ON BENDED KNEE

Actress Bella Thorne has recently captured the attention of her fans after sharing personal snippets of her getting down on one knee and proposing to her fiancé, Mark Emms.

The former "Shake It Up" actress returned the favour after Emms proposed to her in May 2023, a year into their relationship.

In the Instagram caption accompanying the clips, Thorn wrote: "3 years ago we met,1 year later he proposed, Now 1 year later so did I 🥴❤️."

She included photos and videos of the occasion at home, surrounded by candles, flowers and heart-shaped balloons. 

Since sharing the moment on social media, Thorne has been trending and has had to respond to online critics who believe that she should have kept these videos in her gallery. 

@keahlatho said: "Ok, ladies, let’s not normalise this, okay?"

@x_daniella_x commented: "This one shoulda stayed in the gallery sis," and @lillybirday_ wrote: "Girl! Please get up! Get up!! What’re you doing?! GET UP!

On the flip side, there were also many supportive comments, @sabrinaw5_ wrote: "I think this is so wonderful, honestly. It shows that both parties want the same thing, and men deserve beautiful proposals too. Congratulations to you both!!"

After reading the comments, Thorne posted on her Instagram Stories: "The comments on my post are hilarious!

"Totally split down the middle. Half of u are like let's not normalise proposing to your partner - other half is like f*** yeah girl power this is the sweetest!!" 

Thorne is not alone in her courageous move to challenge conventions around proposals. 

The trend of women taking the initiative has seen popular female celebrities like Rita Ora, who proposed to Taika Waititi in 2022 and Pink, who popped the question to motocross racer Carey Hart after four years together. 

Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg turned down many proposals, but she proposed to her husband, Barry Diller, when she was ready. 

Also, in the early 2000s, pop culture royalty Britney Spears and Kevin Federline went outside the norm for their engagement. Spears spontaneously proposed to him on a flight, but sadly, they divorced three years later.

Other female celebrities include Jodie Turner-Smith, who proposed to "Dawson’s Creek" actor Joshua Jackson, and the late Elizabeth Taylor, who proposed to her second husband, Michael Wilding.