Bella Thorne says Disney pitted her against Zendaya as child stars

"People can't stand women getting along," Thorne said and added the rivalry became so intense that "it got pretty bad"

Bella Thorne has opened up about her time on Disney Channel's Shake It Up, revealing that she and co-star Zendaya were deliberately pitted against one another as young actors before eventually resolving their differences through an emotional heart-to-heart.

Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Thorne said the rivalry became so intense that "it got pretty bad". She blamed adults around the production, the media and fan culture for creating the impression that the two young stars had to compete for the same opportunities. "People can't stand women getting along," she said, arguing that girls in the entertainment industry are often encouraged to see one another as rivals.

The actress recalled that the turning point came while filming a crossover episode with Good Luck Charlie. She and Zendaya secretly left the set during a live taping to have an honest conversation away from everyone else. Thorne described it as the first genuine "girl-to-girl" discussion she had experienced, saying they quickly realised the tension between them had been created by outside pressures rather than personal animosity.

Thorne said the conversation transformed their relationship and allowed them to move forward as friends throughout the remainder of Shake It Up, which aired from 2010 to 2013. She praised Zendaya for her maturity, adding that both of them were remarkably young when they navigated the pressures of sudden fame.

Now both established stars in their own right, Thorne said the experience taught her the importance of communication and refusing to let others dictate relationships between women. Her comments have reignited discussion about the pressures faced by child actors and the competitive environments often created behind the scenes of youth television.