Actor who played 12-year-old kissing grown woman in Disney movie responds to calls for film to be removed
Brian Bonsall, star of the film Blank Check, has recently responded to criticism regarding a controversial scene from the 1994 Disney movie. Bonsall was only 12 years old when he starred in the comedy flick which follows a young boy’s journey after he inherits a blank check and uses it to buy a house under an alter ego.
When the film was initially released, it received mixed reviews but didn’t stir up any particular controversy, however, people have recently rewatched Blank Check and called out a particular moment that shows Bonsall being kissed by his then-31-year-old female co-star.
@90snostalgiatrip The math really isn’t math-in on this one. That kids like 9. #blankcheck #90s #90skids #nostalgia #90snostalgia #fyp #foryou #throwbacks #90saesthetic #1990s #blastfromthepast #nickelodeon #nick #snick
♬ original sound - 90’s Nostalgia Trip!
A lot of people have taken to social media to share their disgust and criticism of this moment:
That kiss scene in blank check has to be one of the most awkward & uncomfortable scenes ever..Lbs
— Theo Benedet’s Agent (@romello_jordan) April 7, 2021
Who thought that shit was a good idea?
Hey, yall remember how wild the 90s were?
— 𝚂𝙾𝚄𝚃𝙷𝙿𝙰𝚆 𝙴𝚇𝙲𝙴𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚂𝙼 (@SouthpawLeftist) March 18, 2024
In “Blank Check”, an 11-yr old boy goes on a date with a 32-yr old woman, then they agree to meet up again when he’s 17, and then they kiss.
90s….amirite?! pic.twitter.com/xr7ZbAMOYf
Blank check (1994)- 2/10
— erin ♡ (@erinshae123) June 20, 2020
Wtf that relationship between the woman and the boy was just creepy!! The woman was 31 and the boy was 11 and they kissed in the last scene and that’s just wrong. Like I’m so confused at this storyline too but the rest of the film was okay I guess.
When will Disney answer for the adult-child mouth kiss in blank check
— just a kindly old spinster lady (@Meg_or_Maggie) July 28, 2020
Moreover, many netizens have called out Disney for removing certain LGBTQIA+ TV shows and films from the platform for being too adult but still leaving Blank Check as available to watch.
One example is the streaming platform removing the Love, Simon spin-off Love, Victor—a move that a lot of critics have said is reflective of Disney’s inherent issue with hosting queer TV shows or films that aren’t what it considers to be ‘PG’.
So Disney+ gave Love, Viktor to Hulu because it wasnt family friendly. But they kept Blank Check, a film where a 30 year old woman kisses a 12 year old child. Solid.
— Tadhg 🏳️🌈 (@RainbowTadhger) June 27, 2020
With the film receiving so much attention recently, Bonsall took to Facebook to dispel rumours that he had a negative experience, stating: “I had an absolute blast filming this movie! Everyone was a joy to work with and it’s awesome to see so many people still enjoy it!”
