Friendships Absolutely Destroyed By On-Set Feuds

There's something particularly addictive to watching our favorite Tinseltown greats get caught in bitter spats. It's no new phenomenon, either. Tales of on-screen legends fighting for the spotlight, or leading stars sparring with directors is as old as time — who could forget the iconic Old Hollywood rivalry on the set of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford? It was so well-known, in fact, that even Ryan Murphy, producer of American Horror Story, created a series centered on the beef.

And how about the epic showdown between Faye Dunaway and Roman Polanski? It's no secret that the duo clashed heavily during the filming of Chinatown, and rumor even has it that the director even denied Dunaway bathroom breaks — causing her to allegedly urinate in a cup and throw it at his face. 

While some of Hollywood's A-listers were forced to work together and weren't even amicable to begin with, others were brought together by a mutual respect for one another, only to have their relationship shattered by vicious on-set feuds. Let's take a look at some memorable friendships in the biz that were utterly destroyed by the drama off the camera. 

Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell were once iconic buddies thanks to their time on SNL together and, even more famously, starring in A Night at the Roxbury. Now, before you start voguing in your car, read on for the goss.

In his memoir, Baby Don't Hurt Me (via Page Six), Kattan revealed that his friendship with his pal was ruined due to an on-set relationship with the film's "would-be director," Amy Heckerling. It was something he didn't even want initially and was actually thrust at him by way of producer, Lorne Michaels. As Kattan wrote, "I had tried to hide my relationship with Amy, not realizing how obvious it had been to everyone else, including Will (not to mention that Lorne told him about it in the first place.)"

In the end, Heckerling didn't even direct the flick, she simply signed on as co-producer. Kattan's relationship with Ferrell, however? It was utterly ruined. After countless calls to Ferrell, his former friend finally revealed, "I don't want to be your friend anymore. I'm going to be professional and still work with you on [SNL], but that's it." Suddenly, it hit Kattan, "I didn't know or hadn't let myself see until that moment that although the situation with Amy hadn't directly involved Will, my actions and dishonesty had made him feel deceived and betrayed."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Vin Diesel started off their friendship on a relatively high note — before making four Fast and Furious flicks together. In fact, it's Diesel that actually got Johnson involved with the franchise! Praising The Rock's acting chops in a Facebook video (via News.com.au), Diesel gushed, "The reason why we brought Dwayne Johnson in Fast Five was because of you [the fans]. He shined in it." 

So, where did the battle of the brawns come into play? As more flicks got made, something clearly soured. In a now-deleted Instagram post in 2016 (via Vanity Fair), Johnson wrote, "Some [male co-stars] conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don't ... Candy as**s." All Diesel had to do was keep silent, but instead, he responded with his own Instagram video, ending it with the very foreboding, "So give me a second and I will tell you everything. Everything." 

By 2017, it looked like the "candy a**" feud was over, and the XXX star spoke out about it, telling USA Today, "I don't think the world really realizes how close we are, in a weird way." Hmm, really? Johnson doesn't seem to think so. Slyly telling Rolling Stone in 2018, "I wish him all the best, and I harbor no ill will there. ...Actually, you can erase that last part about 'no ill will.'" Ouch! 

Now, this one is a bit complex, as only one party was present on the film set that destroyed this duo's iconic '90s friendship. Winona Ryder and Gwyneth Paltrow, the young and hip A-listers of the 1990s, were legendary best friends. At the start of their careers, they even dated besties, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, too!

According to The Daily Mail, things suddenly took a turn for the backstabbing worst when Paltrow allegedly went over to Ryder's house and saw the script for 1998's Shakespeare In Love — auditioning for a part although the Beetlejuice starlet was offered it first. Before Ryder could even utter, "Et tu, Brute," Paltrow went on to win an Oscar for the role, while her former bestie's career nosedived. 

Years later, Paltrow would reveal some pretty nasty stuff on her lifestyle website, Goop (via The Telegraph), "Back in the day, I had a 'frenemy' who, as it turned out, was pretty hell-bent on taking me down. ...One day I heard that something unfortunate and humiliating had happened to this person. And my reaction was deep relief and happiness." Ouch! Although it's pretty obvious who she's talking about, the star still outright denies any mention of Ryder's name, like the time she went on Howard Stern's radio show (via Huffington Post) and declared, "That's an urban myth."

The beef between Sex and the City co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall has been heavily documented, as everyone knows these two divas simply did not get along. Initially, it appeared to be a conflict due to a pay dispute, causing the series to cancel after the sixth season. In 2004, Cattrall appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (via Digital Spy), admitting, "When they didn't seem keen on that I thought it was time to move on." By the time the first film of the series was shot in 2009, we're assuming Cattrall got a pay raise — but her relationship with Parker got worse. "You could cut the tension with a knife," dished an insider to the Intelligencer.

