Glee co-stars Lea Michele and Naya Rivera had an on-set relationship that went from icy to all-out war. With tensions rising and a resolution seeming more and more impossible, it was reported that Lea Michele asked for Naya Rivera to be written out of the show. Whether Lea was really the cause of it or not, Naya certainly did get booted out.
In fact, she wasn’t even allowed to finish out the fifth season, with her character written out just two episodes shy of the finale. If you believe the rumor mill, Naya’s axing resulted in an escalation of the battle between the two actresses during the filming of her last few episodes.
David Duchovny vs. Gillian Anderson
Our favorite alien-chasing FBI agents, Scully and Mulder, had such intense on-screen chemistry that the biggest question in the minds of many an X-Files fan was “when are they going to kiss already?” Yet the actors responsible for this simmering sexual tension, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, weren’t actually that fond of each other during the show’s long years of filming. While Duchovny insists the pair quickly got over their distaste for each other, he felt the pressures of the show made them “monsters,” at least in the early days.
Over the years though, both Anderson and Duchovny agreed that their relationship mellowed. Eventually, without them even noticing at first, they became actual friends. Duchovny said it crept up on him slowly and then suddenly dawned on him in a moment of clarity. The feud was long gone, the animosity had faded, and, in its place, was a real friendship. How sweet.
Julia Roberts vs. Susan Sarandon
It’s round three on the list for Julia Roberts! This time, the feisty actress appeared to be taking aim at Susan Sarandon. However, there’s a twist to the story. The feud supposedly took place on the set of the film, Stepmom, in which the pair starred. Rumors started flying that Roberts and Sarandon were getting hateful and catty on-set.
However, Sarandon took to Twitter the moment she discovered what the gossip mags were reporting. She explained that she’d looked into the rumor and discovered her own PR representative had started it! We’re guessing someone lost a job over that bit of fake controversy.
Lea Michelle vs. Naya Rivera
That’s right, we’re not done with these two ladies yet. After her sudden dismissal from Glee, Naya Rivera claimed the battle between her and Lea Michele was being exaggerated by the media. However, if you read her memoir, a whole different story emerges.
Naya claims every time she asked a question or had an issue with something on-set, Lea would assume it was all about her. This led to Lea ignoring Naya and that quickly evolved into an icy and hostile silence that lasted, unbroken for the entirety of the show’s sixth season. When Lea commits to something, she really commits.
Chelsea Handler vs. Heather McDonald
While the pair appeared to be happy in each other’s company on Chelsea Lately, it turns out things weren’t so chill when the cameras were off. The problem? McDonald claims she was living her life in a daily state of fear. Apparently, her biggest concern was that, at any moment, she could lose her job.
Handler was dismissive of McDonald’s claims, telling Howard Stern that it was a TV show, not an “internment camp” and that if McDonald was so terrified every day, she was perfectly free to go get another job. Touche.