Dakota Fanning shares heartbreaking reality of ‘super-inappropriate’ question she was asked as child-star

The former child actress opened up about some of the struggles she faced from the media

Former child star Dakota Fanning has revealed some of the things she had to go through in the early stages of her acting career.

Fanning has been a part of the film industry for over two decades now, a mean feat given that she’s just 30-years-old.

Known for her roles in titles such as The Cat in the Hat, Charlotte’s Web and Coraline – and most recently, Netflix’s The Perfect Couple – Fanning has more than left her mark on Hollywood.

But being a child star comes with its own challenges as it’s easy to be lead down the wrong path.

Dakota Fanning has given a rare insight into how life was as a child actor (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

We’ve seen it countless times with young actors, but the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star was careful not to fall victim to these pressures, explaining how she was asked some weird questions in her earlier years which she branded as ‘super-inappropriate’.

The young celebrity was acting at the age of six and went on to work with the likes of Chris Evans, Denzel Washington and Tom Cruise, and she recently opened up on her rise to fame to The Cut.

It can be hard to grow up in the spotlight, as Fanning admitted that she had ‘compassion’ for ‘people who have been made into examples’ such as Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.

“If society and the media hadn’t played their part, who knows? I don’t think that it’s necessarily connected a hundred percent to being in this business; there are other factors, too,” she said of the unwanted attention she received.

Fanning in the 2003 children’s film The Cat in the Hat (Universal Pictures)

Fanning also cited the cautionary tales of other ‘fallen child stars’ that were ‘deeply shoved down my throat’ as another reason why she kept herself in check.

Speaking more on the questions she was asked, Fanning shared: “I remember journalists asking me, ‘How are you avoiding becoming a tabloid girl?’”

She added: “People would ask super-inappropriate questions. I was in an interview as a child and somebody asked, ‘How could you possibly have any friends?’ It’s like, Huh?

“It’s like, ‘Is that what you want to happen to me somehow?’ ‘Is that what you want to happen to these people?’ I’ve definitely felt like this kind of vibe from people almost wanting me to fail or something. It makes you feel a little bit guarded,” she said about the media’s ‘fetish’ for the ‘fallen child actor’.

The former child star spoke about some personal questions that she would get asked (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

The Twilight star did admit that she might have been too young for everything to hit her at the time, as well.

Luckily, Fanning grew up before social media went into full swing and acknowledged the ‘pressures’ that still exist in the entertainment industry, but firmly stated: “There’s more freedom to just be a f**king person (now).”

“If you look back to the early 2000s, if you pick up an Us Weekly from then, it’s crazy the way it was totally normal then to discuss someone’s cellulite,” she explained to the publication, something that she said was ‘outrageous’ and ‘unacceptable’.

Fanning credits her family for shaping her into the person that she is today (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)

Fanning, whose sister Elle is also an actress, gave credit to her family for the person that she has become.

“I don’t know the exact reasons except that my family is comprised of very nice, kind, protective people,” she said.

“I have a mother who taught me how to treat other people and also how to treat myself.

“And she was there every second. I was always treated with respect.”