That same year, SJP denied any beef — even noting that the two were friends! "I don't think anybody wants to believe that I love Kim. I adore her," the starlet told Elle. As for Cattrall? In 2010, she echoed the same sentiment to The Daily Mail, calling Parker "fantastic." 

In 2017, after years of denial, it looked like Cattrall finally gave up putting on a kind face and took a page from Samantha Jones' book. After it was revealed that the third Sex And The City flick wouldn't be made, the actress dished to Piers Morgan (via Daily Mail), "specifically Sarah Jessica Parker... I think she could have been nicer. I really think she could have been nicer."

Hollywood producer Frank Marshall was once a longtime friend of Lance Armstrong, having met him at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. According to The Hollywood Reporter, years later, Marshall and co-producer Matt Tolmach were seeking to make an "inspirational documentary" about Armstrong's comeback to compete in the 2009 Tour de France and needed an influential director  — one that wouldn't focus on the athlete's shameful past. They finally settled on Alex Gibney, who previously won an Oscar for his 2007 doc, Taxi to the Dark Side.

What followed was a clashing of heads, as Gibney started to dig into research and felt Armstrong's doping scandal deserved more screentime. The director revealed to The Hollywood Reporter, "I kept leaning on [the doping] issue in ways that Frank and Matt felt were too out of step with the film we were making." As tensions rose and information about the scandal became more readily available, it became apparent Gibney wasn't budging. He ended up releasing his version of the film, The Armstrong Lie. 

So, where did that leave Marshall and Armstrong? As the producer sadly revealed to The Hollywood Reporter, "It essentially destroyed my friendship. There's nothing left."

In a time when bedazzled Motorola Razrs and Juicy Couture reigned supreme, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie were the "it girls" of the early noughties. Friends since they were children, the duo even co-starred together in The Simple Life from 2003 until 2007. 

But in 2004, things suddenly took a turn for the worst. A source close to Hilton told People that Richie was jealous of all the media attention her co-star received. The insider went on reveal that Richie allegedly did the cruelest thing of all: she threw a party during Hilton's SNL stint and screened the heiress' infamous 2003 sex tape instead. "Paris was very hurt. She loves Nicole but believes she is owed an apology." After months of very publicly ignoring one another, Hilton would famously tell People, "Nicole knows what she did, and that's all I'm ever going to say about it."

Unfortunately for the former besties, they had to continue on with their show — thanks to a contractual agreement, as revealed by E! News (via Digital Spy). Although the girls reconciled on the series, they definitely weren't as close as before. As the hotel heiress told Us Weekly, "I haven't spoken to her in a while technically, but, if you really want to get into it, my view of a friendship is someone that you don't necessarily have to talk to you every day." Sometimes, bridges simply cannot be repaired. 

Bill Murray and director Harold Ramis were an unstoppable duo in the early '90s, having collaborated on various iconic comedies such as Meatballs, Caddyshack, and Ghostbusters 1 and 2. It's on the set of Groundhog Day, however, that the pals famously butted heads. In fact, Violet Ramis Stiel, Harold's daughter, even dedicated a chunk of her book, Ghostbuster's Daughter: Life with My Dad, Harold Ramis, on the highly publicized feud. "Bill was going through a difficult time in his personal life, and he and my dad were not seeing eye to eye on the tone of the film. They had a few arguments on set. ...Eventually, Bill just completely shut my dad out... for the next twenty‑plus years."

The two former friends went their separate ways — until the last possible moment. As Violet revealed in her book (via Vulture), just before Harold's death, Murray "showed up unannounced at his old friend's house at 7 a.m. ... Ramis had pretty much lost his ability to speak by that point, so Murray did most of the talking... choosing instead to hang out for a couple of hours, laugh, and make amends."

After Ramis passed, Murray issued a statement to TIME. "Harold Ramis and I together did the National Lampoon Show off Broadway, Meatballs, Stripes, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day. He earned his keep on this planet. God bless him." 

Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner were once longtime friends, with their bond harking back to the '60s during the original Star Trek series. Nimoy played Spock, while Shatner was Captain Kirk. Quickly becoming the best of friends during the show's run, The Daily Mail even dished that "over the years they went through marriages and divorces together, they fought the movie studio together and got tinnitus together standing too close to explosions on a Star Trek set."

As Spock quickly became a fan favorite, their relationship soured. According to Express, Nimoy believed that with his mounting star, his salary should reflect it, too. The actor would even accuse Shatner of repeatedly stealing his lines, and hilariously, the bicycle he used to get around the studio. The best part? Per Express, Shatner does admit to taking Nimoy's bike "just to frustrate him."

