Bella Thorne Only Had $200 to Her Name After Disney and Was Raised to Think Social Media ‘Is Everything’
Bella Thorne may have people’s attention for her run on OnlyFans, but the former Disney star has been working since childhood. While some are comparing Thorne’s career to Zendaya’s, others are noticing how she’s carving out her own path inside and outside of Hollywood.
Thorne’s massive social media presence, personal life, and work endeavors keep her in media headlines, and she’s been able to leverage that to stay connected to fans and to promote her projects. It hasn’t always been easy.
How the Disney days impacted Bella Thorne
Thorne had a few acting roles in the early 2000s but her time on Disney’s Shake It Up turned her into a tween celebrity. She played CeCe alongside Zendaya’s Rocky and the series ran from 2010 to 2013. Behind the scenes, Thorne’s mom was calling most of the shots, especially after her father’s death in 2007.
During a documentary shoot, she told Vogue that when she auditioned for the popular Disney show, it wasn’t a choice. She said she was told, “This pays the bills. This is what you do.”
Thorne’s sister Dani added that their mother pushed her into making deals and contracts and described it as being served on a platter.
Thorne shared that she was pressured to speak and look a certain way during that time in her life. Things changed when she turned 18.
Thorne had $200 to her name at 18 but social media changed that
While talking about her career path to Vogue, Thorne said Instagram was a job to her. “I started at 18 with literally $200 in my bank account and I bought this house a year later, a year-and-a-half, and it’s all from social media.”
She didn’t specify what happened to her earnings from acting. However, in a 2018 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she only said, “You know where they went!” opting not to divulge the information.
Thorne changed her fortune with the aid of social media and bought her first home for $2 million. Since then, she’s gone on to act in other projects (including Famous in Love), started a record label, launched a cannabis brand, directed an adult film, and is managing her own brand.
Thorne’s also been vocal about her childhood and the thorny relationship with her mother. In her documentary, she stated she “was raised to think social media is everything.” She said her mom used run her accounts when she was young and often wanted to use the platform as a showcase.
Thorne gave one example where her mother would suggest they bake cupcakes and post the photos, but a young Bella would object and ask if they could just bake cupcakes without taking pictures.
Now 22 and in charge of her own social media accounts, she’s growing her brand and her bank account. And these days, she’s making it clear she doesn’t care if people have negative things to say about her.
Bella Thorne’s OnlyFans launch went beyond expectations
In case you haven’t heard, Thorne’s debut on the adult-centric site OnlyFans set a new record. She made more than $1 million in her first 24 hours and in less than one week, grew that amount to $2 million.
Thorne started her monthly subscription rate at $20 and shares exclusive content such as photos, videos, and messages.
According to Fox News, she plans to put some of those funds into her production company and some of that money will go to charity. Per the outlet, Thorne is also using the experience for research purposes for a future project.
