The last time I covered Bella Thorne, 18, she was snapchatting the process of getting her eyebrows tattooed. This was new to me, but apparently it’s popular in the bigger cities and many of you either had it done or knew people who had. I mention this because Bella is not the type of young celebrity (like say, Shailene Woodley) who keeps their private life locked down. She’s on Instagram, Snapchat, she’s getting papped very frequently and she recently announced a split from her boyfriend of one year, actor Gregg Sulkin (Wizards of Waverly Place). So that’s why it’s notable that when Bella came out as bisexual, she did it in a low-key way (for her). She didn’t make an announcement in an interview or post a detailed statement, she just responded “yes” on Twitter when someone asked her about it. She did Snapchat a photo where she’s kissing a girl, perhaps announcing that she’s dating that woman, I don’t know. Here’s how that happened as far as I can find. First the photo where she’s kissing another woman, which Dlisted says is from Bella’s Snapchat.
wake me up when these damn girls will officially date @bellathorne i'm just a happy shipper pic.twitter.com/W0Xp64aXmm
— ` (@vodkaingomez) August 22, 2016
Then she responded with a “yes” when she was asked if she was bisexual.
— bella thorne (@bellathorne) August 23, 2016
Anna Paquin was one of the first celebrities to come out as bisexual back in 2010 when the public was less educated about bisexuality and I hadn’t even heard of the term pansexual. More celebrities have since come out as bisexual including Evan Rachel Wood, Amber Heard, Cara DeLevingne and Amandla Stenberg. Being bisexual or pansexual is no longer considered an in-between “pick a side” identification as it was when I was coming of age and there’s a greater understanding that it has nothing to do with fidelity or opportunity. So it’s nice to see more celebrities coming out as bisexual because it helps increase awareness. (A friend on Facebook shared this brief video about the stigma around bisexuality which I think sums it up perfectly.)
Getting back to Bella, we know that she recently broke up with her boyfriend. The twitter user who reposted that photo of Bella kissing another woman (she’s not the woman in the photo) claims that the other woman is the ex girlfriend of Bella’s brother. Maybe Bella was just kissing her brother’s girlfriend for laughs and then used that opportunity to come out or maybe Bella and her brother’s ex are now dating. That would be interesting. How long until they do a pap walk?
@vodkaingomez @bellathorne isn't that girl her brother's girlfriend?
— NOYB (@sfmakeupgirl) August 24, 2016
ex girlfriend https://t.co/rRaqpeviSF
— ` (@vodkaingomez) August 24, 2016
photos credit: WENN.com
Good for her! I don’t think she’d already be dating someone else, but I guess I could be wrong.
Poor thing must be parched
Bahahaha
A Gatorade Transfusion Perhaps!..
right? i want to throw a bucket of water on this one.
she will do anything to keeps her 15 minutes of fame going….no talent here!!!
please go away!!!!
DESERT THIRSTY
Yes, my thought that claiming the bisexual label has reached fad proportions. I think in olden days people just called it “experimenting”. It’s probably always been pretty common to be able to feel attracted to both sexes to some degree just on physiological grounds (hey, cats are like that, so it must be natural!), although many people settle down with a specific preference when they get older and actually fall in love with someone for reals. Others may feel strong attraction to both sexes throughout their lives even if in a monogamous relationship. It’s basically body chemistry, and we’re all different in our specific biochemical makeup. Cultural differences just determine how public you can be about it.
“Yes, my thought that claiming the bisexual label has reached fad proportions.”
Agreed. It’s trendy and supposedly edgy. Most are just posing.
She is very exhausting and it has nothing to do with bisexuality
This. I don’t care who she dates, but she truly is exhausting. She’s the only person on Snapchat I’ve had to unfollow because I felt annoyed every time her feed popped up. Everything about her is so try-hard and extra.
This whole story and all I can think is DAMN about those shoes with that green dress. This girl right here would break an ankle!
Someone is thirsty. I guess it’s still en vogue to proclaim yourself bisexual in order to be considered edgy, artsy, etc. But just in case she is really bi (I highly doubt that), good for her. Do you thing.
Why do you “highly doubt that”?? And why presume she’s trying to be “arty” and “edgy”?? Bisexuality does exist, y’know. Even in people you don’t like. Even in “thirsty” teenagers.
I just love when people try to claim they know the sexuality of a person better than the actual person.
