Former Disney star Bella Thorne opens up about childhood abuse and troubled upbringing in memoir poetry

Former Disney star Bella Thorne opens up about childhood sexual abuse

Bella Thorne has shared deeply personal experiences of sexual abuse in her memoir poetry, The Life of a Wannabe Mogul: Mental Disarray, revealing that the trauma began when she was six years old and continued until she was 14.

Through her poetry, Thorne described the shame and confusion she felt during her childhood and the complex emotions she experienced toward her abuser.

In one poem, she reflected on the way she coped with the abuse, writing about how she placed trust and even love in her abuser as a survival mechanism, while simultaneously recognizing the harm being done to her. She candidly expressed self-blame for not stopping the abuse sooner, describing herself as “selfish” for feeling unable to confront the situation at the time.

Thorne first spoke publicly about her abuse in a 2018 Instagram post, recounting years of sexual and physical mistreatment and noting that she only found some sense of control when she began locking her door at night.

At that time, she expressed support for the Time’s Up movement, which protests harassment in Hollywood.

In the second part of her memoir poetry, Thorne explained why she did not involve the authorities. She wrote that she distrusted the legal system, which she felt often treated victims as if they were at fault.

She shared her reasoning in an interview with Logan Paul, explaining that revisiting every traumatic experience in detail would have been too painful, but that writing the book helped her process her experiences and “open her brain” to understanding and healing.

Thorne also discussed the challenges of transitioning from her Disney career while under intense public scrutiny. She revealed that paparazzi coverage continued even while she was still experiencing abuse, highlighting the difficulty of navigating fame alongside personal trauma.

In addition to sharing her experiences of abuse, Thorne publicly identified as pansexual while promoting her memoir. She has previously dated Tyler Posey, Mod Sun, Tana Mongeau, and Benjamin Mascolo, and is currently engaged to producer Mark Emms.

Thorne’s memoir has been described as a raw and honest account of her struggles, offering insight into both her difficult childhood and her journey toward self-acceptance.