15 Disney Stars Who Definitely Outgrew Their Childhood Innocence

By Editorial Staff in Entertainment On 1st April 2017
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#1 Back in the 90s, there was no one greater than Britney Spears, the Princess of Pop.

Before going on to become a queen of the music world, who'd go on to sell over 100 million albums worldwide, she had a starring role alongside Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling in The Mickey Mouse Club.

She fought through the hardest years of her life

Britney was able to make it through 2007, one of the hardest years for the rebellious pop star in which she ended up shaving her hair, and had to fight custody of her kids. Her quick Vegas wedding was a jaw-breaking moment that had fans worrying if they'd lose their sweet celebrity. But thankfully Spears was able to rise above all these controversies and got her throne back. 

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#3 Christina Aguilera brought us “Genie in a Bottle” and stunned us with her mindblowing singing

But long before releasing her first MTV video that became number one in the blink of an eye, Christina had already starred in the Mickey Mouse Club, and stunned children with her incredible voice.

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But branding herself as another sweet blonde teen popstar didn’t last long

The world already had Britney Spears, Mandy Moore, and Jessica Simpson, so the blonde bombshell felt like it was time to prove just like other celebrities that she was all grown up. Her years of rebel were indeed an explosion of sex appeal, rowdiness, and feminism, where Christina decided to become a voice for those who felt like an outcast, and for women who were proud of being sexual creatures.

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#5 Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan went on to become our favorite "Mean Girl," but before starring in Tina Fey’s hilarious iconic movie, she was Tyra Banks bestie in“Life Size.” Lindsay had been modeling since age 3, and got her big break in Disney’s debut motion picture remake “The Parent Trap.” The freckled ginger-hair beauty went on to act in another remake, "Freaky Friday," in 2003, and "Herbie: Fully Reloaded."

But don’t let her sweet innocent movie roles fool you. The model turned actor had long waved goodbye to her old Disney character, and a new rebellious Lindsay seemed to be rising. Partying became a part of her life, and several addictions to drugs and alcohol took a toll on her, and her career. Soon enough, directors didn’t want to cast her, and Lindsay became known for being in trouble with the law, being arrested as many as 6 times, and even serving time in prison.

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#7 Shia LaBeouf

The controversial actor, and now self-proclaimed artist, is known for his role as Sam Witwicky in the blockbuster trilogy of "Transformers." But before starring alongside Megan Fox, (who he ended up dating for a brief stint) he was known best for playing Louis Stevens in Disney’s "Even Stevens."

Then his Transformers fame cemented his career and went on to earn as much as $15 million for the saga. In 2003, he won a Daytime Emmy award, and debuted in the film Holes. In 2004, he directed a short film called "Maniac." He continued to star in "Transformers," which was still a box office success despite many fans claiming the saga had very little to offer anymore.

#9 Raven-Symoné

"That’s So Raven" is probably one of those shows that sum up your after school weekday afternoons. It catapulted Raven Symone to stardom, and had us cracking up with her sassy character. She eventually got a role in the "Cheetah Girls" movies, becoming every girl’s idol in no time

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But lately, she’s faced criticism and backlash when she publicly defended the anchor that compared Michelle Obama to an ape. Despite trying to clarify further, fans were not happy with Raven’s comments, and soon enough, she announced in 2016 that she’d be leaving "The View." Despite her hiccups with the media, Symone is a proud out-of-the-closet lesbian, and full supporter of the LGBT community.

#11 Orlando Brown

Orlando Brown made our childhood happy and sweet when he starred in “That’s So Raven.” Also known as “Eddie Thomas” in the show, the actor also loved to sing, rap, and managed to land several roles that skyrocketed him to fame. The talented actor is best known for his role as Tiger, in "Major Payne," and Max in "Two of a Kind."

But a quick search on Google with show you just how far he’s come from his Disney days. And let's just say, it's not all good. In 2016, he was charged with three counts of disturbing the peace and one count of public intoxication. He was arrested on a domestic battery misdemeanor, drug possession, and obstruction of Justice. It’s safe to say that the sweet boy from raven days is long gone now, 

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#13 Vanesa Hudgens

Vanesa Hudgens was huge back in her "High School Musical" days, and still remains one of the greatest Disney actresses ever. She managed to become a fashion icon for girls all over the world. and lead alongside Zac Efron in musical series. Starring as Gabriella Montez, her relationship with Troy melted girl’s hearts and their love story was relationship goals at the time. 

In 2007 though, the singer/actress was a victim of leaked nudes, and ended up making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. But this minor setback didn’t affect her, or her career whatsoever, and helped her land more seductive and risqué roles in movies such as "Spring Breakers" and "Sucker Punch." Her fashion sense didn’t take a hit either, with paparazzi following her around, trying to snap photos of her latest ensembles.

#15 Zac Efron

"High School Musical" helped launch the careers of many Disney starlets, among them, the stunning and heartbreakingly gorgeous Zac Efron who rocked the show and was the heartthrob of girls at the time. He started acting professionally in the 2000s, landing a role in "High School Musical" and even won the Teen Choice Award for Breakout Star. "High School Musical 2" ended up breaking cable TV records after 17,5 millions people tuned in to watch the movie.

