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Bella Thorne Says She and Zendaya Were Pitted Against Each Other on Shake It Up

Her Call Her Daddy interview frames the episode as an example of how industry pressure pushes young actresses into forced rivalry.

Overview

  • Thorne told Alex Cooper on Call Her Daddy on Wednesday that people around the Disney set treated her and Zendaya as competitors rather than equals.
  • She said tensions "got pretty bad" and recalled that during a Good Luck Charlie crossover they snuck to an unused soundstage to have a private, intense conversation and reconcile.
  • Thorne described that private talk as "one of the most genuine, girl-on-girl talks" she has had and said the conversation led them to become close.
  • She argued that she was a co-lead who "wasn't treated like one" and criticized how the industry makes young women compete for limited roles and attention.
  • Shake It Up ran from 2010 to 2013 and launched both actresses as child stars at about age 12, after which they pursued separate film careers; no public response from Zendaya to Thorne’s 2026 remarks has been reported.