

Being a celebrity isn't as rosy as many imagine, with stars like Ortega being preyed on by the darker side of the public. In a heart-to-heart interview, the 21-year-old reflected on her time in the spotlight as a child.

Ortega confessed to hating the A.I., noting that although the technology could be used for good, she experienced the worst it had to offer when she joined X (formerly Twitter). In her words:

"I hate A.I…Did I like being 14 and making a Twitter account because I was supposed to and seeing dirty edited content of me as a child? No. It's terrifying. It's corrupt. It's wrong."

If seeing pornographic A.I.-generated images of herself as a child wasn't bad enough, Ortega told The Interview podcast the first D.M. she opened was "an unsolicited photo of a man's genitals." To make matters worse, she was just 12.

Ortega explained she launched her X account at a young age because she was told it was necessary to build her image as an actress. However, the unsolicited pictures and pornographic content only increased until she couldn't take it anymore.

"I ended up deleting it about two, three years ago because the influx after the show had come out — these absurd images and photos, and I already was in a confused state that I just deleted it," Ortega revealed, adding:

"It was disgusting, and it made me feel bad. It made me feel uncomfortable. Anyway, that's why I deleted it because I couldn't say anything without seeing something like that."

"So one day, I just woke up, and I thought, Oh, I don't need this anymore. So I dropped it," the 21-year-old continued, noting that she was still learning to protect herself from such incidents.

During the interview, Ortega's book "It's All Love: Reflections for Your Heart & Soul" came up. She wrote the piece when she was 17, diving into her insecurities and mental-health challenges.

When asked how things have changed at 21, the Disney alum revealed that it was "much, much harder" because of the "immense amount of pressure" she placed on herself. "I was a private person, and I prefer to be a private person," she confessed.

Ortega noted that she wanted to be "making mistakes and learning from them and falling on my face and maybe the opposite;" however, there was a lot more at stake. "It's really scary, actually. And it's hard to say that because mostly you can't complain," she said.

"I wanted this when I was a child. I live such a privileged life. I'm so lucky to do the things that I do. I love my job. I don't see myself wanting to stop my job," Ortega added, noting she was still getting used to the attention.

Ortega's fame skyrocketed following her role as the titular character in Netflix's "Wednesday" series. The Blast reported that the sportswear brand Adidas cashed out on the attention by signing the actress as its global ambassador in 2023.

The actress was announced as the face of Adidas Sportswear, the company's first new label in over five decades. The brand confirmed the collaboration with a stunning picture of Ortega in purple activewear designed with their signature three stripes.

Similarly, Ortega raved about the partnership on her Instagram Story, writing: "So excited to be joining the @adidas family!!" She echoed similar sentiments in a press statement, noting her love for Adidas goes back years.

In her press statement, Ortega noted she was "so honored to become a part of this legendary family of changemakers and be the face of its all-new label." Her words mirrored Adidas' excitement to have her on board as its global ambassador.

The brand's executive board member, Brian Grevy, praised Ortega as the right woman for the job. He described her as a "progressive and passionate next-generation pioneer that is making waves across the globe."

Grevy also noted that Ortega's "fresh and creative way of thinking" drew them to her. With her as their new face, Adidas hoped to rope in the actress's fans and other Gen Z consumers.

Jenna Ortega may no longer be on X, but missing out on one social media platform isn't stopping her from shining.