Bella Thorne is officially back in her redhead era, and longtime Disney fans are already spiraling over the nostalgia. While 2026 made us revisit 2016 fashion and beauty, Bella took us back to her early days starring on “Shake It Up” alongside Zendaya. After spending recent years experimenting with darker brunette tones, Bella has returned to the signature copper-red curls that helped define her Disney Channel image in the early 2010s.
Bella took to social media to show off the fresh look in a series of Instagram selfies. Referencing Disney’s “Brave heroine,” she captioned the photos, “Merida down in this b---hhhhhh.”
© Bella ThorneThe hair immediately sparked comparisons to her breakout era on “Shake It Up,” where Bella played aspiring dancer CeCe Jones from 2010 to 2013. The new look feels especially intentional, considering the actress has recently been revisiting several moments from her past aesthetic eras online.
In another Instagram Story, Bella revealed she didn’t leave the transformation entirely in someone else’s hands. “Did you know I actually dyed my own hair…who wants to see the video?” she wrote.
© AFP via Getty ImagesLast month, she posted a series of videos reacting to old photos of herself, including snapshots from her earliest Disney years. “Just at the start of ‘Shake It Up’ Bella,” she said in an April 14 clip while looking at one of her first Disney headshots taken at age 12. “She was so innocent. She had barely lived a life at this point. Oh, she had no idea what was to come.”
“I love this version of my red hair,” Bella said while revisiting another throwback image. “Like, this is when I think red was the best color. It just looks so nice on my skin tone.”
© Steve GranitzThe actress has experimented with nearly every hair color imaginable over the years, from platinum blonde to vivid pink to jet black. Still, the warm copper shade remains the look most associated with her rise to fame and Disney-era popularity.
