TV Best Friends Who Hate Each Other in Real Life
We don’t get to pick our co-workers and neither do most celebrities. Like the rest of us, they show up for work with little say about who else will be there. They obviously don’t like everyone they meet, and sometimes they even have to share screen time with someone they absolutely hate.
The best actors pull it together and shove aside their personal feelings aside — the paychecks are huge, after all — but some melt down and spark some serious blow ups. Take a look at some TV best friends who hate each other in real life. Prepare to have your heart broken!
Lea Michele and Naya Rivera
It’s hard to believe there were any issues between co-stars on the hit show Glee. The show was so happy! Still, Lea Michele and Naya Rivera, who played two girls who became friends over time, had quite the opposite relationship off camera.
While their characters grew close, the two real girls were friendly at first, but then their relationship grew cold. They claim their problems with each other began because they were both strong-willed and competitive — neither liked sharing the spotlight. By the end of the show’s run, Rivera and Michele weren’t even speaking.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall
This is one of the more famous feuds between TV co-stars, but it’s still a surprising one, given how well the two actresses portrayed best friends on the hit show Sex and the City. The show lasted six seasons and resulted in two movies, so it’s almost inconceivable that the pair managed to keep their issues with each other completely hidden from the camera.
Apparently, the two couldn’t stand to be around each other. Parker has stated that the feud has been blown out of proportion, while Cattrall says the two just don’t like each other and definitely aren’t friends.
Teri Hatcher and Nicollette Sheridan
Desperate Housewives was filled with tons of scripted drama, but there was also drama behind the camera between Teri Hatcher and Nicollette Sheridan. In truth, Sheridan didn’t get along with most people on set — it’s a trend of hers — but a lot of her animosity seemed to be directed at Hatcher specifically.
There was so much bad blood between the two actresses that the show’s creator eventually decided it would just be easier to cut Sheridan’s character from the show altogether. That obviously didn’t go over well with Sheridan, who filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the show’s creator.
Blake Lively and Leighton Meester
With her sweet reputation, it’s hard to imagine Blake Lively not getting along with somebody, but that was the case with her and Leighton Meester on the set of Gossip Girl. They were actually frenemies on the series, but in real life, the two didn’t click at all.
A producer stated the two actresses clashed because they were so different. Lively was more in the moment, while Meester was removed and quiet. The two avoided each other as much as possible when they weren’t shooting a scene. It was also rumored that the girls expected other cast members to “pick sides.”
Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner
The friendship between Captain Kirk and Spock is legendary far beyond sci-fi circles. That wasn’t the case with the actors who portrayed them in Star Trek, however. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy didn’t really get along.
The two had a complicated relationship from the very beginning. They just clashed, and others have commented that they argued a lot on set and rarely spoke off camera if they could avoid it. After Nimoy’s passing, Shatner took responsibility for his part in their feud, saying that he had his own personal issues at the time.
Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi
Besides the drama on screen, there was plenty of drama on the set of The Good Wife. In the show, the characters played by Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi became close friends, but in real life the actresses didn’t get along well.
Some fans noticed that by season four, they weren’t in many scenes together. It was later revealed there were a lot of bad feelings between them. Their characters only corresponded over the phone, and one scene was even filmed separately with editors blending the footage to show them together. Ridiculous, right? They must have really not liked each other, but nobody knows why.
Matthew Fox and Dominic Monaghan
Lost became a hit with fans everywhere as soon as it premiered, and the show is still discussed — and debated — today. Considering their onscreen friendship, it would probably surprise you to know that Matthew Fox and Dominic Monaghan had issues with each other.
It didn’t come out until after the series wrapped, as they seemed completely fine during public appearances together. In 2012, Monaghan alleged that Fox beats women. Fox called him out as a liar, but Monaghan stuck to his guns and never dropped the public allegations against his co-star. It sounds like things on the set of Lost weren’t as fun as they seemed to viewers!
Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey were two of the most popular doctors on the series Grey’s Anatomy. Even though they had a fun professional rivalry going on in the series, they had much deeper issues off camera.
Washington was heard using homophobic slurs, and Dempsey didn’t take kindly to them. There were a lot of finger-pointing and back and forth comments between the two. In the end, Shonda Rhimes cut Washington’s character from the show. If he truly made the statements he was accused of, then you really can’t blame Dempsey (and Rhimes) for taking issue with him.
Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano
Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano may have played loving sisters on the TV series Charmed, but they weren’t fans of each other in real life. At first, it seemed like they were going to get along for the long haul, but that hope was short-lived.
It boiled down to them basically getting on each other’s nerves. Doherty already wasn’t happy with the series and may have taken out a bit of her unhappiness on the others. Either way, most of the time, they didn’t speak to each other, but they both remained civil when they couldn’t avoid it.
Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth
Anyone seeing a pattern here? It seems that Shannen Doherty had issues with other co-stars as well. On the set of Beverly Hills 90210, she had trouble getting along with Jennie Garth. The two played on and off friends, but when the cameras weren’t rolling, the relationship was always off.
They had many disagreements and feuds while the show was filming. According to other castmates, they really didn’t get along at all. In more recent years, it seems the women have buried the hatchet. It’s a good thing since they are back to working together on the new 90210.
Stacy London and Clinton Kelly
If you watched TLC’s What Not to Wear, you probably thought that hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly were best friends. They had wonderful chemistry and seemed to get along great. However, that really wasn’t the case.
Kelly released a memoir that talked about his tension with his co-star. London responded by blocking him on social media and saying that she was hurt by the comment. Even though there is no real information about what started the tension between the pair, you can assume that the release of Kelly’s memoir certainly hasn’t made anything better.
Betty White and Bea Arthur
How could anybody have an issue with Betty White? She seems like the coolest person ever! Bea Arthur, however, had other thoughts about her Golden Girls co-star. The two clashed primarily because their personalities were so different.
Arthur stated publicly that she wasn’t fond of White and that most of the time, the feeling was mutual. Sometimes, when White was at her happiest, she claimed her positive attitude aggravated Arthur. Regardless, the show will always be iconic, even if the two stars didn’t quite get along. People still watch reruns today!
Lucas Grabeel and Ashley Tisdale
During Disney’s High School Musical, Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel played twins hoping to attain stardom. It seemed they were the very best of friends on camera, but in real life, it was a different story.
Tisdale said they were not good friends and had never been close. Grabeel also stated that they didn’t get off on a good foot when they started filming, and their relationship never really improved. It may seem strange that there was tension on a Disney movie, but facts are facts. Some people just don’t get along.
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson
This may be very surprising to fans of the very popular X-Files series. Many fans wanted Mulder and Scully to always be together. The two had great chemistry on screen, but they were less than friendly when the cameras stopped rolling.
Duchovny and Anderson argued about almost everything while filming. By the end of the series, they really couldn’t stand to be around each other. That could explain why they have never worked on any other project together that wasn’t X-files related. They did come back together to do a short-lived reboot that people seemed to like.
Ariana Grande and Victoria Justice
Just like Disney, Nickelodeon TV shows had co-stars who didn’t get along. On the series Victorious, Ariana Grande and Victoria Justice played best friends. In the real world, they were anything but friends.
Both actresses have made comments to the media about their relationship being filled with tension. They used to throw shade at each other via social media, and it entertained their fans. The two just couldn’t get along, and although there was no good reason for the animosity, the situation never improved. Grande’s career has since taken off — Justice’s, not so much. Perhaps it was jealousy?
Katherine Heigl and Shonda Rhimes
Many rumors have circulated through tabloids regarding how difficult it is to work with Katherine Heigl. We haven’t really seen her much since her run on Grey’s Anatomy, a relationship that ended due to her poor relationship with the show’s creator, Shonda Rhimes.
Okay, they weren’t actually on screen together, but they started off with a good relationship. The issues started when Heigl made some comments about the lack of “quality material” on the series. Rhimes offered her own comments about Heigl and added that she didn’t have time for the drama.
Lindsay Lohan and America Ferrera
You may have noticed that Lindsay Lohan’s time on the sitcom Ugly Betty didn’t last long. Apparently, issues between Lohan and America Ferrera caused a lot of trouble on set. The two couldn’t get along when working together.
It was speculated that Ferrera didn’t like Lohan receiving so much attention for her part in the show, and some suggested Ferrera was the reason that Lohan didn’t appear more often on the show. We aren’t really sure what happened between the two, but it was clear that they didn’t like each other.
Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion
On the series Castle, Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion butted heads a lot, but they still had incredible chemistry. Fillion claims that Katic wanted the attention to always be on her, and it caused a lot of issues. That sounds logical, considering Fillion is a total scene stealer when he’s on camera.
