<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dakota-fanning">Dakota Fanning</a> said that as a child star, she was asked “super-inappropriate questions” by the media — and she said it felt like people almost wanted her to fail.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/dakota-fanning-perfect-couple-ripley-interview.html">The Cut</a>, the 30-year-old actress — who has been part of Hollywood since she was 5 years old in movies like “Man on Fire,” “Uptown Girl,” and “I Am Sam” — said that in interviews at a young age, she remembers journalists asking her questions she thought were strange.
“‘How are you avoiding becoming a tabloid girl?’ 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?” She explained.
“I have a lot of compassion for people who have been made into examples,” Fanning said. “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.”
“I just didn’t fall into it, and I don’t know the exact reasons except that my family is comprised of very nice, kind, protective people,” she added. “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.”
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“It was never ‘Bring the kid in! Get her out!’” Fanning continued. “I wasn’t working with people who treated me that way — I was being respected as an actor and as equal as you can be for that age. Looking back on my life, my career is such a present part of it, but I really think about the childhood memories, too. My life doesn’t feel disproportionate with work, and I’m so grateful for that. I’m there doing work that matters.”
The “Twilight Saga: New Moon” star was also asked about the “perverse fetish” people have “for the fallen child actor” and added, “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 this kind of vibe from people almost wanting me to fail or something,” Fanning said. “It makes you feel a little bit guarded. I’m just living my life over here. I think also I was just a little too young for it to fully hit me. So that was good.”
“People couldn’t get away with that kind of thing so much anymore. By the time I got to that age, it was sort of being recognized as probably not the best way to treat people,” she added. “I also have some separation. I think that’s maybe something particular to me.”
“The work is the thing that I like,”  the Hollywood actress continued. “So the stuff that comes with it, this part of it, it’s not the thing that I like as much. I don’t get dressed to walk down the street. That’s just not me. I am just an actor. And the other things that come with it are things that you kind of deal with.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dakota-fanning-reveals-unique-birthday-present-she-gets-every-year-from-tom-cruise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dakota Fanning Reveals Unique Birthday Present She Gets Every Year From Tom Cruise</a>

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Dakota Fanning Says As Child Star It Felt Like People Wanted ‘Me To Fail’

Dakota Fanning Says As Child Star It Felt Like People Wanted 'Me To Fail…’

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Dakota Fanning revealed the unique birthday presents she has received every year from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tom-cruise-drops-behind-the-scenes-throwback-shots-in-honor-of-top-gun-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tom Cruise</a> since early in her career.
During the 30-year-old actress&#8217; appearance on “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6W0t6z9BgM">The Kelly Clarkson Show</a>,” the host mentioned how sweet she finds it that Cruise still sends Fanning a gift every year on her birthday, before sharing that the gift is always a new pair of shoes.
“I find this amazing that every year on your birthday, Tom Cruise actually still sends you a present on your birthday and says ‘Happy Birthday.’ That’s so nice,” Clarkson told the “Twilight” star, noting that it’s been more than a decade since Fanning worked with the &#8220;Top Gun&#8221; star on “War of the Worlds” in 2005.
Fanning said she turned 11 while the two were working on the movie together and he gave her her “first cell phone.”
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“It was a Motorola Razr,” Fanning recalled. “I didn’t have anyone to call but I just wanted a Razr so bad. And I must have been talking about it a lot because that’s what he got me. It was such great memory.”
However, since that time, she said Cruise has sent her the &#8220;same thing every year, after the cellphone&#8221; and that&#8217;s shoes, because he knows she&#8217;s loved them since she was very young.
“I started to be able to fit into really small adult shoes when I was on the ‘War of the Worlds’ press tour so I was very excited about them,” Fanning said. “And so, from that birthday on, he always sends me shoes.”
Clarkson replied that the actress “must have a massive shoe collection brought to you by Tom Cruise,” and Fanning just responded with a big laugh.
The “Top Gun: Maverick” star is well known for gifting his friends unique presents, like a white chocolate coconut cake he sends a few fellow celebrities every year for Christmas. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tom-hanks-spills-details-on-the-christmas-gift-he-gets-every-year-from-tom-cruise">Tom Hanks</a> recently talked about this cake that he said his family and entire staff look forward to every year.
“This cake is so great,” he added. “You can really only have it once a year. Which works out perfectly because I don’t order it. It arrives as a gift at Christmas.”
“Now, I’m gonna drop a name now, and I don’t want you to go berserk, but this is a big name,” Hanks continued. “Not everybody gets this white chocolate coconut bundt cake. This is a Christmas gift that we get every year from Tom Cruise.”
The “Forrest Gump” star said he’s not the only one who eagerly waits for the cake to arrive, but the entire staff at his production studio does as well.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mission-impossible-co-stars-reveal-wild-gifts-from-tom-cruise-during-shoot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Mission: Impossible’ Co-Stars Reveal Wild Gifts From Tom Cruise During Shoot</a>

Dakota Fanning Reveals Unique Birthday Present She Gets Every Year From Tom Cruise

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Dakota Fanning Says As Child Star It Felt Like People Wanted ‘Me To Fail’

Dakota Fanning Reveals Unique Birthday Present She Gets Every Year From Tom Cruise