"My parents wouldn't allow me and my brother to talk at home – to just have no voice at all. We were only allowed to say yes or no. That's how I grew up in the Philippines."

She created the most-liked video in TikTok history without speaking a single word. Just a girl bobbing her head, eyes wide, saying nothing. For anyone else, that might seem random. For Bella Poarch, silence has always been her superpower. For most of her life, it was her only option.

What drives someone who was forbidden to speak to become one of the most-watched people on the planet? The answer lies in understanding how a traumatic childhood shaped an unlikely path to viral fame. And why her quiet presence resonates with millions who've also felt invisible.

TL;DR: Why Bella Poarch is an Enneagram Type 9
  • Silent Stardom: Bella's viral "M to the B" video required no words, just presence. This mirrors Type 9's pattern of communicating through being rather than asserting. Making impact without confrontation.
  • Childhood Erasure: Growing up forbidden to speak, with no friends allowed, Bella learned early that her voice didn't matter. This is the defining Type 9 wound: feeling overlooked and adapting by minimizing yourself to keep the peace.
  • Conflict Avoidance Turned Creative: Instead of fighting back against abuse, she escaped through the military, then TikTok, then music. Type 9s don't confront. They find alternative paths to express what they've suppressed.
  • Integration to Achievement: Her music career, Forbes 30 Under 30 recognition, and speaking openly about trauma show healthy Type 9 growth. Moving from passive presence to active self-expression.
  • Defending Others Over Self: During the tattoo controversy, Bella accepted attacks on herself but drew the line when people targeted Filipinos. Classic Type 9: passive about personal slights, protective of others and causes they care about.

What is Bella Poarch's Personality Type?

Bella Poarch is an Enneagram Type 9

Type 9s are called "The Peacemakers" for a reason. Their core motivation is to maintain inner and outer peace, avoid conflict, and stay connected to others. But beneath that calm exterior often lies a lifetime of suppressed needs and unspoken truths.

The Type 9 childhood wound typically involves feeling overlooked or like their presence doesn't matter. They learn to merge with others' agendas, go along to get along, and keep their own desires quiet to avoid disruption.

"I wasn't allowed to have friends. That's how bad it was."

Bella's childhood wasn't just difficult. It was designed to erase her. She couldn't speak at home. Couldn't have friends. Was physically and emotionally abused while her sisters were treated differently. The message was clear: your voice, your needs, your presence, none of it matters.

This is Type 9 trauma in its most extreme form. It explains everything about how she became famous.

Bella Poarch's Upbringing: A Voice Stolen Before It Could Form

Born Denarie Bautista Taylor (then Belinda Marie Macadengdeng Batumbakal) in Pangasinan, Philippines, Bella spent her first three years being raised by her grandmother in the slums. Her biological mother couldn't afford to care for her. That grandmother became a lifeline she'd return to.

She kept in touch with her grandmother until her death in recent years. Despite everything, Bella still isn't interested in reaching out to her biological parents. But that grandmother connection? She maintained it. A thread to where she began.

At three years old, she was adopted by Kenneth Taylor, an American military veteran, and his Filipino wife Eden. What should have been a rescue became another form of imprisonment.

"My father was verbally and physically abusive, while my mother did not get involved, but remained complicit."

From age seven, she worked on the family farm with her brother. The two of them bore the abuse together while their adoptive sisters, still in the Philippines, received different treatment. They were each other's only allies. Sneaking into the living room together to watch anime. Working side by side on the farm. Surviving the same impossible rules.

"Actually, the abuse didn't start when they adopted me. It was good up until I was six. When I was seven, that's when it started when we got all the animals in the farm."

The abuse continued when the family moved to the United States when Bella was 13. Neighbors could hear her father yelling at her. Her brother experienced the same treatment.

What happened to him? Bella keeps her siblings' information private. She sometimes mentions them when speaking but never reveals names or details. Whether they're still close, whether he found his own escape route, remains unknown. But that shared childhood bond, two kids forbidden to speak, finding solace in stolen moments of anime, shaped who she became.

She speaks Tagalog, Pangasinense, and Ilokano, but at home, she was forbidden to speak Filipino. Forbidden to make friends. Every natural childhood desire met with restriction.

