Biggest Costar Feuds Ever: Celebs That Didn’t Get Along Off Screen

Credit: Kristina Bumphrey/StarPix/Shutterstock

Biggest Costar Feuds Ever: Celebs That Didn't Get Along Off Screen

Working together and getting along definitely aren't mutually exclusive — something that has been proven time and time again on TV and movie sets. While some feuds are made public, others have been kept completely under wraps. Either way, we're diving into some of the most memorable costar feuds. Some of the toughest to swallow are longtime costars or stars who appear close on screen. Sex and the City, for example, is a show completely about the power of female friendship. However, two of the main stars — Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall — have been at the center of drama for years. The actresses portrayed best friends Carrie and Samantha on the HBO series for six seasons from 1998 to 2004, then in two movies in 2008 and 2010. However, when the reports of a third movie was brought up, the drama began to bubble to the surface. In 2017, Cattrall shot down rumors that she wasn't doing a third movie due to money and in turn, told Piers Morgan of Parker, "I really think she could have been nicer. I don’t know what her issue is, I never have." Parker later stated that she was "just heartbroken" over the comments. [jwplayer XY9Pj9on] Ten days later, after Parker sent "condolences" on Cattrall's Instagram post revealing her brother's death, the Tell Me a Story star slammed the New Year's Eve actress. “Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now. Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven’t already) You are not my family. You are not my friend,” Cattrall wrote via Instagram. “So I’m writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your ‘nice girl’ persona.” She also linked to a story about the "mean-girls culture" on the show that "destroyed" it. The Sex and the City feud is one of many from popular TV and films. Scroll through the gallery below for more.

Credit: Kristina Bumphrey/StarPix/Shutterstock

Biggest Costar Feuds Ever: Celebs That Didn't Get Along Off Screen

Working together and getting along definitely aren't mutually exclusive — something that has been proven time and time again on TV and movie sets. While some feuds are made public, others have been kept completely under wraps. Either way, we're diving into some of the most memorable costar feuds. Some of the toughest to swallow are longtime costars or stars who appear close on screen. Sex and the City, for example, is a show completely about the power of female friendship. However, two of the main stars — Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall — have been at the center of drama for years. The actresses portrayed best friends Carrie and Samantha on the HBO series for six seasons from 1998 to 2004, then in two movies in 2008 and 2010. However, when the reports of a third movie was brought up, the drama began to bubble to the surface. In 2017, Cattrall shot down rumors that she wasn't doing a third movie due to money and in turn, told Piers Morgan of Parker, "I really think she could have been nicer. I don’t know what her issue is, I never have." Parker later stated that she was "just heartbroken" over the comments. [jwplayer XY9Pj9on] Ten days later, after Parker sent "condolences" on Cattrall's Instagram post revealing her brother's death, the Tell Me a Story star slammed the New Year's Eve actress. “Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now. Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven’t already) You are not my family. You are not my friend,” Cattrall wrote via Instagram. “So I’m writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your ‘nice girl’ persona.” She also linked to a story about the "mean-girls culture" on the show that "destroyed" it. The Sex and the City feud is one of many from popular TV and films. Scroll through the gallery below for more.

Credit: ABC/Richard Cartwright

Black-ish: Anthony Anderson vs. Tracee Ellis Ross

After playing a married couple for eight seasons, the Black-ish costars formed a close bond — but it didn't start out that way. "We laugh about this now, but Tracee didn't like me for maybe 10 years!" Anderson told Parade in January 2022. "We hosted the Vibe Awards [in 2005]. As we were walking onto the stage there was a loud sound over the speaker, and I said, 'Tracee? Did you fart?' The audience loved it, but what I did not know is how offended Tracee was by that comment."

The Kangaroo Jack star teased, "She really didn't start liking me until we were midway through the first season of Black-ish, and so we laugh about it now. ... Today, there's nothing that I would not do for Tracee."

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One Tree Hill: Chad Michael Murray vs. Sophia Bush

This was quite a messy relationship. Costars Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush got married in 2005 — while season 2 of One Tree Hill was airing — but split five months later. However, they continued starring alongside each other in the CW drama until he left the show in 2009. Then, in 2018, she was asked about their marriage on Radio Andy.

