Highlights:
- Bella Thorne accuses Charlie Puth of sparking a ‘hate train’ after she turned him down.
- She claims he publicly misled fans about their brief romance in 2016.
- Puth had previously implied she cheated on her ex Tyler Posey with him.
- Thorne is now engaged to Mark Emms; Puth married Brooke Sansone in 2024.
Actor Bella Thorne has reignited a years-old controversy with singer Charlie Puth, accusing him of turning public opinion against her in 2016 after she refused to sleep with him. The former Disney star made the claims in an Instagram comment responding to singer Jade Thirlwall’s recent remarks about never wanting to work with Puth.
Actress Bella Thorne and Charlie Puth attend the Y100's Jingle Ball 2016Getty Images
Bella Thorne calls out Charlie Puth over 2016 romance
The drama resurfaced after a fan account posted a quote from Jade Thirlwall, formerly of Little Mix, saying she would “never collaborate” with Charlie Puth. Bella Thorne commented on the post, “Yeah, I mean... he lied to the entire world about me and started a hate train. All because I wouldn’t... do the deed with him.”
Thorne and Puth were briefly linked in late 2016 following her breakup with Teen Wolf actor Tyler Posey. The pair were spotted together at Miami’s Jingle Ball that December and were photographed kissing. Puth even serenaded her on stage, but things quickly turned messy.
Bella Thorne's commentInstagram Screengrab
Puth accused Thorne of being dishonest about her breakup
Soon after their public outings, Puth posted a series of now-deleted tweets implying that Thorne had not been truthful about ending her previous relationship before seeing him. Though he didn’t name her directly, he issued an apology to Posey, stating, “She told me she was not with him anymore. This is all news to me.” In another tweet, he added, “No one should have their heart messed with like this, and I’m not going to be in the middle of it.”
These posts sparked widespread online criticism of Thorne, who at the time quickly denied the accusations. She clarified on X that she had already broken up with Posey “like over two weeks” before and was not in a relationship with Puth either. She claimed he had seen an outdated article and jumped to conclusions instead of contacting her directly.
Charlie Puth performs onstage at an interactive global eConcert liveGetty Images
Thorne later shared her side of the story on radio
Speaking on The Jenny McCarthy Show in 2017, Thorne described her split with Posey as one of the hardest breakups she’d gone through. She said Charlie had reached out via social media, and they went out a couple of times. She described him as “super talented” and said she was impressed by his talent.
Recalling the Jingle Ball appearance, Thorne explained that she accepted his invite as friends, but the fallout came after Puth saw an old article about her and Posey. “He didn’t even look at the date,” she said. “Instead of texting me and asking about it, he posted it on Twitter.”
Bella Thorne and Mark Emms attend a red carpet for the movie "Priscilla"Getty Images
Both have moved on, but tensions linger
Since the short-lived scandal, both stars have gone their separate ways. Thorne got engaged to film producer Mark Emms in 2023, sharing their relationship with fans on Instagram. Puth, meanwhile, married his longtime friend Brooke Sansone in September 2024.
Charlie Puth and Brooke Sansone attend the 10th Breakthrough Prize CeremonyGetty Images
Though neither publicly addressed the incident again until now, Thorne’s recent comment suggests that the events of 2016 left a deeper mark than previously thought. The renewed attention on Puth’s past behaviour also sheds new light on Jade Thirlwall’s remarks, with fans now speculating that more industry figures may have experienced similar run-ins.
