Melissa Joan Hart has opened up about being blindsided by two devastating career blows within hours, calling it the worst day of her life.
On December 10, the 49-year-old star appeared on Betches’ Picture Day and revisited a photo from 1999, where she posed with Britney Spears at the premiere of Drive Me Crazy.
Apparently, the actress was fired from one project for not being “s*xy enough”, while nearly losing another for not being family-friendly enough, all thanks to a bold Maxim Magazine cover shoot.
Highlights
- Melissa Joan Hart recounted the "worst day" of her life, which occurred during the 1999 premiere of her film Drive Me Crazy.
- The actress was abruptly fired from a role in Scary Movie because producers reportedly felt her bust size was not large enough for the part.
- She faced a legal threat and nearly lost her lead role in Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
“If you look at my eyes, they're very bloodsh*t because this was what I would consider, if you read my book, one of the worst days of my life at the time,” she said.
Melissa Joan Hart admitted she was fired from Scary Movie after being told her chest wasn’t big enough
Image credits: Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage
During the podcast, Melissa Joan Hart recalled that the night unfolded as she was juggling press at the premiere with plans to fly to Vancouver immediately after to begin filming Scary Movie.
As she headed to the airport, Hart received a call in the limo telling her to turn around immediately, as she had been let go from the project.
Image credits: By Robin Platzer/Twin Images/Getty Images
“They decided when I did the fitting that I didn't have big enough b**bs for that part,” she explained.
Hart had been cast to play an opening parody role, a nod to Drew Barrymore’s famous Scream scene. The role later went to Carmen Electra.
While Hart tried to remain calm, the timing only made it worse, as she had already been crying over leaving her family behind to film the movie.
But her worst day wasn’t over yet.
The 49-year-old star was nearly fired from Sabrina the Teenage Witch over her Maxim photoshoot in 1999
Image credits: Ron Galella/Getty Images
When Hart returned to the premiere after learning the sad news, she was met by her lawyer with an even more devastating update.
"While I'm at the party, my lawyer shows up and goes, 'You did a photo shoot for Maxim magazine?' I'm like: 'Yes, I did.' They're like: 'Well, you're being sued and fired from your show, so don't talk to the press, don't do anything.'"
Image credits: betches
She added, "So I get a phone call on my cell phone from my mother, my producer, who was like, ‘What did you do?’, and I was like, 'I don't know, whatever my publicist told me to do at the photo shoot. I did a photo shoot for Maxim! It's Maxim, of course, you're gonna be in your underwear.”
It was revealed that the photoshoot featured the tagline, “Sabrina, your favorite witch without a stitch,” which was deemed inappropriate by executives tied to the show’s family-friendly branding.
Image credits: betches
Image credits: 20th Century Studios
Believing the role that had defined her career was over, she later explained the accusation stemmed from a contractual clause stating she would never portray the character n*de.
“So then I really started crying,” Hart said, recalling how her father eventually found her and hugged her after the premiere ended. “I don’t see my dad often, so for him to hug me? It just broke me.”
Though the situation was later resolved after she penned an apology letter, Hart kept her role on Sabrina for four seasons.
Fans praised Melissa Joan Hart for staying true to herself and aging naturally
Image credits: 20th Century Studios
Not everyone was sympathetic to Hart's trip down memory lane. After the podcast aired, some critics were quick to dismiss her "worst day" as a product of celebrity privilege.
“Lol that's one of the worst days of your life? Man, that's just a normal bad day. Celebrities are hilarious,” one user scoffed.
Image credits: Showtime
Others were even more blunt about her firing, with one writing, “The movie was terrible so you didn't miss anything there,” while another added, “That's the business. Tough it up or find a new career.”
Image credits: Showtime
Image credits: betches
Despite the harsh feedback, the majority of fans have rallied around Hart’s honesty and her refusal to alter herself to meet Hollywood’s ever-changing expectations.
Image credits: BritneyOnline
Several online users praised her for aging naturally, as one wrote, “She looks beautiful, youthful, and easily recognizable from her Clarissa photo from 31 years ago. It seems not messing with your face really is the best way to go.”
“We love to see real aging,” wrote another.
Others expressed admiration for her longevity in the industry, with one writing, “I’m glad that you have come a long way and done a very good job with your acting career. You are awesome.”
“I’ve always admired this actress, she is real, down to earth, and not afraid to speak her mind,” said one netizen
