﻿Cole Sprouse has been loved by the public for decades. From playing an adorable nerd
in "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" to being a part of the teen show "Riverdale," fans have
always appreciated the actor's work. However, his recent interview on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast
has left some admirers with a bittersweet taste. Fans disliked his comments, even if he did open
up about some tough experiences. In the end, the star went viral for maybe the wrong reasons.
Cole Sprouse began acting professionally alongside his brother Dylan when the twins were just babies.
As a young child, Cole participated in projects as successful as "Friends"
and the Adam Sandler film "Big Daddy." In the podcast, the actor revealed that
he never got into the industry by choice but rather because his family needed the money.
Especially, his mother, Melanie, who struggled with mental health and addiction issues.
Sprouse's parents divorced before the twins were even two years old. Their
mother was unable to manage her finances, which led to her losing custody when Cole
and Dylan were 10. The "Riverdale" star has explained that he and his brother had
to go through a "lengthy court battle." The actor also made the shocking revelation
that his mother had spent all his and Dylan's earnings at the time, which means the actor has
no savings from anything he did before working at Disney! Cole explained that he doesn't blame his
mother for losing his money, but he feels sad that she couldn't get out of her bad mental state.
Sprouse revealed that he believed his mother's state was the consequence of
"some weird alchemy of addiction and mental instability." He described his relationship
with his mum as "probably the greatest wound in my life."
Cole confessed that Melanie still writes him a "weird hieroglyphic text" occasionally and that
they have a very challenged relationship. Although the actor has tried to get his
mother to be okay and his family to be together, he knows that he has failed.
The star added that he misses his mother a lot and appreciates that she's an artist.
"Most of us only join the arts because we're pretty fucked up," he added. The main reason he
is still in the entertainment industry is because he knows his mom believed he could be the best.
After Melanie lost custody, the twins stayed with their father full-time. Their dad wanted
them to have normal lives. However, getting the lead roles in the Disney Channel show "The Suite
Life of Zack and Cody" became the "Golden Ticket" that finally gave them financial stability.
Cole confessed that he now feels like he was "trading my childhood."
For decades, he has felt conflicted with the entertainment industry because of how closely
he was watched as a kid. Still, the star added that he doesn't regret being a part of the show.
Since he needed the money, the young actor also felt like he couldn't complain about anything,
unlike other Disney kids who he said "came from privilege."
When the host asked if he was friends with any other former Disney kids, Sprouse explained
that he wasn't close to his peers because he was a "fucking asshole" as a kid.
The actor was an atheist, so he didn't wear the "purity ring" that many other
Disney kids sported at the time. In fact, he was so opposed to the idea that other
children thought he was "radioactive." Cole described his young self as an "angry
kid" and summarized the whole experience saying he wasn't the most popular.
Growing up in the spotlight also contributed to Cole's unhappiness. However, he doesn't
just blame the entertainment industry but believes that the audience contributes
to the instability of child actors. For years, Cole struggled with being
recognizable. Both he and his brother decided to go to college to get away from child acting,
although the two have gone back to acting since. The star also got candid about some intimate
moments that happened during his teens, like when he lost his virginity at just
14 years old. Sprouse was on a family trip to Florida and had relations with an older girl,
who he never talked to again. The performer explained that many
moments associated with the memory now made him cringe. For example, when he asked his brother
Dylan and their mutual friend to leave their hotel room so he could take the girl there.
Dylan wondered what they were supposed to do during that time and Cole replied with "I dunno,
go play chess or something." Sprouse admitted that he regretted
the experience because he hadn't made it special. In fact, it turned him into a
"serial monogamist" who went from long-term relationship to long-term relationship.
The only thing the star is happy about is that his brother Dylan,
who lost his virginity later, learned from his example and decided to do things differently.
Cole still has a great relationship with his brother, and he revealed the
two talk every day. When he had to move to Vancouver to film "Riverdale," Cole
struggled with being away from Dylan since it was the furthest the two had ever been.
Of course, talking about virginity led to questions regarding the star's relationships.
Cole made the shocking revelation that he had been cheated on in almost all his relationships.
However, he clarified that he meant "emotional cheating." The star has only been "physically
cheated on" once by his first girlfriend. Sprouse explained that he doesn't blame any
of his partners for whatever issues they might have had in the past. At the time,
he was also younger and more immature. In his words, "not the greatest partner either."
The star went on to talk about his relationship and breakup with his "Riverdale" co-star Lili
Reinhart. The couple first sparked romance rumours in 2017 and split up three years later.
During the interview, Sprouse suggested that their work environment was the reason Reinhart and he
got together in the first place since they were in a foreign city and had an intense schedule.
The two were also dealing with the public scrutiny
that came with the overnight success of "Riverdale" and leaned on each other.
Sprouse confessed that because he and Lili worked together it made it harder to leave
the relationship. "I think if I had loved myself a little more, I probably would have
left a little earlier," he said, adding that he should maybe be more selfish.
Cole initially described the breakup as "mutual" but then said he was the one to ultimately leave
the relationship. The actor also admitted that he and Lili did "some damage" to each other.
Working together after the split was tough. "It was really hard for both of
us. And that's okay," Cole said. The "Suite Life" star explained that they couldn't
"suspend" the way they felt about each other and couldn't get the distance they needed.
The stars didn't reveal they had split until months after their breakup,
with Cole confirming the news through Instagram. The actor had decided to tell the truth because he
had been photographed with other women, which had led fans to believe he was cheating on Reinhart.
In his post, the star said he was grateful for having had the chance to fall in love and said he
wished Lili love and happiness moving forward. With time, Sprouse moved on. During the "Call
Her Daddy" interview, he opened up about his current relationship with model Ari Fournier,
saying it has woken him up to what real compatibility and trust look like. Cole and
Ari have been dating since early 2021. Many fans were upset that Cole had aired
"dirty laundry" about his relationship with Lily. Especially, since they were filming "Riverdale"
together at the time, and the actress would have to work with him after listening to his comments.
They also believed the actor's remarks were humiliating and were
shocked after all the beautiful things Cole had previously said about their romance.
Viewers criticized Sprouse's attitude during the podcast as well, with most saying he was
being pretentious and full of himself. The star was also slammed for smoking during the podcast,
with fans saying he was attempting "sexy smoking" even though he was indoors.
A video excerpt of the interview got so popular on social media that Cole's smoking quickly
turned into a viral meme, with users saying things like "Cole Sprouse has the energy of
the worst person you met in your intro to philosophy class" and describing the
situation as "the cringiest thing ever." Cole has yet to respond to the backlash,
and we are curious if he ever will. Do you think he deserved it? And what is
your opinion on his comments about Lili? Whatever happens, we are glad Cole found
the courage to talk about his difficult childhood and hope all is well between
him and Lili. Here at Rumour Juice, we wish the actors the best personally and professionally.