Nevertheless, the two remained close — until a few years before Nimoy's death in 2015. According to Shatner's book about his friend, Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man (via Daily Mail), when Shatner was making a film about the captains of the Enterprise, Nimoy didn't want to be a part of it. Instead, a cameraman shot him at a convention and included it in the film — causing Nimoy to never speak to Shatner ever again. He died several years later. "It is something I will wonder about and regret forever."

Sometimes, art echoes reality. Such was the case for Glee co-stars Lea Michele and Naya Rivera, whose characters Rachel and Santana were rivals on the teen series. It wasn't any secret that the two feuded on-set, with reports constantly in the limelight. "They're always icy to each other," dished an insider to Us Weekly (via Page Six). "Naya is jealous that Lea is the show's main star." 

The girls never actually spoke out about their feud — until Rivera published her 2016 memoir, Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes and Growing Up (via Digital Spy). "We are both strong-willed and competitive ... and that's not a good mixture." Hinting to the animosity, she wrote, "As Santana moved from a background character to one with bigger plot lines ... Rachel – erm, I mean Lea – didn't like sharing the spotlight. If I'd complained about anyone or anything, she'd assumed I was bit**ing about her." Sorry, not sorry. 

Oddly enough, in 2019, Rivera appeared on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live and denied everything. Responding to a fan who asked if the pair had a good relationship due to Rivera liking Michele's engagement ring post on Instagram, the starlet revealed, "I don't think there was like any beef. It's a good ring." Hmm, we'll let you decide.

Heidi Pratt and Lauren Conrad were once our fave noughties BFFs, starring in MTV's The Hills together. However, as anyone who had their eyes glued to the show will once remember, in the infamous episode titled, "You Know What You Did" where Conrad, quite literally, screamed at Pratt, "You know why I'm mad at you, you know what you did!" Our teenage mouths were totally OMGing. The goss was this; Pratt allegedly started a rumor about her bestie and her then-beau, Jason Wahler. With Pratt claiming the duo made a sex tape, Conrad never forgave her once-close pal. 

According to E! News, at the time, Conrad took to her website to immediately clear the air. "I am posting this note on my website regarding the reports that have circulated the internet this morning," she wrote at the time. "Jason and I are both shocked and hurt that people would say such horrible things about us."

Pratt's husband, Spencer, ultimately took the fall for the goss, but years later, in 2019, and with the reboot of the show in full swing, it turns out it was Heidi all along. Stephanie Pratt, Spencer's sister, took to her Instagram to claim that it was actually her sister-in-law Heidi who started everything. "Heidi- I have no words for how evil you truly are ... WE ALL KNOW WHAT YOU DID 10 years ago." 

Long before she was a pop star sensation, Ariana Grande was on the Nickelodeon show, Victorious, along with Victoria Justice. The two were allegedly friends until one video surfaced in 2010 where the cast was interviewed by Popstar. "She sings everything," co-star Elizabeth Gillies said of Grande. "And it's a good thing because she has a beautiful voice." Justice, meanwhile, suddenly chimes in with, "I think we ALL sing," followed by an epic eye roll. Naturally, the video went viral.

With the show's end in 2013, rumors were swirling that it got canceled due to Grande leaving to do her own spin-off, Sam & Cat. The future diva took to her last.fm account (via Seventeen) to set the record straight. "The only reason Victorious ended is because 1 girl didn't want to do it. She chose to do a solo tour instead of a cast tour." It turns out, Justice left the show to tour that same summer! While the timing may just have been a coincidence, Justice sealed the deal when she shot back on Twitter (via Seventeen), "Some people would throw some1 that they consider a friend under the bus just 2 make themselves look good."

The girls probably still aren't on good terms, especially after the release of Grande's 2018 video, "Thank U, Next." The video was a Victorious reunion, featuring Matt Bennett, Liz Gilles, and Daniella Monet. One crucial starlet missing? Victoria Justice.

Once upon a time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino had his very own muse. His inspiration was Uma Thurman, his leading lady in both Pulp Fiction and the Kill Bill series. "It's just this cool connection that happened," the director revealed to Rolling Stone. "I mean, von Sternberg had Marlene Dietrich, Hitchcock had Ingrid Bergman. ...It's a special bond that I'm proud to have."

It turns out, however, that the two were stuck in a feud that lasted years — ever since the second Kill Bill flick. In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the actress finally spoke out. Speaking to The New York Times, Thurman revealed she was pressured into driving an unsafe blue convertible while on set in 2003. Someone on the production team told the starlet that the car had its stick shift reconfigured, meaning it wouldn't work as well as it once did. When Thurman protested, Tarantino assured her everything was in order. Nevertheless, the actress lost control and collided with a tree. "I felt this searing pain and thought, 'Oh my God, I'm never going to walk again.'" Accusing Tarantino of trying to kill her, the two stopped speaking.

It appears all has finally been forgiven, as Thurman posted an Instagram video of the crash and wrote that she didn't blame Tarantino — but the producers instead for covering the incident up.