Most celebrities we love today had a stellar role on a Disney Channel show back when they were starting their careers. Growing up in the 90s meant there was no shortage of heroins and heroes who were able to hide their singing careers, like Hannah Montana, magic powers, like Sabrina The Teenage Witch, and blasted us with incredible plot lines and questionable pre-teen fashion choices like Lizzie McGuire.
But man, how time flies! Even though we watched them grow up before our very eyes, we still think of them as Disney kids. But their most recent behavior, antics and in some cases, getting in trouble with the law ended up dimming these stars’ light, proving they’re all grown up.
Back in the 90s, there was no one greater than Britney Spears, the Princess of Pop.
Before going on to become a force to be reckoned with, who’d go on to sell over 100 millions albums worldwide, she had a starring role alongside Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling in The Mickey Mouse Club.
Now Britney Spears has become larger than life, and has extended her Las Vegas residency.
Britney was able to make it through 2007, one of the hardest years for the rebellious popstar in which she ended up shaving her hair, and had to fight custody of her kids. Her quick Vegas wedding was a jaw-breaking moment that had fans worrying if they’d lose the adored songstress to weird antics and shenanigans, but fortunately, she was able to rise like the phoenix and got herself, and her life, in top shape.
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Christina Aguilera brought us “Genie in a Bottle” and stunned us with her incredible vocal chords.
But long before releasing her first MTV video that became number one in the blink of an eye, Christina had already starred in the Mickey Mouse Club, and wowed children with her incredible voice.
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But branding herself as another sweet blonde teen popstar didn’t last long.
The world already had Britney Spears, Mandy Moore, and Jessica Simpson, so the blonde bombshell felt like it was time to prove she was all grown up. Her “Dirrty” years were indeed an explosion of sex appeal, rowdiness and feminism, where Christina decided to become a voice for those who felt like an outcast, and for women who were proud of being sexual creatures.
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Lindsay Lohan went on to become our favorite “Mean Girl,” but before starring in Tina Fey’s hilarious iconic movie, she was Tyra Banks bestie in “Life Size.”
Lindsay had been modeling since age 3, and got her big break in Disney’s debut motion picture remake “The Parent Trap.” The freckled ginger-hair beauty went on to act in another remake, “Freaky Friday,” in 2003, and “Herbie: Fully Reloaded.”
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But don’t let her innocent movie roles fool you. The starlet had long waved goodbye to her old Disney persona, and a new troubled Lindsay seemed to be rising.
Partying became a part of her life, and several addictions to drugs and alcohol took a toll on her, and her career. Soon enough, directors didn’t want to cast her, and Lindsay became known for being in trouble with the law, being arrested as many as 6 times, and even serving time in prison.
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The controversial actor, and now self-proclaimed artist, is known for his role as Ram Witwicky in the blockbuster trilogy of “Transformers.”
But before starring alongside Megan Fox, (who he ended up dating for a brief stint) he was known best for playing Louis Stevens in Disney’s “Even Stevens.”
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Then his Transformers fame cemented his career and went on to earn as much as $15 million for the saga.
In 2003, he won a Daytime Emmy award, and debuted in the film Holes. In 2004, he directed a short film called “Maniac.” He continued to star in “Transformers,” which was still a box office success despite many fans claiming the saga had very little to offer anymore.
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“That’s So Raven” is probably one of those shows you couldn’t wait to see when you got home after school.
It catapulted Raven Symone to stardom, and had us cracking up with her wits, sass, and hilarious reactions. She eventually got a role in the “Cheetah Girls” movies, becoming every girl’s idol in no time
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But lately, she’s been the head of controversy when she publicly defended the anchor that compared Michelle Obama to an ape.
Despite trying to clarify further, fans were not happy with Raven’s comments, and soon enough, she announced in 2016 that she’d be leaving “The View.” Despite her hiccups with the media, Symone is a proud out-of-the-closet lesbian, and full supporter of the LGBT community.
Along Raven Symone, Orlando Brown touched our hearts and made us laugh all through our childhood, when he starred in “That’s So Raven.”
Also known as “Eddie Thomas” in the show, the actor also loved to sing, rap, and managed to land several roles that skyrocketed him to fame. He’s best known for his role as Tiger, in “Major Payne,” and Max in “Two of a Kind.”
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But a quick search on Google with show you just how far he’s come from his Disney days. And let’s just say, it’s pretty grim.
In 2016, he was charged on three counts of disturbing the peace and one count of public intoxication. He was arrested on a domestic battery misdemeanor, drug possession, and obstruction of Justice. It’s safe to say that many of Orlando fans have left the building.
Vanesa Hudgens was huge back in her “High School Musical” days, and still remains one of the greatest Disney actresses ever.
She managed to score Zack Efron in real life, and became a fashion icon for girls all over the world. Starring as Gabriella Montez, her relationship with Troy melted girl’s hearts and helped her become the mainstream success that she is today.
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In 2007 though, the singer/actress was a victim of leaked nudes, and ended up making the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
But this minor setback didn’t affect her, or her career whatsoever, and helped her land more seductive and risqué roles in movies such as
“Spring Breakers” and “Sucker Punch.” Her fashion sense didn’t take a hit either, with paparazzi following her around, trying to snap photos of her latest ensembles.
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“High School Musical” helped launch the careers of many Disney starlets, among them, the stunning and heartbreakingly gorgeous Zac Efron.
