Bella Poarch has opened up about her past.
The TikTok star appeared on the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast this week and spoke about her experience in the military— an element of mystery to Bella’s back story.
After finding viral fame in mid-2020 for her quirky rendition of Millie B’s ‘M to the B’ — which became the most-liked video on TikTok within a matter of weeks— Bella solidified herself as a creator to watch. Known for her childlike facial expressions coupled with seamlessly timed lip-syncing (usually on superzoom), Bella quickly captivated millions, carving out a space for herself among TikTok’s top creators.
Unlike many of her peers, however, Bella’s story was not well-known. Despite her popularity, there was always an air of mystery around the star which added to her appeal— including theories about her legal name and questions about her real age.
In November 2022, Bella shocked fans when she filed for divorce from a secret husband.
According to TMZ, the influencer was married to a man named Tyler Poarch for four years. The couple got married in January 2019 and Bella kept him off her social media platforms, even prior to posting her first TikTok video in April 2020.
Though Bella didn’t hide her military background on social media, she refrained from opening up about her experience to her followers.
Now, three years into her social media fame, the ‘Build a Bitch‘ singer sat down for a candid talk with Alex Cooper on ‘Call Her Daddy’ and shared that she was sexually assaulted during her first year in the military.
“Something really fucked up happened to me in the military, as well,” she said through tears. “So my first year in the military, I got sexually assaulted. I was 18.”
Bella said that at first, she didn’t want to speak up about it.
“But the women that I was surrounded with, they kind of like, they knew something was wrong,” she said. “I showed up to work and they were like, ‘Why do you have so many cuts on your face? Why do you have bruises on your neck? What’s going on?’ I just started crying.”
Bella went on to say the women around her encouraged her to speak up about what happened, for which she is “very grateful.”
After a long process, her assaulter was sentenced to four years in prison.
During the interview, Bella also addressed her secret marriage and divorce, saying she met her ex-husband in the military. They got married at 19 and she called it “love at first sight.”
Fans are praising Bella for opening up about this traumatic experience during her first year in the military.
Watch the full episode via Spotify.