Bella Thorne and Zendaya Could Not Stand Each Other on ‘Shake It Up’ But Became Close After This 1 Heartfelt Incident
Bella Thorne and Zendaya both rose to fame in 2010 as the stars of Disney Channel’s Shake It Up. While some co-stars immediately hit it off and became close, Thorne and Zendaya were the opposite. The two of them did not like it each other at the beginning of their stints on Shake It Up. However, they became friends after a heartfelt incident.
Bella Thorne and Zendaya appeared on ‘Shake It Up’ together for 3 seasons
Thorne and Zendaya played on-screen best friends Cece Jones and Rocky Blue on Shake It Up. Their characters were aspiring dancers who tried to navigate teenage life while working on the show Shake It Up, Chicago!.
The series lasted for three seasons, ending in 2013. Throughout its run, it was nominated for numerous awards, and Thorne even won two for her work as Cece.
Bella Thorne said she and Zendaya competed against each other in the beginning
Thorne and Zendaya may have played best friends, but that did not mean they hit it off right away. In an interview with J-14 in 2017, Thorne revealed that she and Zendaya had to compete against each other at first, which made it hard for them to be friends.
“Zendaya and I were put in a very unfortunate position where we were kind of forced to compete against each other [during Shake It Up], which made the whole first season of the show just very awkward for us,” Thorne shared. “We wanted to love each other, but yet we were constantly being put against each other. It was, ‘Who’s better at this?’ and ‘Who’s better at that?’”
Thorne also talked about this subject in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2020.
“No matter what, when you’ve got women and you’re growing up in the same market — even just as well other Disney stars, even if they’re not on the same show — you still get pitted against each other,” she said, sharing that she and Zendaya had been pitted against one another “since we started the damn show.”
Bella Thorne and Zendaya made up during season 2
Fortunately, Thorne and Zendaya have managed to move past that rough start. Speaking to J-14, she shared that she and Zendaya had a honest conversation with each other, which allowed them to become closer.
“And then second season we kind of just had this tell-all talk where we started crying and really just put everything out there on the table, and that’s when we became best friends,” Thorne said.
These days, Thorne and Zendaya seem to still be close even though they are now pursuing different paths in Hollywood. Thorne revealed during her J-14 interview that she and Zendaya “text each other all the time, and we’re always sending photos back and forth.”
The two actors have also supported each other a lot. When Thorne went through nude photo controversy in 2019, Zendaya showed her former co-star love and support. In 2020, when Zendaya was nominated for an Emmy, Thorne also expressed her happiness for Zendaya, who eventually did win the award.