"Everybody’s been 22 and stupid, you know?” she said of the wedding. "It was not a thing I actually really wanted to do, but you know, it’s cool." She added that she tied the knot because she felt like she would "let everybody down" if she didn't. "What’s the fight? And when you have bosses telling you that you’re the only person who gets a person to work on time, and 200 people either get to see their kids at night or they don’t because our days start on time.”

Murray's rep released a statement following Bush's comments. "Chad conducts himself in a completely professional manner and would never marry for any reason but love,” his publicist said at the time. “Thirteen years since his divorce from Sophia, he has a very happy family life with his wife and children. He has completely moved on and doesn’t feel the need to engage in this type of behavior.”

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The Vampire Diaries: Nina Dobrev vs. Paul Wesley

Although they played on-again, off-again couple Stefan and Elena, Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev "didn't get along" while filming the first season, Dobrev revealed in June 2019. "I respected Paul Wesley, I didn’t like Paul Wesley,” she said at the time. “I remember everyone would walk up to me after the show aired and they’d be like, ‘Are you and Paul dating in real life?’ Everyone thought that we had such good chemistry. I realize now that there’s a fine line between love and hate and we despised each other so much that it read as love but … We really just didn’t get along the first five months of shooting.”

Wesley also commented on the relationship, revealing, that the par "totally clashed" the first couple of years on set, "just getting on each other’s nerves," but ultimately "developed this wonderful friendship."

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Chelsea Lately: Chelsea Handler vs. Heather McDonald

In 2016, comedian Heather McDonald, who frequently appeared on Chelsea Handler's late-night show, Chelsea Lately, and opened for her on tour, said she "lived in fear" of losing her job. In turn, Handler claimed that McDonald traded stories about her in exchange for positive press for herself. "I could have fired her. I did not fire her. She had a job for four more years. I never hung out with her personally again," the author told The Howard Stern Show. "So I hope she was living in fear. It's not an internment camp. If you're that fearful, then get a job."

However, the following year Handler stated on Watch What Happens Live! that there "was no feud" and they've both moved on.

Credit: Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock

Will & Grace: Debra Messing vs. Megan Mullally

Despite coming back for a revival in 2018, Will & Grace's stars Debra Messing and Megan Mullally, who portrayed Grace and Karen, respectively, didn't get along on set, according to multiple reports. Rumors swirled there was an ongoing feud, which caused Mullally to skip out on multiple episodes in the final season in 2020. Additionally, the costars followed other castmates on social media, but not each other.

After the show wrapped, cocreator Max Mutchnick addressed the feud. “We always work under this kind of motto that everything’s about the work. It’s just about the work," Mutchnick said in April 2020. "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. 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."

Credit: CBS

The Good Wife: Julianna Margulies vs. Archie Panjabi

A feud between the leading ladies of The Good Wife had been rumored for years, but it was seemingly confirmed in 2015. Panjabi, who played Kalinda Sharma, and Margulies’ Alicia Florrick were on-screen BFFs until a betrayal storyline happened in season 2, and their characters rarely interacted with each other again. When Panjabi announced she was leaving the CBS series after season 6, she was supposed to share a scene with Margulies for her final episode. Details emerged that they filmed the now-infamous scene separately because they couldn’t stand to work together, and that it was edited together later. While Margulies claimed Panjabi was busy shooting another TV show, The Fall, Panjabi denied it on Twitter: “@TheFallTV was not even in production at that time and I was in New York ready to film the scene!” 

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Grey’s Anatomy: Isaiah Washington vs. T.R. Knight vs. Patrick Dempsey

Drama in Seattle! After thee seasons on the hit show, Isaiah Washington (Preston Burke) was fired from ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy after he used a homophobic slur when referring to his costar T.R. Knight (George O’Malley) during a heated on-set argument with Patrick Dempsey (Derek Shepherd) in October 2006. After reports of the fight surfaced, Knight decided to publicly come out as gay. Washington reignited the controversy after he repeated the slur backstage at the Golden Globes in January 2007. ABC announced in June 2007 that the network did not renew the actor’s contract. 

