Top 10 TV Couples Who HATED Each Other in Real Life
Things weren’t quite as rosy behind the scenes. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top ten TV couples who hated each other in real life.
For this list, we’ll be looking at ten TV couples whose actors hated each other in real life.
#10: Mila Kunis & Ashton Kutcher
“That ‘70s Show” (1998-2006)
This DEFINITELY wasn’t a case of love at first sight. Despite the two now being married, a long-time friend of Kutcher told Radar Online that “everyone shakes their head over the romance.” According to the source, the two were “absolutely not friends” during filming and that “they couldn’t stand working together.” We don’t know how credible this source is, but their words are backed up by Mila Kunis herself. She told Glamour that she once thought Ashton was crazy and that she started to hate him once he became famous. Apparently he thought he was all that! She also said that they had “full friendship breakups” on numerous occasions, signifying that their time together may not have been all sunshine and rainbows.
#9: Julie McCullough & Kirk Cameron
“Growing Pains” (1985-92)
While young Kirk Cameron was raised an atheist, he converted to Christianity when he was 17. This caused frustration on the set of “Growing Pains,” as he caused trouble with his co-stars and insisted that the writers remove any semblance of inappropriate content. However, it was Julie McCullough who faced the brunt of his criticism. Julie had previously posed nude for Playboy, and Kirk objected to this lewd behavior. The story goes that Kirk accused the producers of promoting pornography and ordered Julie to be fired. And although Kirk claims that he never called for her termination, he and Julie remain distant and are not on speaking terms. Whatever happened, it’s clear that they did not, and continue to not, get along.
#8: Joan Collins & John Forsythe
“Dynasty” (1981-89)
Joan and John played divorced couple Alexis and Blake Carrington on the popular soap opera “Dynasty.” While the two were split, their personal drama helped “Dynasty” become one of the biggest soap operas of the 80s. And it looks like Alexis and Blake’s toxic relationship was just as hostile as Joan and John’s. Joan has admitted that John didn’t like her very much and has called him “misogynistic and a bit sexist.” She also states that John lambasted her for demanding equal pay, and she was allegedly called “a diva and a bitch.” However, there seems to be no hard feelings, as Joan honored John upon his death, calling him “one of the last true gentlemen of the acting profession.”
#7: Heidi Swedberg & Jason Alexander
“Seinfeld” (1989-98)
Susan’s untimely death from licking toxic glue is one of the most iconic moments of “Seinfeld.” It showcases the gang’s heartless and selfish mentality in the most upfront and brutal way possible, rivaling that of “Game of Thrones!” But her death was swift because her exit from the show was swift. While no one hated Heidi, Jason had issues with her comedic style and called her difficult to work with. No one really believed him until Jerry Seinfeld and Julia Louis-Dreyfus worked with her on season 7, and they quickly agreed with Jason. While Heidi was written off as a result, Jason still vouches for her, calling her “a kind [and] lovely person.”
#6: Cybill Shepherd & Bruce Willis
“Moonlighting” (1985-89)
Cybill Shepherd is not shy about expressing her frustration with Bruce Willis. In 2005, she admitted to Entertainment Weekly that the two “hated each other.” Their co-star, Curtis Armstrong, says as much in his book “Revenge of the Nerd.” He tells a few interesting stories, like the time Cybill grew so frustrated that she threw a suitcase at the wall. There are a few theories as to why they didn’t get along. Curtis says that Cybill was called “a bitch” by the male-dominated crew. Another co-star called Bruce “an asshole.” Curtis also says that Bruce told him about an “ill-conceived ‘thing’ between him and Cybill” which led to their hostility. Whatever the case, it’s safe to say that they did not love each other.
#5: Selma Blair & Charlie Sheen
“Anger Management” (2012-14)
Whatever you do, do not tell Charlie Sheen that he has a poor work ethic. While filming “Anger Management,” Selma Blair allegedly complained about Charlie’s lack of work ethic, as she thought he took too long to learn his lines. Word got back to Charlie, and according to an insider, he “flew off the handle,” creating “an awkward and toxic” situation. Sheen retaliated by firing Blair via a nasty text message in which he allegedly called her the c-word. However, Sheen says that they were planning on writing Blair’s character off anyway to make the show and Charlie’s character more interesting. Regardless, Selma lawyered up and demanded $1.2 million in lost wages.
#4: Gillian Anderson & David Duchovny
“The X-Files” (1993-2002; 2016-18)
David and Gillian’s hostile working relationship has been well-documented. Their disagreements have been known since at least 1996, when Chris Nicksen’s book told of the “fine line” between the actors’ happiness and irritability towards each other. Other reports subsequently came out over the years, many of which recounted a strained working and personal relationship. David also told Metro that they often “couldn’t stand the sight of each other,” and Gillian told The Guardian that she and David went through periods of not speaking to each other. Reports of a full-on vitriolic hatred may be exaggerated, but there’s no denying that the actors had a tense and troublesome relationship.
#3: Sophia Bush & Chad Michael Murray
“One Tree Hill” (2003-12)
Things were quite sweet for a while, there. Sophia and Chad grew close throughout their time on “One Tree Hill” and even married in April 2005, right before the conclusion of the second season. However, they were separated the following September and later divorced. According to a friend of Sophia, Chad didn’t share Sophia’s enthusiasm for the sanctity of marriage. Sophia later told Andy Cohen that she never wanted to marry Chad, whose rep clapped back by saying that wasn’t true and that Chad “doesn’t feel the need to engage in this type of behavior.” Ouch. It sounds like there is still some bad blood between the two.
#2: Stana Katic & Nathan Fillion
“Castle” (2009-16)
When it comes to toxic working relationships, few are as hostile as Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion’s. An anonymous source told Us (not us, Us Weekly) that Stana and Nathan “completely despise each other” and refuse to speak when the cameras aren’t rolling. In fact, things got so bad between them that they were forced into couples counseling by the producers. A second insider told Us that Nathan wasn’t well-liked by the cast and crew and that his nastiness caused Stana to cry in her dressing room. The show was cancelled in 2016, and while it’s terrible that all those people lost their jobs, it was probably for the best in this case.
#1: Vivian Vance & William Frawley
“I Love Lucy” (1951-57)
These two should have received all the acting awards, because they definitely deserved them. It all started when William overheard Vivian complaining about his age, as he was 22 years older than she was. William in turn wished that Vivian would return to her home state of Kansas, and Vivian proceeded to call him names like “that stubborn-headed little Irishman.” It’s also important to note that William was a well-known alcoholic who had a reputation for being crabby and ill-tempered. The two later declined a lucrative spin-off opportunity as they didn’t want to work with each other again. And, according to Hollywood legend, Vivian jokingly ordered champagne when she heard about William’s death. Now that’s true hatred, right there.