Bella Thorne Accused Of ‘Ghosting’ Business After Receiving Products To Promote
Image via Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
An owner of a website selling jewelry has accused Bella Thorne for scamming her small business. This came in the heat of the OnlyFans controversy, where her actions on the subscription content platform resulted in it placing a cap on the prices creators can charge.
OnlyFans suffered backlash from its content creators after changing the limit on each tip. Previously, content creators could charge any amount they liked. OnlyFans, however, said the pricing changes had already been in the works and Thorne did not have any influence on them, per NBC News.
Lauryn, owner of Div9ne Collective, has called out Thorne in a series of tweets, stating that the actress allegedly asked for some of her products to be sent over in exchange for a shoutout on Thorne’s Instagram.
Lauryn posted about the incident with screenshots of the conversation she had with Thorne on Twitter. Referencing the OnlyFans controversy, Lauyrn said Thorne “doesn’t just scam sex workers. She scams small businesses too.”
“I planned to cut my losses and never post about this because cancel culture is toxic, but since Bella happens to be trending for scamming people, I feel an immense obligation to speak out,” she wrote.
She explained that Thorne asked for jewelry in exchange for a shoutout on Instagram Story back in May. Lauryn agreed and sent over US$1,500 worth of products, but Thorne kept mum after receiving it.
The conversations showed that Lauryn went as far as making custom pieces for her, changing certain jewelry from gold to silver to fit Thorne’s preferences, and expediting the items. Thorne too promised to post the shoutout before she “ghosted” Lauryn.
“I refuse to be affiliated with someone who has affected thousands of people in the way that she has. Div9ne promotes inclusivity, equality and representation of all—which is the opposite of what she has done hence the flame underneath her,” Lauryn said.
Lauryn ended her thread by asking small business owners to be mindful with who they collaborate with. “Just because someone with a large following asks to collaborate, that doesn’t necessary entail they will have integrity,” she tweeted.
I planned to cut my losses and never post about this because cancel culture is toxic, but since Bella happens to be trending for scamming people, I feel an immense obligation to speak out on behalf of small businesses.
— 𝟙𝟘𝟚𝟝 (@laurdelle) September 1, 2020
Amid all that has been going on, I refuse to be affiliated with someone who has affected thousands of people in the way that she has. Div9ne promotes inclusivity, equality, and representation of all — which is the opposite of what she has done hence the flame underneath her.
— 𝟙𝟘𝟚𝟝 (@laurdelle) September 1, 2020
This isn’t about clout. This isn’t about trying to exploit someone just for cancel culture. This is about bringing awareness to how celebrities & influencers are constantly taking advantage of small businesses because they know there is nothing they will do about it.
— 𝟙𝟘𝟚𝟝 (@laurdelle) September 1, 2020
I didn’t want to be pushy considering she was doing me a favor— but she took advantage of my kindness & over compensation (spending hours of my time & hard earned money on CUSTOM pieces, expediting packages, changing the jewelry from gold to silver bc she doesn’t like gold, etc)
— 𝟙𝟘𝟚𝟝 (@laurdelle) September 1, 2020
So I sent her the silver Chanel pieces after 2 weeks of trying to scramble to finish them (spending hundreds of more dollars to completely change the style) & she asked me to expedite them so she could wear them for a photoshoot (she didn’t wear them lol).
— 𝟙𝟘𝟚𝟝 (@laurdelle) September 1, 2020
Since then, silence. pic.twitter.com/PGjNGDCKsO
If you own a small business, my advice to you is that just because someone with a large following asks to collaborate, that doesn’t necessarily entail they will have integrity. Please be careful and remember your time, money & energy deserve to be preserved. No one deserves this.
— 𝟙𝟘𝟚𝟝 (@laurdelle) September 1, 2020
[via Daily Dot, cover image via Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com]