Credit: ABC

Castle: Stana Katic vs. Nathan Fillion

Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion, who played a married couple Richard Castle and Kate Beckett on the long-running ABC drama Castle, had major friction behind the scenes, Us Weekly exclusively revealed in April 2016. “Stana would go in her dressing room and cry,” a source told Us. “Nathan has been nasty to Stana for a long time.” Another insider added, “It got so out of hand they made Stana and Nathan go to couples counseling together.” While Katic’s rep denied she had any issues with her costar, the actress announced she was leaving the show after eight seasons in April, and a month later, ABC opted not to renew the series.  

Credit: FOX

Glee: Naya Rivera vs. Lea Michele

Glee rivalry! The two actresses were reportedly always bickering while filming Fox's musical TV series. “They’re always icy to each other,” a show source told Us in April 2014. “Naya is jealous that Lea is the show’s main star. … There is a lot of sighing and eye-rolling between them.” A second insider added, “They talk behind each other’s back — a lot.” 

Credit: ABC

Desperate Housewives: Teri Hatcher vs. everyone

Desperate for attention? Teri Hatcher — who was the unofficial lead of the ensemble cast — was not exactly girlfriends with her costars Eva Longoria (Gabrielle Solis), Marcia Cross (Bree Van de Kamp), Felicity Huffman (Lynette Scavo) and Nicollette Sheridan (Edie Britt). During a shoot for a 2005 Vanity Fair spread with the whole cast, Hatcher wanted to be in the middle, stirring up even more drama among the ladies. Sheridan also once called Hatcher the “meanest woman in the world.” Years later when the series wrapped in 2012, the actresses bought goodbye gifts for the cast and crew, but noticeably left Hatcher’s name off the presents. 

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Terms of Endearment: Debra Winger vs. Shirley MacLaine

Not so endearing. In the 1983 film Terms of Endearment, Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger played loving mom and daughter Aurora and Emma, but in real life they were total rivals. MacLaine was supposedly fed up with Winger’s antics, including one rumored incident where Winger lifted her dress to fart in MacLaine’s direction. Both actresses were nominated for Best Actress at the 1984 Academy Awards, and MacLaine shouted, “I deserve this!” when she beat out her costar for the statuette. 

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90210: Shannen Doherty vs. Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling

The ultimate ‘90s feud! Shannen Doherty (Brenda Walsh), who was famously difficult and demanding on set, was always at odds with Jennie Garth (Kelly Taylor) and Tori Spelling (Donna Martin) during their 90210 days. Spelling even admitted in 2015 that she got her father, Aaron Spelling, who created and produced the show, to fire Doherty. The True Tori star has also claimed there was once a fistfight between Doherty and Garth. 

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Kramer vs. Kramer: Dustin Hoffman vs. Meryl Streep

It was more like Hoffman vs. Streep instead of Kramer vs. Kramer. The biography Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep released in April 2016 revealed the intense conflict between Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep while filming the 1979 Oscar-winning drama. Hoffman, who employed method acting techniques to portray Ted Kramer, slapped then up-and-comer Streep (Joanna Kramer) across the face during a fight scene. The actor also taunted her about her late boyfriend, John Cazale, who had passed away from lung cancer. “He was goading her and provoking her, using stuff that he knew about her personal life and about John to get the response that he thought she should be giving in the performance,” producer Richard Fischoff recalled in the book. 

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I Love Trouble: Julia Roberts vs. Nick Nolte

Trouble on the set. I Love Trouble costars Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte hated each other so much that they reportedly had to film their scenes separately and use stand-ins to create on-screen chemistry in the 1994 film. Roberts, who played Sabrina Peterson, later slammed Nolte (Peter Brackett) in The New York Times and said while he can be “charming and nice, he’s also completely disgusting.” She also revealed that the costars “sort of gave each other a hard time.” Nolte acknowledged the dig and said, “It’s not nice to call someone ‘disgusting.’ But she’s not a nice person. Everyone knows that."

