Bella Thorne Fans Are Criticizing Her Halloween Makeup for “Glamorizing Abuse”

Bella Thorne is a beauty chameleon. The actor is known for her wild and colorful hair and makeup looks, many of which she does herself. While she’s clearly talented, Thorne’s makeup look on October 30 sparked concern from fans and followers who worried she was “glamorizing” domestic abuse.

Yahoo! Lifestyle reports that Thorne posted a few photos of her handiwork to Instagram, writing, “Hire me for your Halloween makeup I got u [sic] boo.” In the photos, Thorne looks as though she’s been beat up; she’s sporting a cut lip and bruises on her jaw and eye. The makeup looks very realistic, and some fans commented that they thought the star had been hurt. “It’s [sic] seems so real! I was afraid,” wrote one. “We need a video of u [sic] taking it off so we know it’s not real,” added another. Others, however, didn’t think her makeup was at all amusing: they accused Thorne of making abuse look like a Halloween costume and not a very real and serious issue. Commenters thought her makeup would be triggering to those who have experienced abuse in their own lives.

“Why is glamorizing being physically abused culturally appropriate during Halloween?” wrote a fan. “This trivializes domestic abuse,” added another. Some were quick to point out that victims of abuse are not costumes, and that there was nothing funny about her look. “You can’t use that for Halloween makeup it is not a costume,” they wrote. “Why???? I feel this is too close to physical abuse, you’re crossing a fine line here,” added another fan. “Do you think this is a joke? Making fun pretending to be a beaten woman? Really?” wrote another follower.

Thorne has previously spoken out about her own struggles with physical and sexual abuse in the past, so it’s surprising to see her showcase such a makeup look. She went on to debut her actual Halloween costume, a sexy Girl Scout, on Instagram the following day, and has yet to respond to comments regarding her previous post.