EXCLUSIVE: Bella Thorne Says Zendaya Rivalry Was Pushed on Them as Child Stars
Bella Thorne said adults pushed a rivalry with Zendaya during their child star years.
Aug. 7 2026, Published 2:25 p.m. ET
Bella Thorne has revealed how she and Zendaya were pushed into a rivalry while still child stars, claiming adults around them helped create tension when they should have been allowed to develop their friendship away from competition.
As RadarOnline.com readers know, the actresses were teenagers when they became co-stars on Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up, playing best friends CeCe Jones and Rocky Blue from 2010 until 2013.
Bella Breaks Silence
Bella Thorne reflected on her dynamic with Zendaya during their Disney Channel days.
Thorne has now revisited their relationship during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, describing how an initially warm bond became strained before the pair confronted their problems away from the show's set.
She said: "I remember at the mix and matches, I think I liked her immediately.
"I think that our chemistry was the best and I remember thinking, 'She's so tall, and I'm so short.'
"Then when they put us together for the screen test, I was like, 'Oh, OK, they like it.'"
A source familiar with the atmosphere surrounding the young stars exclusively told us the girls were frequently treated as competitors despite being expected to portray close friends onscreen.
The insider added: "There was this sense that everything could become a comparison – who was stronger at something, who was getting attention and how each of them was progressing. They were extremely young, and that kind of environment naturally made their friendship harder than it needed to be.
"They had different strengths, but instead of always allowing those differences to complement each other, there could be pressure that made it feel like they were being measured against one another. Bella has never forgotten how uncomfortable that was."
Rivalry Behind the Scenes
Adults pitted the young stars against each other during 'Shake It Up.'
Thorne recalled recognizing early Zendaya was the more experienced dancer, prompting her to undertake an intensive training schedule.
She said: "I remember us having to do the dancing and the freestyle, and I was like, 'She can dance, and I'm not a dancer.' As a child, my mom was like, 'You're gonna work on it.'
"For seven months, I took three dance classes a day and would do the auditions during the day and at night. I was like, 'I'm gonna be able to do this.'"
Thorne said the pressure surrounding their partnership eventually became particularly frustrating.
She said: "People can't (deal with) women (leading a show together.)
"The patriarchy's been doing it since the beginning of time. But you just go back, and you're like, 'God damn, they were 12. What's wrong with you? You're an adult.'"
Secret Talk Changed Everything
Thorne and Zendaya hidden away on an unused set to talk privately.
Their relationship eventually deteriorated enough for the actresses to seek privacy during filming of a Good Luck Charlie crossover.
Thorne said: "We're supposed to be best friends. They play best friends. It got pretty bad, and then you have your families, and you have the rest of the set and everything.
"It got to a point where when we were on our Good Luck Charlie crossover, and we escaped to another set in the middle of live taping, which is really ballsy, bada-- and rebellious."
The pair ultimately used the opportunity to confront their differences.
Thorne said: "Escaped is a funny word. We didn't escape, but we snuck out. We knew that we had three scenes until we were up again and we were just like, 'Let's just go talk.' And we did. And we escaped to another set that wasn't being used on another soundstage and we're hiding up there.
"Then they were looking for us. We stayed a little too long. They were looking for us for that next scene and we got into it, hashed it out and it was so beautiful."
Bella's Career Took Off
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Thorne built a multifaceted career in acting, directing, and writing.
Thorne found fame as a child star before breaking through on Disney Channel's Shake It Up.
She later built a career spanning acting, music, writing and directing, appearing in projects including The DUFF, Blended and Midnight Sun.
The actress has also developed a substantial social media following worldwide.