"My parents would pack me Filipino food for lunch, and I would get made fun of because of the way it smelled. Kids would make fun of me because of the way I looked and call me 'Ling Ling.'"

At school, discrimination. At home, abuse. There was nowhere Bella could simply exist as herself.

This is why Type 9s often develop rich inner worlds. The outer world tells them they don't belong in it.

Bella Poarch's Rise to Fame: Escaping Through Structure, Then Screens

At 17, Bella made a calculated Type 9 move: she joined the Navy.

"I just didn't want to be there forever. And so, the military was one way out. I also just didn't want to be like, run away and be homeless. So yeah, that was my one option."

This wasn't rebellion. It was escape. Type 9s under stress move toward Type 6 patterns, seeking security and structure. The military offered exactly that: a rigid environment where she could "just do her job" without navigating complex emotional terrain.

She served as an Aviation Ordnanceman for three years, stationed in Japan and Hawaii. The structure helped. The trauma didn't disappear.

"My mental health was getting really bad in the military and so the doctors decided not to renew my contract and advised me to take a break. I was really depressed, my PTSD was getting worse. I was very suicidal to the point that I always have a roommate to watch over me."

When her military career ended in 2020, she turned to TikTok. And here's where the Type 9 genius emerged.

On August 17, 2020, she posted a simple video: her face zoomed in, head bobbing to Millie B's "M to the B," animated expressions, a Band-Aid on her chin. No words. No explanation. Just presence.

It took her two hours and about a hundred drafts to perfect. By December, it had 500 million views. Today, it remains TikTok's most-liked video with over 800 million views.

A girl who was never allowed to speak created the most popular video on the internet without saying a word.

The Perfectionist Behind the Viral Moment

That 10-second video took two hours and roughly a hundred drafts to perfect. This wasn't luck. It was obsessive attention to detail.

"The Navy taught me a lot of lessons and I guess the most important one was to be patient. Not a lot of people have patience. It also taught me how to be detail oriented so, when it comes to music, I'm kind of a perfectionist."

Type 9s often struggle with inertia. The tendency to get stuck, to avoid putting themselves out there until everything feels safe. But when they do act, that same energy that kept them paralyzed transforms into meticulous care. A hundred drafts isn't indecision. It's someone who finally has agency over her own image making sure every detail is exactly right.

This perfectionism would define her entire creative career.

Bella Poarch's Personality: The Quiet Observer Who Watches Everything

The Shy Introvert Who Captivates Millions

"I myself struggle with confidence. I am a very shy person sometimes."

This isn't false modesty. Bella genuinely describes herself as introverted and socially awkward.

"I was a very shy kid and I was quiet and so I didn't really develop my social self. Even in the Navy, all I did was do my job; I didn't really have to talk to people."

The first time she set foot in a mall was at 18, while in the military, to buy her first phone. This level of isolation shaped a personality that observes more than participates. Classic Type 9 behavior.

The Gamer and Anime Lover

Gaming and anime became Bella's escape routes. Tokyo Ghoul and Death Note are her favorite series. She loves Hatsune Miku so much it inspired her to visit Japan. Minecraft, Fortnite, Tekken, Valorant, Call of Duty. She plays them all.

"I wasn't allowed to watch anime growing up, so me and my brother would sneak into the living room to watch certain shows. Anime is so special to me - it's a part of myself that I choose to portray on TikTok."

This explains her aesthetic: the kawaii looks, the cosplay, the colorful transformations. These aren't just content strategies. They're reclaiming the childhood she never had.

The Tim Burton Darkness

"I take a lot of inspiration from Tim Burton films and anime. The darkness really comes from that."

There are two Bellas: the rosy-cheeked kawaii version and the "baddie" all-black version. This duality reflects the Type 9 experience. A peaceful surface with darker depths, maintained because fully expressing the pain feels too overwhelming.

Finding Her People

Type 9s merge. They absorb the energy of whoever they're around. For someone who was never allowed to have friends, finding her people became a form of healing.

Her closest friend is Valkyrae (Rachell Hofstetter), fellow Filipino, gaming streamer, and the person who appears in three of Bella's music videos. The two act like they've known each other their whole lives. That's what happens when two people from similar backgrounds finally find each other.

