Cole Sprouse Defends Female Disney Channel Stars Who "Were So Heavily Sexualized" as Young Women

Cole Sprouse told The New York Times that he will be “violently defensive” against those who criticize young female Disney stars. Keep scrolling to read what he had to say.

By Tamantha Gunn Apr 05, 2022 2:37 PMTags
Watch: Why Cole Sprouse Needed a Break From Acting

Cole Sprouse will always stand up against criticism of child stars who were on the Disney Channel—especially the young women.
 
During a conversation with The New York Times published April 4, the Suite Life of Zack and Cody alum, 29, said people would often refer to his and his twin brother Dylan Sprouse's success after Disney as making it out or being "unscathed." However, the young women who had roles on the network had a much harder time dealing with fame.
 
"The young women on the channel we were on [Disney Channel] were so heavily sexualized from such an earlier age than my brother and I that there's absolutely no way that we could compare our experiences," he told the publication. "And every single person going through that trauma has a unique experience."
 
Cole—who began acting when he was 6 months old—added that people always want to criticize child stars for "going nuts," but don't want to address the trauma that comes with fame. 

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He told the New York Times that he is "violently defensive against people who mock some of the young women who were on the channel when I was younger because I don't feel like it adequately comprehends the humanity of that experience and what it takes to recover." 

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

As Cole continues to gain notoriety in his career through Riverdale and the newly released HBO Max film Moonshot, he said he notices that the same "psychological effects" from childhood fame are occurring in people's adult lives, however, he told the publication that he believes "people have an easier time hiding it when they're older."

E! News has reached out to Disney for comment regarding Cole's remarks. 

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