He started acting professionally in the 2000s, landing a role in “High School Musical” and even won the Teen Choice Award for Breakout Star. “High School Musical 2” ended up breaking cable TV records after 17,5 millions people tuned in to watch the movie.
Ultra-fit Zac Efron went on star in several movies, such as “Charlie St. Cloud” in 2010, “Hairspray” in 2007, and “Me and Orson Welles” in 2008.
He’s always stayed active in the acting community, but the actor decided to admit he’s been struggling with alcohol and drug addiction for a while, and even went to rehab. Still, Efron manages to get casted time and time again.
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Adrienne Bailon was the founder and lead singer on both 3LW and Disney’s “The Cheetah Girls.”
She went on to record a solo album, and continued her acting career along her dreams of becoming a recording artist. She starred in the MTV film “All You’ve Got” and made a few appearances in “That’s So Raven” and “The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody.”
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Her career took a dive when she started dating Rob Kardashian in 2007, and got accused of using him for fame.
They reportedly broke up because he cheated on her, but she subsequently went on to date music executive Lenny Santiago, who she split from in 2015. But last year, the lyrical songstress got engaged in the city of Paris to Israel Houghton. They finally got married in a romantic Parisian wedding in November.
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Miley, Miley, Miley. Probably one of the most incredible transformations comes from none other than Disney’s Queen of Pop.
Starting as an aloof, upbeat, and bubbly typical teenager on the screen, Miley Stewart hid her musical talents and fame from classmates and friends, getting into all kind of trouble.
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But there comes a time when being a safe Disney princess must come to an end, and it’s time to introduce the woman behind the character.
Miley Cyrus wanted her image to evolve, along with her fans, so she started letting her true self out. Her iconic and controversial photoshoot with Terry Richardson set the record straight: Hannah Montana was not so innocent anymore. She eventually got rowdier, and sexier, and became very vocal about her pro-marihuana ways. Skirts got shorter, and photoshoots got raunchier, and her antics got crazier and crazier. Despite her public persona and insane performances, the girl’s as sweet as apple pie. She’s a huge LGBT supporter, and a woman’s rights advocate.
Moises Arias played Rico in “Hanna Montana,” and ended up being remembered for being one of the funniest characters on the show.
He managed to score several roles in blockbuster movies, such as “Kings of Summer” and “Despicable Me 2.”
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Nowadays, Moises Arias is mostly known for hanging out with the right crowd.
He befriended none other than Kendall Jenner, Jaden Smith, Willow Smith, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner, whom he takes photos of, and he’s mostly known for his work as a photographer now.
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Nick Jonas, of The Jonas Brothers, managed to break little girl’s hearts and catapult himself to fame in no time.
Born in September 1992, the dreamy teen started his acting career at 7. In 2007, Nick and his brothers released their second studio album and became prominent figures with a huge following.
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The trio of teen brothers pulled a Britney when they announced they wanted to be celibate until marriage, and started wearing promised rings.
Now, Nick managed to distance himself from that virginal persona, and his brothers, when he released his solo studio album.
His 2014 singles entered the Billboard Hot 100. Nick became sexier with the years, and started focusing on writing and singing about relationships, sex, and love.
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Selena has always had a baby face and a very virginal demeanor which was perfectly tied with her Disney persona.
She starred in the “Wizards of Waverly Place” show, and immediately became a force to be reckoned with, with many singers and celebrities claiming they knew she’d skyrocket to fame on her own.
But it wasn’t until she released her solo album and started dating Justin Bieber that she became a worldwide phenomenon.
Their relationship was in the eye of the storm, with rumors stating Justin cheated on her over and over again. His fans, also known as Believers, were indisputably mad that he was dating anyone, let alone, Selena, and they tried their hardest to show a lack of support online, even bullying her. She’s now reportedly dating The Weeknd and is currently visiting Buenos Aires, Argentina, and enjoying her new relationship in a far away land.
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Demi Lovato got her break in the Disney movie “Camp Rock” and sent waves from an early beginning.
There was something about Demi that screamed “celebrity” the second you saw her act. She was a committed actress and singer, but back in the day, she wasn’t so vocal about body positivity as she is today.
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The beautiful singer momentarily quit her acting career and decided to focus on making music.
She went through many ups and downs due to her poor relationship with food, and openly confessed to having bulimia, self-harm and body issues, and problems with alcohol. She’s now the healthiest she’s ever been and is a body-positivity advocate and feminist.
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Stunningly gorgeous Bella Thorne starred in Disney’s “Shake it Up” and ended up being cast in many different movies after that.
Bella is of Cuban decent, with Spanish being her first language. She has starred in dozens of commercials, and even became the spokesperson for Texas Instruments for 2 years. She relocated to California to become an actress, and boy, did it pay off in the end!
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Bella started out pretty tame and innocent, because let’s face it, risqué and sexy doesn’t work for the Disney Channel! It’s pretty standard! You don’t want to see moms clutching their pearls in disbelief and boycotting the franchise!
But she moved on pretty fast from her earlier Disney days, and became a sexy young actress who’s not afraid to show a little skin, despite being only 19. Despite many claiming her future doesn’t seem as bright due to her sexual nature, and many conquests, Bella remains true to herself, and pretty transparent and offers a piece of advice for those who want her to be someone else: “Don’t try to impress people. Always be yourself!”