"I mean, they're all my friends. I just love having my friends in my music videos. Sometimes people are like, 'That's so random.' You have Bretman Rock and then you have Valkyrae and then you have Grimes and Madison Beer, but I just like being around cool and chill people."

Her music videos are practically friend reunions: Bretman Rock in "Build a Bitch" (she playfully calls him "cousin"), Grimes literally hitting her in the face during the "Dolls" video, Madison Beer, Chloe Cherry, even Hasan Piker. For someone who couldn't have friends growing up, she now puts them on screen for millions to see.

She's also connected with BLACKPINK members Rosé and Jennie (photographed together in LA), and follows Filipino stars like Heart Evangelista and Kathryn Bernardo. The girl who was isolated now has a galaxy of creative friends. And uses her platform to show that they exist.

The Hidden Marriage

Perhaps the most Type 9 thing about Bella: she was secretly married for four years and nobody knew.

She met Tyler Poarch at 19 during her Navy service. He proposed after two months with a necklace instead of a ring. He couldn't afford one. They eloped in Hawaii in January 2019.

No wedding photos online. No couples content. No ring visible in videos. Complete privacy in the age of oversharing.

"Bella Poarch being married for 4 years and no one knew is the level of privacy I admire," one fan tweeted when news of her divorce filing broke in November 2022.

Her fame strained the marriage. Tyler didn't want the spotlight. They divorced amicably in 2023.

And here's the most Type 9 detail of all: she kept his last name. Not just for branding. She prefers it to her adoptive father's. The name "Poarch" became hers. Separate from the man, separate from the marriage, but also separate from the family that abused her. Even post-divorce, she maintained the peace. No dramatic name change. No public separation of identity. Just keeping what worked.

Bella Poarch's Major Accomplishments

Breaking TikTok Records

Beyond the most-liked video, Bella became the fourth most-followed person on TikTok (behind Charli D'Amelio and others) and the most-followed creator from the Philippines. By 2025, she has over 94 million followers.

But numbers don't capture what she actually achieved: proving that you don't need to be loud, controversial, or constantly performing to capture attention. Sometimes, quiet presence is enough.

Building a Music Career from Silence

Music was never the plan. Until it was always the plan.

Between the viral lip-syncs, Bella quietly posted acoustic covers on TikTok, playing ukulele and singing songs that resonated with her. People noticed. She'd been singing since childhood, but nobody had ever told her she was any good.

Then Warner Records noticed too. She started working with producers like Benny Blanco and Ryan Tedder before signing.

Stefan Max, senior VP of A&R at Warner Records, said: "The first time I heard Bella in the studio it was obvious that she'd been singing for a long time. I couldn't believe the amount of musical talent she had hiding."

Hiding. That word. Of course her talent was hiding. She'd spent her entire life learning to hide.

"I feel like I found my family and part of that family is the label. When I looked up some of the artists that meant the most to me musically like Prince, Dua Lipa, and Madonna, I realized Warner has helped all of those people along the way too."

In May 2021, she officially signed with Warner Records. Her debut single "Build a Bitch" directly addressed her past:

"Growing up, I used to get bullied and stuff... I wanted my first song to have a good meaning to it and to help a lot of people just be more confident about themselves."

The song peaked at #56 on Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts in India, Malaysia, and Singapore. Her 2022 EP "Dolls" featured Grimes and showcased a cohesive dark pop aesthetic.

Rolling Stone noted the EP "succeeds because of Poarch's commitment to a unified aesthetic, as well as the economy she applies to her songwriting."

Forbes Recognition

In 2022, Forbes included her on the 30 Under 30 list. From a farm in the Philippines where she wasn't allowed to speak, to a list of America's most influential young entrepreneurs. Type 9s move slowly. But they move.

Bella Poarch's Controversies: When Silence Breaks

The Rising Sun Tattoo

In September 2020, as her fame was exploding, people noticed a tattoo on her arm: a rising sun with 16 rays and a heart in the center. The Rising Sun flag is considered offensive by many Koreans, a symbol of Japanese imperialism comparable to the swastika.

Bella immediately apologized:

"I apologize to Koreans because 6 months ago I got a tattoo of the red sun with 16 rays. At that time, I didn't know the history. But when I found out, I immediately had it covered and scheduled for removal. I am ashamed of myself for not doing my research."

