As Jenna Ortega gets more used to the attention Wednesday fame has brought her, there’s one part of her life she has decided to keep to herself: whether or not she’s dating anyone.
In a new Vanity Fair cover story, the 21-year-old actress said, “I don’t plan on speaking about my love life publicly, because that’s mine. When you know too much about someone’s personal life, then you watch films and you can only see them [who they are off-screen rather than the character they’re playing]. There’s nothing worse.” The outlet noted that she does understand why celebrities date other celebrities, as so few people understand the experience they live.
She also discussed how she looks at fame more broadly, saying, “A majority of the last year and a half has felt very far from me. [It’s almost like a sci-fi thriller], very dissociative and alien and out-of-body. When people mention my name, it’s almost like my name has been taken from me. Now I just feel like I’m floating and…I’m up for interpretation.”
Celebrity itself is “absolutely ridiculous,” she added. “I remember feeling really wrong for resisting it [fame].” Now being on the other side of it, “I think if anybody were in my shoes and reacted to it in a welcoming manner, there’s something severely wrong with you,” she said.
Ortega generally keeps her social media professionally-focused. Though back in June she shared a rare glimpse of her personal life. “My love extends itself,” she captioned a carousel of farm visit photos that racked up 3.5 million likes.
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.