The former 'Shake It Up' actress wishes she 'looked more Latin' with darker skin and hair so that she could feel 'prouder' of her Cuban heritage that she got from her late father.
- Feb 9, 2020
AceShowbiz - Bella Thorne struggled to fit in as a half Latina with blonde hair and fair skin. In order to feel closer to her Latin heritage which she got from her Cuban father Delancey Reinaldo "Rey" Thorne, the 22-year-old Disney alum darkened her skin and tresses.
"Honestly I wish I looked more Latin so I could feel more Latin so I could feel closer to my father and be prouder of my heritage...to wear my heritage on my skin," she said on Instagram. "It's just hard sometimes when no one thinks u are who u are...and everyone wants u to be something else."
"Being Cuban/Latin in most people's eyes means having dark eyes, dark hair, and dark skin, I'm naturally blonde I have hazel brown eyes and I try not to go in the sun because skin cancer runs in my family I put an effect on this video, and looking at it I like me looking tan with darker hair."
Bella's sister Dani Thorne responded, "Well said." Her boyfriend Benjamin Mascolo chose to leave a gushing comment, "Hot as f [fire emojis]." Meanwhile, "Teen Wolf" actor Tyler Posey, who's of Mexican descent, joked, "Latinos! You can have some of my skin."
Some of her followers, however, were shocked by her message. "Your Cuban?" one wrote. Another skeptical individual suggested she took DNA test, "Ima need to see that 23ANDME LMAO." One other commented on the genes from her maternal side, "I thought you were Italian lol."
One other wrote a lengthy note, "It is not necessary to have darker skin to feel more proud, it does not make sense what you are saying and it shows that you do not know that in Latin America there are many and many whites and that is why they do not feel less proud of their roots."
