Sitcoms Stars Who Couldn't Stand Each Other

Co-stars have clashed behind the scenes since the beginning of entertainment. From Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker of "Sex and the City" to Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte of "I Love Trouble," celebrities who feud between scenes often complicate the filming process for everyone involved. For example, Roberts and Nolte disliked each other so much that they shot many "of their scenes separately," per Telegraph. Reading what Roberts had to say in a 1993 interview with The New York Times, it's no surprise that the co-stars went to the extreme to keep their distance while filming the movie. "From the moment I met him we sort of gave each other a hard time, and naturally we get on each other's nerves," Roberts said of her relationship with Nolte. She went on to call the actor "completely disgusting," sharing, "He's going to hate me for saying this, but he seems [to] go out of his way to repel people. He's a kick."

The feud between Roberts and Nolte is arguably incomparable to the conflicts between sitcom co-stars. While the "I Love Trouble" actors spent months filming together, many of the most memorable sitcom rivals spent years working with each other — imagine working alongside your worst enemy for a decade! Read on to find out how which of your favorite sitcom stars couldn't stand each other.

Debra Messing and Megan Mullally of "Will & Grace" allegedly could never get along on set, and whispers of a feud intensified when they unfollowed one another on Instagram. Their rumored friction even impacted the production of the show's reboot. One of the show's creators, Max Mutchnick, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how tensions were managed behind the scenes. "It's just about the work. And so if we stay true to that, then we just keep you guys out of whatever happened on the set this year because it would have done nothing but get in the way of the stories that we wanted to tell." He went on to reference the bickering between cast members. "It was not an easy year, but the permanent legacy of the show is much more important to us than any temporary squabble that would take place on the stage."

Rumors of Messing and Mullally's feud were reinforced in 2019 when a source told Radar Online that the pair "fought constantly over everything from script changes to camera angles." The unidentified source's claims pushed the idea that Mullally caused most of the drama. "She alienated everybody with her diva behavior," the source said of Mullally. "Her outrageous demands behind the scenes caused constant delays in production. She treated everyone like servants. Debra was the only one who stood up to Megan." Mullally seemed to have a different idea of what happened on set because during an episode of the podcast she hosts alongside her husband Nick Offerman, she shared that she was bullied at work.

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher seem to be inseparable, so it is hard to imagine that the former "That '70s Show" co-stars couldn't stand each other at first. In an interview with Glamour, Kunis opened up about the rocky moments in her and Kutcher's friendship long before they were married. "We went through a period where I thought he was crazy. At the height of his career, I was like, 'Ugh, I don't like you. I don't even know you anymore. You think you're such hot s**t.'" Kunis also talked about the "friendship breakups" she and her former "That '70s Show" co-star husband went through. "Full friendship breakups. And then we'd get back together and be like, 'Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to overreact.' 'That's OK.' All the time."

In 2014, a source told Radar Online about the ongoing feud between the two actors while they were filming "That '70s Show," which aired from 1998 to 2006. "Ashton and Mila were absolutely not friends during much of the making of That '70s Show. In fact, they couldn't stand working together," the source claimed. It appears the couple grew out of these friendship fights, though. They got married in 2015, and Kunis shared Kutcher is her BFF these days. "It truly is being married to your best friend," she told Glamour. "That's a cliché; it's cheesy. But it's true."

Rumors of a conflict between "Gilmore Girls" co-stars Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson circulated for years before Graham finally put the speculation to rest in an interview with TV Guide. While the co-stars weren't exactly enemies, they weren't best friends either. When asked about her real-life relationship with Patterson, Graham responded that it's just "fine." She elaborated on their work relationship — and seemingly strategically glossed over any possible bad blood with Patterson. "I think these characters have a great chemistry and that does mirror our chemistry as people," Graham said. "We're not intimates. We talk kind of how we talk [on the show]. We work well together."

When Graham was asked if she was "best friends" with Patterson, she responded: "No. [Pause] It's a very happy set. It's a very functioning, working set, and I think some of that is helped by us having a little bit of a life outside." She pointed out that it was also difficult for cast members to bond when the cameras weren't rolling because their 50-hour workweeks didn't leave time for "a lot of socializing." As for Patterson's perspective of his relationship with Graham, he thinks the so-called feud is nothing more than internet gossip. When asked if the ongoing speculation was accurate, Patterson told TV Guide: "No, I think it's not accurate. I think it's really inaccurate. And I think people thrive on rumor and innuendo; that sells papers, gets people to click on websites."

Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande have a lot in common. They both starred on multiple Nickelodeon shows, all while putting out music. Despite their similarities, it seems the two actors were never as close as their "Sam & Cat" characters. Rumors of a conflict between Grande and McCurdy were seemingly confirmed in 2014 via a Twitter spat involving McCurdy. At the time, the former "iCarly" star had no idea that she was responding to a screenshot edited to look like a Tweet posted to Grande's official Twitter account. "@jennettemccurdy @perezhilton sorry can't see your tweets clearly from up here in the charts slaying," read the fake tweet. McCurdy's very real response read: "Sorry but you clearly could since you responded directly to a conversation you were not tagged in. #byeforever." Also in 2014, McCurdy released an episode of her web series that many fans believe sneakily made fun of Grande. According to Clevver News, one episode of the series featured a ditzy, vapid character named Gloriana that seemed to be modeled after the former "Victorious" star.

There is a reason why the conflict between McCurdy and Grande seemed to be one-sided. In an episode of her "Empty Inside" podcast, McCurdy revealed she let jealousy get the best of her. She explained that she was originally told she would star in her own show, but she was later paired with Grande. The star told Mike Birbiglia that his 2016 film "Don't Think Twice" "was really helpful to process the bitterness and jealousy and wondering why is it there" (via Uproxx).

"Seinfeld" fans may remember that Heidi Swedberg's time on the show as Susan (George's fiancée) came to an end when she was killed off of the show. It turns out Swedberg's run on "Seinfeld" was cut short because Jason Alexander found her difficult to work with. But it actually wasn't the star's personality that Alexander had a problem with.

The actor admitted that he "couldn't figure out how to play off of" Swedberg in an interview on "The Howard Stern Show." "Her instincts for doing a scene, where the comedy was, and mine were always misfiring," Alexander shared during the interview. "And she would do something, and I would go, 'Okay, I see what she's going to do — I'm going to adjust to her.' And then I'd adjust, and then it would change." He also explained that other actors found her difficult to work with, so her character was eventually killed off of the show.

Alexander later issued an apology for his remarks on Twitter. He offered additional context as it seems he realized he came off a bit harsh in the interview with Howard Stern. "[Swedberg] is a kind, lovely person who undoubtedly worked really hard to create Susan and that character was clearly what Larry and Jerry wanted her to be for George. I just felt I was on uncertain ground in how to play off that character and I was always concerned that it wasn't working," Alexander shared in his lengthy apology statement.

The tension between Janet Hubert and Will Smith of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" went on for decades. Hubert often publicly spoke out about the ongoing feud after being replaced by actor Daphne Reid on the show. In an interview with Omg! Insider, she detailed the events that resulted in the initial conflict between her and her fellow "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" co-star. "[Smith] said, 'We're just gonna replace her and act like nothing happened,'" she stated. "Well honey, that is not what happened, is it? The world has let me know that my place on that show was very, very, very loved." Hubert also shared that other cast members, including Alfonso Ribeiro, who played her on-screen son, failed to stick up for her and instead sided with Smith. "I felt demonized and beaten up and crucified for so many years. No one came forward to my defense. No one," she said in the interview.

After many years, Hubert and Smith made amends during "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion" on HBO Max. Both former co-stars acknowledged their wrongdoings during their heart-to-heart conversation. Smith said he "made the set very difficult" for Hubert, and Hubert admitted that she was often on edge because of personal stressors (via USA Today). Luckily for fans of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Smith and Hubert are no longer feuding.

Betty White and Bea Arthur spent years together on the set of "The Golden Girls." Many might assume the actors were as close friends in real life as their characters were on the show, but it turns out there was a bit of conflict between the two. White talked about their differences in a 2011 interview with CNN. "[Arthur] was not that fond of me," White said, adding that she wasn't sure why Arthur didn't return the "love" White felt for her. However, at a 2011 TimesTalks event, White offered a potential explanation, saying, "She found me a pain in the neck sometimes. It was my positive attitude — and that made Bea mad sometimes. Sometimes if I was happy, she'd be furious," per The Village Voice.