Yeah, I wish this wasn’t done in such an attention getting manner. But if she is, good for her, glad she feels so comfortable.
there you go, i knew there’d be comments like this. what’s so edgy about bisexuality? i’m bisexual, and my life happens to be very ordinary.
You’re right…there is nothing edgy about being bi; however, it seems like the society and Hollywood don’t agree with us. As you see, she made the news…she is no longer like the million other interchangeable, up and coming young, white actresses. She will be asked about it from now on, she’ll write a book about it, etc. etc. She’ll stay in the news even though you and I think it’s not a big deal.
Why is it whenever someone comes out as bi, people sit there and doubt it? What would she have to do for you to be considered bi? Date 50 woman? Fly the pride flag off of her car for the next year?
I only follow Bella for amusement but I knew she was bi months ago. It’s not an move for attention. It just is what it is. She was asked a question so it’s not even like she announced it.
As someone who is bi and gets crap for it, this attitude just bugs me. We can never win.
lol. nope.
If she dated a million women then she’d just a be a lesbian. If she doesn’t date enough women, or announce it in an op-ed or acceptance speech then she’s just attention seeking.
Bi erasure is alive and well.
I think if you follow the Kinsey scale of sexuality, more people are actually bisexual than they are purely hetero.
Bella Thorne herself has shown that she looks for attention in every possible way. Prior to this, she was putting down women and talking about being a guys’ girl in other interviews. She did some snapchat with her ex, where she’s pointing to her rear and asking for action. Which, whatever, but to put that on social media? She’s like that Warren Beatty quote about Madonna not wanting to live a second off camera.
Okay?
What does any of that have to do with her being bisexual?
You can be wanting attention with any sexuality so why is it this stuff ALWAYS comes up with bisexuality?
I don’t even like the girl that much but her life choices don’t dictate her sexual orientation.
What I was saying is simple: she says and does anything for attention, so this may be the case again. Why do you automatically believe that she’s being truthful? My big issue with her was what she said about feminists and women, which was negative and centered on being a guys’ girl (or her version of it), so why did she suddenly decide to leak photos of her kissing a woman and say she’s bisexual when she had nothing but negatives to say about women before this? Here’s the link where she puts down women for being catty, competitive, and self serving: http://pagesix.com/2016/06/21/bella-thorne-thinks-girls-are-mean-and-competitive/
Thanks for the links, but once again, is that relevant?
I believe her because I follow her on snapchat and she has been referring to women as attractive since I started following her.
Also because I don’t feel like I get to dictate how others define their sexuality, especually because everyone and their mother feels the need to do it to people like me.
It’s a great concept. Maybe you should try it?
To restate, she can be thirsty and a crappy person and still be bisexual. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.
Giving her the side eye because of things she’s previously said is not dictating her sexuality. It’s difficult to believe someone who previously bragged about how she’s not like other women, whom she openly called mean, catty, and competitive is attracted to those same people she disparaged. She didn’t disparage men, and bragged she was a guys’ girl. To restate, not believing her and not dictating her sexuality to her are definitely mutually exclusive. You believe her, and I am skeptical. That’s not a concept; it’s an opinion.
Giving her the side eye because of things she’s previously said is not dictating her sexuality. It’s difficult to believe someone who previously bragged about how she’s not like other women, whom she openly called mean, catty, and competitive is attracted to those same people she disparaged. She didn’t disparage men, and bragged she was a guys’ girl. To restate, not believing her and not dictating her sexuality to her are definitely mutually exclusive. You believe her, and I am skeptical. That’s not a concept; it’s an opinion.
This girl is so thirsty I don’t believe anything from her isn’t about getting publicity for someone, anyone, to pay attention to her. If its true, then good for her, but I’m very skeptical.
They should have cast her as Ana Steele. I don’t know why I just thought of that.
Anyway, I think almost every girl is a little bisexual but too scared to admit it because no one ever understood what it meant. Good for her.
Uh she was 15/16 when they casted and filmed FSOG…
no she was “15/16” when they casted DSOG
Sooo in Hollywood only women are bisexual? I suppose it’s “cool” for them to come out because straight men think girl on girl is hot. I’ll believe the public has reached an understanding of sexuality when celebrity men claim their bi status.
totally agree with you….
bisexual here, and i can assure there’s nothing more annoying that men acting like my bisexuality is a turn on. so no, you’re completely wrong. i just wish straight people wouldn’t weigh in matters they clearly know absolutely nothing about.
eta: also there have been a number of men coming out as bisexuals, but they immediately get branded as gay because monosexuals cannot cope otherwise.
