Jenna Ortega Speaks Out on Twitter's Toxic Impact

Jenna Ortega is candidly discussing the darker side of being a child star in today’s social media-driven world. The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice actress, who started her career at just 9 years old, has opened up about her unsettling experiences with AI-generated content and the impact it has had on her life.

In an interview on The New York Times' The Interview podcast, Ortega expressed her disdain for AI, despite acknowledging its potential benefits. She remarked, “I hate AI. It can do amazing things, like detecting breast cancer early, which is wonderful. But seeing inappropriate edited images of me as a child was terrifying and corrupt.”

Ortega likened the advent of AI technology to "Pandora’s box," implying that its consequences are now unavoidable. She shared her unsettling early experiences with explicit content, recalling, “The first direct message I ever opened at age 12 was an unsolicited explicit photo from a man. That was just the start.”

The actress also explained why she chose to delete her X (formerly Twitter) account following the success of her Netflix series Wednesday. She revealed that the influx of disturbing images and the pressure to maintain an online presence led her to step away. “I ended up deleting it about two or three years ago because of the influx of absurd images and the overall discomfort,” Ortega said.

Reflecting on her rise to fame, Ortega admitted that managing her mental health and insecurities has become increasingly difficult. Despite her growing success, she struggles with self-criticism and the pressure of public scrutiny. “I’m really working on not being so self-critical and trying to enjoy myself more,” she said. “I should be having so much fun right now, and I try to remind myself of that.”

Ortega's journey from early roles in Iron Man 3 and Jane the Virgin to her breakout performance in Wednesday has brought her significant fame, but it has also made navigating the challenges of public life more complex.