Arthur's son, Matthew Saks, opened up to Closer Weekly about his late mother's mean streak. "My mom unknowingly carried the attitude that it was fun to have somebody to be angry at," Saks said. "It was almost like Betty became her nemesis, someone she could always roll her eyes about at work." He also shared that White and Arthur had different approaches when it came to work. "It would make my mom unhappy that in-between takes Betty would go and talk to the audience. It wasn't jealousy. It was a focus thing." It seems White's friendly demeanor and upbeat personality somehow rubbed Arthur the wrong way.

"Hannah Montana" stars Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment brought one of the most iconic Disney Channel friendships to life through their characters, Lilly and Hannah. On the show, the inseparable friends prove that opposites attract, but Osment and Cyrus never had a deep connection off-camera. Cyrus admitted that she was never exactly close to her co-star in her 2009 autobiography, "Miles To Go." "Emily and I tried to be friends, we really did, but it always ended in a fight," she wrote, later adding, "Our characters got along so well, why couldn't we act the same in real life?"

The former foes went on to prove that time heals all wounds in 2013 when they took to Twitter to reach out to one another. Osment tweeted: "@MileyCyrus need you back in my life, bro," to which Cyrus replied: "@EmilyOsment miss u. Hit me on DM." If the Disney stars hadn't already reconciled prior to that Twitter reunion, it seems that they were planning to. In 2020, the duo came together once again when Osment appeared on Cyrus' Instagram Live show, "Bright Minded: Live with Miley," as a guest. During the show, Osment reminisced on her character, Lilly, and her quirky styling. "I was wearing a lot of vests, I remember," Osment shared. "There was a lot of vests," she said, laughing along with Cyrus. The long-awaited reunion suggested the former co-stars were back on good terms.

Rumors of a feud between Charlie Sheen and his "Anger Management" co-star, Selma Blair, began when Deadline reported that the actor and executive producer allegedly fired the star via an explicit text message. According to the website, Sheen reportedly became fed up with Blair when she questioned his work ethic. Blair was supposedly not the only person on the "Anger Management" set who was frustrated with Sheen. Allegedly, numerous cast and crew members didn't appreciate Sheen's unprofessionalism. According to Deadline, the actor supposedly often showed up late and even "threatened to quit" if Blair wasn't fired.

Sheen finally (sort of) addressed the drama during a 2013 interview on "The Tonight Show." He shared a different version of the story with host Jay Leno. "One of our primary characters, Selma Blair, who played Kate, was written out because [the show] was not about our relationship, and the problem was too many people were still excited about the 'Two and a Half [Men]' character and thought the 'Anger Management' character was a little dull," he told Leno (via The Hollywood Reporter). But in 2017, Sheen didn't mince words when sharing his thoughts about Blair during an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live." While playing "Plead the Fifth," he was asked to rank some of his female costars, and he said he would like to "mash [Blair and Jenny McCarthy] up together ... and just kick them to the curb. They deserve each other." Ouch. 

Former "Zoey 101" star Jamie Lynn Spears is arguably most well known for being Britney Spears' little sister. Jamie's controversial book, "Things I Should Have Said," revealed that she has not always had the closest relationship with Britney, and it seems she's never been close with her "Zoey 101" co-star, Alexa Nikolas, either. In the book, Jamie made numerous allegations that Nikolas mistreated her on the set of the Nickelodeon show. The star wrote that Nikolas called her "mean or b***hy" and spread rumors that she "smelled bad."

Nikolas was quick to defend herself against these claims. She took to Instagram to share a lengthy statement about her relationship with Jamie. She explained they had actually made amends — or so she believed. "I recently thought we were fine after she tried to use me in her 'Zoey 101' music video to make herself look better after I finally came out about what happened to me on set/being left out once again during the reboot reunion ploy," Nikolas revealed. She went on to allege that Jamie's claims were entirely fabricated. "She knows everything she is saying is a total lie and I would have called her out on that," she wrote. "It's sad to see someone not change after all these years. Nothing that she said in her book about me actually happened." Yikes! Luckily, if Jamie and Nikolas are ever interested in making amends, their "Zoey 101" costar Chris Massey has offered to help, per TMZ.