Yeah, being bisexual means having your sexuality constantly brought up as sexual fodder. In reality, it’s hard for me to even get a date because guys constantly try to get me to do a threesome and many women won’t date me. Acceptance isn’t here yet for bisexual women either.
ELL, I feel you.
Yes to this! My partner now is great but he took a long time to find. The ladies don’t want you because they think you’ll leave them for a dude, and the guys think you are a nympho who is automatically down for threesomes. And everyone thinks you want attention and will cheat, when all you really want is a nice monogamous partnership (the majority of us any way!)
The only out bi guy I can think of is the lead from Green Day.
I think Freddie Mercury was as well, but he’s often labelled as gay.
There really does seem to be a weird stigma against bi men in particular.
@Ell – I’m sorry that’s the worst. I agree with you, I only want to fool around with someone for me. Because it’s fun for me and fun for them, not for some weird attention thing where they aren’t even in to it, but just going along because their partner thinks its hot. That just sounds awful.
If I remember correctly, Frank Ocean and Alan Cumming both identify as bisexual. Possibly also Tom Daley. But they all seem to get lumped in to the gay identity as a previous poster said.
Frank has never discussed his sexual orientation but several people in his circle have said he is gay,not bisexual including his mom on IG and his friend Tyler in several interviews including on the Arsenio Hall Show.
Andy Dick identifies as bisexual.
I think Gavin Rossdale is bi.
Tom Daley identifies as gay these days.
Daley said he was gay in 2014 and then in July 2015 said “I don’t put a particular label on any of it because right now I’m in a relationship with a guy, but I still have sexual feelings towards girls.” Has it changed since then? He became engaged a few months after the 2015 remark.
So I lurked her insta and shes been posting about this girl, sort of couply, since the start of August. I also read shes her brothers ex as well as her best friend. I dont know, I feel like there might have been some overlap between her last relationship and this one. We’ll see.
Her brother’s ex? Messy.
Guy posts that he is bisexual : “oh how brave. Amazing.”
Girl posts that she is bisexual : “she is so thirsty. She is just following a trend”
I dont think I have ever read a bi girl or lesbian coming out story here that didnt have barely disguised bigotry in the comments. I’m sure we police the phobic crap on the guys articles, could we please moderate equally when its the girls? Particularly because the readership here is primarily female and there are bound to be a few still closeted women seeing this nonsense.
THIS. i love what CB wrote, but jfc some of the comments anger me and hurt me so so much. as a bisexual you can’t win; you get flak from both straights and l&g.
i’m glad some celebrities feel they can be more outspoken about their bisexuality, despite the horrible comments. it’s not surprising so many decide not to though, given the accusations of doing it for attention or whatever other crap monosexuals think.
When was the last time a celebrity male came out as bisexual, I can’t think of one?
Tom Daley?
Unfortunately there is still a stigma around bisexual men that they must “really be” gay, where I believe bisexual women are more “mainstream” accepted. But let’s face it, bisexual women get so much stigma/misogyny/bigotry/defamation it’s hard to even say mainstream accepted.
A lot of misgivings in general about bisexuals, but I am so glad to hear more women (people?) speaking out about their sexual fluidity.
@LolaBones:
I think he admitted that he was actually gay and only said he was bi so as not to lose his fanbase which consist of mostly young women.
I hate when people come out as bi when they know they are actually gay or lesbian because that only feeds into the idea the bisexuality is just a phase and not a real orientation.
The most recent high profile male coming out that I can think of is Channing Tatum’s. But, of course, no matter how many times he discusses being attracted to men and women, because he is in a relationship with a woman and because bisexuality apparently doesn’t exist, he is generally still seen as heterosexual.
I’m going to disagree with the first comment because in general no one not even gay men believe men when they come out as bisexual.
When and where did Channing Tatum say he was bisexual?