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Charlie’s Angels: Bill Murray vs. Lucy Liu

Nobody’s behaving like an angel here. In the middle of shooting a scene for the 2000 film Charlie’s Angels, Bill Murray (Bosley) reportedly told Lucy Liu (Alex Munday), “You can’t act.” Then, Liu allegedly started throwing punches at the actor and they had to be physically pulled apart, according to The Times of London. Murray recalled the incident differently and later said it was just a brief spat, but he was still replaced by Bernie Mac for the sequel, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. 

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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Will Smith vs. Janet Hubert

Bad blood between Will Smith and Janet Hubert. The actress, who played Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1993, was fired for her creative differences with Smith. In 2011, she called the actor an “egomaniac” and an “a--hole.” Hubert went after Smith again in 2013, when she told OMG! Insider that he did “some heinous, horrible things to me — they were like bad kids, Will and Alfonso [Ribeiro].” Daphne Maxwell Reid replaced Hubert as the matriarch for the final three seasons of Fresh Prince. 

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The X-Files: Gillian Anderson vs. David Duchovny

While they romanced each other on screen, off screen The X-Files stars were constantly arguing. David Duchovny (Fox Mulder) told Metro UK in 2008 that he feuded with Gillian Anderson (Dana Scully) because they had to work with each other so frequently over the course of eight seasons. “Familiarity breeds contempt. It’s nothing to do with the other person,” he said. “We used to argue about nothing. We couldn’t stand the sight of each other.” 

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Growing Pains: Julie McCullough vs. Kirk Cameron

Painful to work together. After Kirk Cameron found out about Growing Pains costar Julie McCullough’s Playboy centerfold past, he didn’t want her appearing on the G-rated ‘80s sitcom. After Cameron’s character, Mike Seaver, proposed to McCullough’s Julie Costello, he stormed into the producer’s office and insisted there shouldn’t be a wedding. The actress said Cameron was disturbed by her nude photos and that’s why she only appeared on a handful of episodes on the ABC show, but in his biography, Cameron maintained that her role was never meant to be a long-term character. 

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Fast and Furious: Tyrese Gibson vs. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

Tyrese Gibson pointed fingers at Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in October 2017 when the Fast and Furious 9 film got pushed back, writing on Instagram, “Congratulations to @TheRock and your bother in law aka 7 bucks producing partner @hhgarcia41 for making the fast and furious franchise about YOU.”

He also added, “Diversity, love, multi ethnic worldwide multi generational, United Nations, One Race, Fast Family...... Until Dewayne showed up I guess this whole time he had a problem cause he wasn't the ONLY ONE on the movie poster.” Johnson has yet to respond to the accusations.

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Sex and the City: Sarah Jessica Parker vs. Kim Cattrall

Rumored rift! While Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall played besties Carrie Bradshaw and Samantha Jones on Sex and the City from 1998 to 2004, there was always talk that they were feuding. The ladies reportedly had a big falling out in the show’s final season when Parker was paid considerably more than Cattrall on the HBO series. This dispute over money also allegedly caused delays in production of the two Sex and the City films in 2008 and 2010. Both stars have refuted claims of any animosity between them. 

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The Real Housewives of Atlanta: NeNe Leakes vs. Kim Zolciak

The Real Housewives of Atlanta costars went after each other on social media in October 2017 over a Snapchat video that Zolciak's daughter Brielle recorded in Leakes' bathroom showing a roach walk across the floor. Leakes called Brielle "racist" and Zolciak a "trashy mom." The two have had an on-and-off friendship throughout the years, with one of their more explosive fights playing out on the Bravo series in 2014.

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Brothers & Sisters: Balthazar Getty vs. everyone

Family feud! After photos surfaced of Balthazar Getty’s steamy affair with Sienna Miller in 2008, his Brothers & Sisters costars allegedly distanced themselves from the actor because they were close with his wife, Rosetta, and their four kids. Even more awkward, Getty’s on-screen brother, Matthew Rhys, previously dated Miller. Getty’s rep, however, denied there were any problems at the time, but the actor, who played Tommy Walker on the ABC drama, had his number of episodes on the soapy series reduced that same year.