She handled it with the Type 9 instinct: acknowledge, apologize, avoid further conflict. But then something shifted.

Defending Her People

Some Korean netizens didn't accept the apology. They posted racist comments targeting not just Bella, but all Filipinos, calling them "poor," "non-educated," and "short." The hashtag #CancelKorea began trending.

Here's where we see a healthier Type 9 emerge:

"Y'all can attack me. I'm ok with that. But when y'all attack Philippines and make fun of them, that's when I lose my shit."

Type 9s will absorb personal attacks to maintain peace. But attack something they care deeply about, their people, their identity, their values, and the dormant anger finally surfaces. This wasn't aggression for its own sake. It was righteous boundary-setting from someone who'd spent a lifetime having none.

Bella Poarch's Legacy and Current Work

Bella Poarch in 2024-2025: The Evolution

Five years after the "M to the B" video, Bella Poarch is no longer just a viral moment. She's an artist with over 2 billion streams, 92.8 million TikTok followers, and 2.4 billion likes.

Her content has evolved beyond the silent expression videos that made her famous. She still posts lip-syncs and aesthetic content, but now they're interspersed with music promotion, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and moments with friends. The "kawaii" Bella and the "dark" Bella still coexist. But there's a third Bella emerging. One who speaks, shares, and shows up as more than just an image.

Her appearance has also transformed dramatically since 2020. Fans have documented the changes extensively: a more sculpted face, different features, an overall look that differs significantly from her early TikTok days. Whether through makeup mastery, natural changes, or professional help, the transformation is undeniable. But here's what matters from a Type 9 lens: this is someone who had no control over anything for most of her life. Not her voice, not her friendships, not even what she could watch on TV. Now she has complete agency over her own image. Whatever she's doing, she's doing it for herself.

Recent singles show her musical evolution: "Sweet Delusion" (October 2024), "Will You Always Love Her?" (March 2025), and the bilingual collab "F* OFF" with Kenia OS. The Wednesday Season 2 soundtrack features her covers of "Zombie" and "Don't Fear The Reaper," the latter woven with Wednesday's cello. Dark, quiet, perfect for her.

Mental Health Advocacy

Bella uses her platform to discuss PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideation openly. She's in consistent therapy and credits creative expression, especially music, as a healing tool.

"My parents were not allowing me to speak whenever I wanted to. Now that I'm able to create music and be vocal about my feelings, I'm glad to share my thoughts and express myself, and to be able to help other people, with my music."

Returning Home

In May 2025, Bella returned to the Philippines for the first time in 14 years. She explored Bohol, ate Filipino food, and even went farming. A homecoming to the land where her voice was first stolen. Now reclaimed.

She graced the cover of Vogue Philippines in October 2025.

The Debut Album

At the 2024 Gold Gala, she revealed her debut album is 70% complete.

"This type of Bella is definitely going to be different from the Dolls EP Bella and the 'F OFF' Bella. She's gonna be more raw and authentic... more emotional and stripped down."*

She elaborated on a podcast: "It is a very emotional album. It's literally about the best and worst experiences that I've had in my entire life."

For a Type 9 learning to use her voice, this is the work of integration. The silent girl becoming loud. The hidden talent becoming visible. The worst experiences finally named, finally expressed, finally released.

"Music is therapy to me. I have really bad anxiety and I'm very anxious around people, but singing calms me down."

The album is expected in 2025. It will be her first full-length project. A complete statement from someone who spent most of her life making none.

The Girl Who Never Needed Words

Bella Poarch's story is a masterclass in Type 9 survival. When you're not allowed to exist, you find alternative ways to be seen. When speaking brings punishment, you communicate through presence. When the world tries to erase you, you become the most-watched person on the planet without saying a word.

Her journey from a silenced child on a Philippine farm to a global music artist isn't just impressive. It's the natural trajectory of a Type 9 learning that their presence matters, their voice has value, and peace doesn't require self-erasure.

What part of Bella Poarch's story resonates with your own experience of feeling unheard? And what would happen if, like her, you found a way to express it anyway?

Disclaimer: This analysis of Bella Poarch's Enneagram type is speculative, based on publicly available information, and may not reflect her actual personality type.