Behind the Scenes of ‘Shake It Up’: The Zendaya-Bella Thorne Rivalry

Bella Thorne has shared her experience of feeling like she was in competition with Zendaya during their time working together on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up in the early 2010s. This dynamic reportedly impacted the friendship they were trying to build at the time.

During an interview with US Weekly, the celebrity revealed that the two ex-Shake It Up co-stars were not on friendly terms when the show started filming in 2010. However, after a particular meeting, everything changed between them, and they became close friends over the next two seasons. Bella referred to her previous interviews on the matter and explained that the sudden competition between them caused by others affected their initial relationship, making it difficult for them to be friends in the first season.

The nature of their bond shifted when they worked together on an episode of Disney’s Good Luck Charlie. Bella divulged that they had a “lovely conversation,” where they were able to be open and comprehend each other better. Hollywood’s tendency to pit women against each other caused tension in Bella and Zendaya’s relationship initially. Bella spoke about it in a 2017 interview, stating that they were made to compete on Shake It Up.

Bella expressed her contentment in continuing to support Zendaya in their current friendship. According to her, Zendaya has always been remarkable and will continue to be so. It delights her to witness that Zendaya is receiving the recognition she deserves.

Despite the conclusion of the Disney Channel show, it seems like Bella and Zendaya have maintained their friendship. Zendaya has acknowledged that people pay attention to their relationship on social media, so they prefer communicating through private means such as calls or texts instead of posting publicly. In an interview with Seventeen, Zendaya mentioned that they do share posts on social media but are cautious of the public’s scrutiny.