The pair even had to attend couple’s therapy together at one point to keep the series going! It’s rumored the series was canceled because the two simply couldn’t put aside their differences, prompting Katic to cut ties with the show. Fans wouldn’t have accepted her departure, so time was up. Playing a couple can be tough!
Laura Marano and Ross Lynch
Fans loved Laura Marano’s and Ross Lynch’s characters in the series Austin & Ally. Behind the scenes, the relationship was nothing like it was on camera. Apparently, the two argued a lot on set.
In fact, they argued so much that the rest of the cast grew to resent it. Other cast members had to break up their arguments, and it was just all-around messy. Fortunately, other actors were able to calm them down most of the time, but it still doesn’t sound like it would have been a pleasant place to be.
Tisha Campbell-Martin and Martin Lawrence
Husbands and wives should be best friends, and that’s what was displayed on screen in the sitcom Martin. Tisha Campbell-Martin and Martin Lawrence seemed to really get along when the cameras were rolling. Off screen, it was a different story.
It’s not clear exactly what happened between them, but some speculate that it had to do with jealousy in some form. Campbell-Martin eventually quit the show and went on to file a sexual harassment suit against Lawrence. Apparently, they are all good now, however. We sure do wonder what really happened there!
Charlie Sheen and Selma Blair
Selma Blair was on the FX series Anger Management for a bit alongside Charlie Sheen, but it quickly became clear that the two just didn’t like each other. Specifically, Blair claimed that Sheen frequently slacked off at his job and wasn’t always prepared for scenes.
All it took was that comment to get her kicked off the series. After all, Sheen was the producer of the series — not a smart move. That sparked a lot more tension between the two, and Sheen eventually called Blair some very derogatory words. Yikes! As we all know, the title of the show never really fit Sheen’s persona.
Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan
Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan seemed to be the best of friends on their live talk show. They joked, laughed and genuinely seemed to be having a great time together. It was completely unexpected when Strahan left to take a full-time position on Good Morning America.
As it turned out, the pair didn’t have the type of friendship they presented for the viewers. Ripa talked about her disappointment with his decision to leave so quickly, and he wasn’t happy about the remarks. It doesn’t appear the two will be friends again anytime soon.
Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray liked each other so much after working together on One Tree Hill that they got married! For a while, they were the “couple goal” for many fans — until a little public indiscretion happened on the set of a horror movie.
Yep, Murray cheated on Bush with co-star Paris Hilton, and they divorced. After that, the bigger problem became working together on the set of a successful show. The two were able to pull off filming together but not without difficulty. It would certainly be hard to work with your cheating ex every day. Bush later said she didn’t want the relationship to define her, and we couldn’t agree more.
Debra Messing and Megan Mullally
It wasn’t all laughs and smiles behind the scenes of Will & Grace. Co-stars Debra Messing and Megan Mullally, despite being close friends on camera, didn’t get along when they weren’t playing their characters.
Fans discovered the two had unfollowed each other on social media and then began to notice they were rarely seen in pictures together either. People started talking, and then Mullally didn’t show up in the final episodes. Nothing else is known, other than there was “tension on set.” We definitely smell a feud between the two, but they pulled off the reboot without any issues.
Lauren Conrad and Audrina Patridge
Way back in the day, Audrina Patridge met Lauren Conrad on the set of The Hills. They were roommates and friends, but they parted ways shortly after. Patridge admitted that after the cameras were off, the two never spoke.
It’s unclear what started their dislike of each other, but it appears that they never fixed whatever part of their friendship was broken. It’s certainly strange because they seemed so close, but even reality stars can have problems with each other. Of course, much of what happens on “reality TV” is staged, but it’s still disappointing.
Heidi Swedberg and Jason Alexander
It isn’t much of a secret that few people on the set of Seinfeld enjoyed working with Heidi Swedberg. That included star Jason Alexander, who still managed to play half of a close couple with Swedberg, even though he didn’t like her. They were even set to be married.
Apparently, nobody enjoyed working with her, and the entire cast got tired of making it work. Producers decided it was best to kill off her character by having her lick stamps on the wedding invitations that were poisoned. A strange (and telling?) death to be sure, but apparently it was best for all involved.
Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment
On the show that sparked Miley Cyrus’ career — Hannah Montana — she played best friends with Emily Osment. Cyrus has openly discussed how disappointed she was that their on-screen friendship didn’t translate into an off-screen friendship.
Cyrus even wrote about it in a book she authored. The two apparently didn’t get along as soon as the cameras stopped. They basically didn’t speak. In the years since then, it seems like they have worked out whatever issues they had. It’s nice to know that people who don’t originally like each other can still go on to be friendly.
Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev
It might seem like it was all blood and romance on the set of The Vampire Diaries, but that wasn’t the case. Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev didn’t get along when the series first started, which was challenging for the smoldering romance developing on screen. There wasn’t a clear reason given, just that they didn’t like each other.
After the two kept getting compliments on their chemistry, they loosened up and actually became friends over time. It’s crazy how two people can totally dislike each other when they meet and eventually develop a friendship. We love it! People can get along when they look for common ground.
Josh Peck and Drake Bell
The series Drake and Josh was a huge hit, and many people still talk about it today. Nobody watching the show had a clue that the two weren’t as close as they portrayed on the screen.
Apparently, when Josh Bell got married, he didn’t even invite Drake to his wedding! Some back and forth on Twitter ensued, and it became clear the two weren’t really all that close after all. They did reunite, hug and then proceed to watch old clips of their show together. It seems like they worked it out, and the fans are happy again.
Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer
Ross and Rachel were a big part of what made the series Friends last as long as it did. Were they together? Would they never be together? Did they love each other? The suspense added to everything fans already adored about the series.
Not surprisingly, many don’t know that Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer didn’t really get along off camera. In fact, they had a lot of arguments that made other cast members uncomfortable. When he got engaged, she knew about it but didn’t remember the name of his bride-to-be. That really made him angry, and then he wasn’t invited to Aniston’s wedding. At least they made a cute couple on TV!
Will Smith and Janet Hubert
Will Smith and Janet Hubert co-starred in the hit ’90s sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Their characters were closer than friends; they were family. Smith portrayed the show’s main character, while Hubert portrayed his aunt. However, they didn’t remain co-stars for long.
Hubert portrayed Aunt Viv for three seasons. In Season 4, Hubert was gone, and fans saw her character recast. What happened? Behind the scenes, the two had trouble working together, which resulted in Hubert’s firing and their infamous feud.
Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson
Throughout the Gilmore Girls series, fans madly shipped the characters, Luke and Lorelai (portrayed by Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson). Their amazing on-set chemistry convinced fans that the two got along in real life too, but that wasn’t the case.
There’s no official confirmation that Graham and Patterson aren’t on good terms. However, it’s clear that the two aren’t buddy-buddy. When TV Guide asked Graham if she and Patterson were “best friends,” Graham responded with a hard, swift “no.”
Kiefer Sutherland and Freddie Prinze, Jr.
She’s All That star Freddie Prinze, Jr. was the big-screen heartthrob of the ’90s. He went MIA to take smaller roles on TV, but one terrible experience almost made him quit acting entirely. In 2010, the actor joined Season 8 of 24.
On the TV series, Prinze worked with Kiefer Sutherland, but it was awful. He told ABC News, “I did 24; it was terrible. I hated every moment of it. Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world. That’s not me talking trash; I’d say it to his face. I think everyone that’s worked with him has said that.”
Teri Hatcher and Marcia Cross
There were many reports that Teri Hatcher didn’t get along with her Desperate Housewives co-stars, including Marcia Cross. However, an infamous Vanity Fair photoshoot confirmed the claims. According to an ABC representative, Hatcher’s co-stars had a list of demands for the bathing suit photoshoot: Don’t let Hatcher visit wardrobe first or appear in the middle of shots.
But none of the demands were met. As a result, Hatcher and Cross fought over wardrobe selection. In the middle of the shoot, Cross stormed off because Hatcher stood next to her in the center. Also, Cross cursed at people as she left.
William Shatner and George Takei
George Takei has a long-time feud with his Star Trek co-star, William Shatner. In the show, Takei portrayed Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise. Their hostile relationship off-set is fully documented. In different interviews, the two often speak unfondly of each other.
Takei has called Shatner “self-centered” and “egotistical.” Shatner also doesn’t hold back when he talks about Takei, describing him as sick, unhappy and psychotic. He also commented that he wasn’t invited to Takei’s wedding. According to Takei, Shatner took the situation out of hand.