@Colette He hasn’t actually said he was bisexual; he has discussed being attracted to men in addition to women. His Wiki page used to have a link to an E! interview and an old OUT spread, but I can’t seem to find a live link of either at the moment. I could find a couple of Tweets like the following one, though. http://i63.tinypic.com/mmxu9u.png
Jinni- I think the idea that “it’s just a phase” might come from the reality that for some people, it is. Biochemistry can change radically from adolescence to adulthood. My own feeling is that the capacity for bisexuality is pretty much always there but to different degrees depending mainly on our body chemistry. Mother Nature doesn’t see bisexuality as a threat to propagation of the species. Certainly we see it in other mammals. So younger people in particular may sometimes feel a strong attraction to both male and female but then as they age, the chemistry changes and they may strongly prefer only one or the other. Of course by then other reasons come into play, since we are more than our biochemistry.
An added blurring of the situation comes when someone strongly and permanently bisexual becomes part of a monogamous male/female relationship, which can have the appearance of passing out of a “phase” even though it’s just fidelity to a mate. Monogamy and bisexuality are quite compatible.
Human sexuality is really pretty fluid in general. Maybe it’s the labels that are the problem. But in Bella’s case, people are suspecting a stunt for publicity simply because that’s what she does. She’s a former child actor who stopped developing her acting skills early, and just isn’t up to par for acting roles as an adult. But she thrives on the public attention that she had while on a popular Disney show. She just seems to bounce from one thing to another to keep attention focused on her. Maybe she’s genuinely bisexual, but who can be sure? The only thing we do know about her is that she’s desperate to keep the spotlight on herself
Perfect. Thank you for saying it so perfectly. For such a group of liberal leaning individuals as the commenters on CB, it sucks that the general feeling towards bisexual women tends to automatically default to “thirsty”. In what way should a female come out that others would approve of? I know she should have just said no to the girl who asked. Then she should not allow pictures to be taken of her with females and certainly not kissing one. Get her some water, stat. Or perhaps people should realize that it’s no different than her kissing aside and keep their bigoted opinions to themselves.
Of course she is. Desperate for attention.
I don’t know who she is but good for her! Everyone should live their own authentic life.
Actually, Drew Barrymore came out as bi in the early 90s, Angelina Jolie in the late 90s.
Yeah I was going to say the same thing I’m all for people expressing their sexuality but it’s definitely not since 2010 that people started coming out as bi.
Do you, Bella.
Since we’re talking about bi representation in Hollywood, is anyone familiar with the bi character on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend? That show is really, really good at talking about mental health, self-esteem, love, and friendship, and I liked their portrayal of that particular character a TON. His sexuality isn’t some masculine power play (like on Mr. Robot or Halt and Catch Fire, for a couple examples of male bisexuality on TV), and it fits perfectly in line with the show’s larger narrative about self-actualization and how all humans crave it.
I haven’t watched the show yet, but coming across a clip of that character singing Getting Bi is what made me promise myself to do so. I absolutely adore that song and as a horridly underrepresented bisexual, I will watch absolutely anything that doesn’t stereotype or erase bisexuality. <3 <3 <3
I am also thinking of exploring other shows on the CW, since this is already the second show on that network that I've heard of that apparently portrays bisexuality without stereotyping or erasing it and sadly, respectful portrayals of bisexuality are so rare that I see two shows on the same network providing them as an interesting, investigation-worthy accomplishment. I've already watched the other show, The 100, by now, and I am incredibly happy to say that the lead character of that one is clearly bisexual and has thus far had canonically romantic relationships with one man and two women. <3
Her brother’s ex girlfriend. Y’all…
Who’s name is also Bella.
Damn.
Yes unfortunately the thirst is deep. Cool you are bisexual, wonderful. But you also have to be the newest, most painful of the Disney breakouts.
I love her. Good for her! She’s adorable
It’s Bella Thorne, for god’s sake. I don’t believe her for a minute. It has nothing to do with giving bisexual women a hard time. It has everything to do with thinking she’s full of doo-doo.
A girl I dated said that when she was coming out, she read a study claiming sexual orientation can be described as a spectrum between 100% straight and 100% gay on each end point, But on these extremes, only 4% of people are 100% one or the other. The remaining 92% of us fall somewhere in between, and it’s not necessarily a fixed point for your whole life, either. You may move around. Women are so beautiuful, how could anyone not be attracted to them?! But as for being in a relationship, when you identify as bi, it all depends on where you’re at and who you happen to meet. Just because you “like both” doesn’t make it twice as likely you’ll meet someone you will fall in love with…so much luck, timing and karma are still required!