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Ultra-fit Zac Efron went on to star in several movies, such as "Charlie St. Cloud" in 2010, "Hairspray" in 2007, and "Me and Orson Welles" in 2008. He’s always stayed active in the acting community, but the actor decided to admit he’s been struggling with alcohol and drug addiction for a while and even went to rehab. Still, Efron manages to get casted time and time again. And oh boy do we know the reason!

#17 Adrienne Bailon

Adrienne Bailon was the founder and lead singer on both 3LW and Disney’s "The Cheetah Girls." She went on to record a solo album and continued her acting career along with her dream of becoming a recording artist.


She starred in the MTV film "All You’ve Got" and made a few appearances in "That’s So Raven" and "The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody."

Her career took a dive in a bad direction when she started dating Rob Kardashian in 2007, and got accused of using him for fame. They reportedly broke up because he cheated on her, but she subsequently went on to date music executive Lenny Santiago, who she split from in 2015. But last year, the lyrical songstress got engaged in the city of Paris to Israel Houghton. They finally got married in a romantic Parisian wedding in November.

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#19 Miley Cyrus

Probably one of the most incredible transformations comes from none other than Disney’s Queen of Pop. Starting as an aloof, upbeat, and bubbly typical teenager on the screen, Miley Stewart hid her musical talents and fame from classmates and friends, getting into all kinds of trouble in her stellar show Hannah Montana. 

Hannah Montana was not so innocent anymore when her iconic and controversial photoshoot with Terry Richardson set the record straight. She eventually got rowdier, and sexier, and became very vocal about her pro-marihuana ways. Skirts got shorter, and photoshoots got raunchier, and her antics got crazier and crazier. Despite her public persona and insane performances, the girl’s as sweet as apple pie. She’s a huge LGBT supporter and a staunch woman’s rights supporter.

#21 Moises Arias

Moises Arias played Rico in "Hanna Montana," and ended up being remembered for being one of the funniest and most memorable characters on the show. He managed to score several roles in blockbuster movies, such as "Kings of Summer" and "Despicable Me 2."

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Nowadays, Moises Arias is mostly known for hanging out with the right crowd. He befriended none other than Kendall Jenner, Jaden Smith, Willow Smith, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner, whom he takes photos of, and he’s mostly known for his work as a photographer now.

#23 Nick Jonas

Nick Jonas, of The Jonas Brothers, managed to break little girl’s hearts and catapult himself to fame in no time. Born in September 1992, the dreamy teen started his acting career at 7. In 2007, Nick and his brothers released their second studio album ruled many girls' hearts with their music and their looks. 

The trio of teen brothers pulled a Britney stunt when they announced they wanted to be celibate until marriage, and started wearing promised rings. Now, Nick managed to distance himself from that virginal persona, and his brothers, when he released his solo studio album. His 2014 singles entered the Billboard Hot 100. Nick became sexier with the years, and started focusing on writing and singing about relationships, sex, and love.

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#25 Selena Gomez

Selena has always had a baby face and that innocent look which was perfectly fitted with her Disney persona. She starred in the "Wizards of Waverly Place" show, and immediately became a force to be reckoned with, with many singers and celebrities claiming they knew she’d skyrocket to fame on her own.

But it wasn’t until she released her solo album and started dating Justin Bieber that she became a worldwide phenomenon and was part of many controversies. Their relationship was in the eye of the storm, with rumors stating Justin cheated on her over and over again. His fans, also known as Believers, were indisputably mad that he was dating anyone, let alone, Selena, and they tried their hardest to show a lack of support online, even bullying her. Now that Bieber is happily married to Hailey Baldwin and Selena moved on well, she is set to give hit albums to her fans.

#27 Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato got her break in the Disney movie "Camp Rock" and sent waves from an early beginning. There was something about Demi that screamed “celebrity” the second you saw her act. She was a committed actress and singer, but back in the day, she wasn’t so vocal about body positivity as she is today.

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The beautiful singer momentarily quit her acting career and decided to focus on making music. She went through many ups and downs due to her poor relationship with food and openly confessed to having bulimia, self-harm and body issues, and problems with alcohol. She’s now the healthiest she’s ever been and is a body-positivity advocate and feminist and we love her!

#29 Bella Thorne

Bella Thorne starred in Disney’s "Shake it Up" and ended up being cast in many different movies after that. Bella is of Cuban descent, with Spanish being her first language. She has starred in dozens of commercials and even became the spokesperson for Texas Instruments for 2 years. She relocated to California to become an actress, and oh boy did it pay off in the end!

Bella moved on pretty fast from her earlier Disney days and became a sexy young actress who’s not afraid to show a little skin. The star recently signed up on OnlyFans. Despite many claiming her future doesn’t seem as bright due to her sexual nature, and many conquests, Bella remains true to herself, and pretty transparent and offers a piece of advice for those who want her to be someone else: “Don't try to impress people. Always be yourself!”