Dakota Fanning recalls being asked "super inappropriate" questions as a child actor but says she "didn't fall into it"

Dakota Fanning discusses inappropriate questions she was asked as a child actor (image via @dakotafanning on Instagram)
Dakota Fanning discusses inappropriate questions she was asked as a child actor (image via @dakotafanning on Instagram)

Dakota Fanning, 30, revealed in a recent interview with The Cut, published on October 1, that she was asked inappropriate questions as a child actor in Hollywood.

Fanning rose to fame as a child actor at seven after playing the daughter of an intellectually challenged man in the 2001 drama film I Am Sam.

During her interview with The Cut, Dakota Fanning mentioned that during the early years of her career, tabloids were obsessed with Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. She recalled one of the interviews,

"In interviews at a young age, I remember journalists asking me, 'How are you avoiding becoming a tabloid girl?" People would ask super-inappropriate questions. I was in an interview as a child and somebody said, 'How could you possible have any friends?' It's like, 'Huh?'

She also expressed "compassion for people who have been made into examples" and noted that she didn't go through the same problems since her family consists of "very nice," "kind," and "protective people."


Dakota Fanning looks back at the impact of early fame

In her recent interview with The Cut, Dakota Fanning was asked about how she felt about Hollywood's "perverse fetish for the fallen child actor," to which the actress questioned the industry, saying,

"It's like, 'Is that what you want to happen to me somehow? Is that what you want to happen to these people."

The actress recalled that she "definitely" felt this "kind of vibe" from people who almost wanted her to fail, which made her feel a "bit guided." Dakota added that she was "just a little too young" to fully feel the weight of it, however, the industry has changed and now people don't get away with "that kind of thing so much anymore."

Later in the interview, Dakota discussed gaining fame in a generation before the social media era, adding that the topic of conversations around women has changed over time. Now, there are more conversations about equality and "basic treatment, whereas, in the early 2000s, Dakota mentioned that magazines discussed "someone's cellulite" as though it was normal to do so.

Demi Lovato's documentary Child Stars, released on September 17, has opened rooms for discussion on the impact of early fame on celebs. The documentary features interviews by Demi Lovato with former child stars such as Drew Barrymore, Raven-Symoné, Christina Ricci, Alyson Stoner, and others.

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Edited by pshmueni