Current:Home > MyMelissa Joan Hart was almost fired off 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' after racy Maxim cover -Ascend Finance Compass
Melissa Joan Hart was almost fired off 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' after racy Maxim cover
View
Date:2025-04-17 01:04:51
Melissa Joan Hart could've used a magic spell after a magazine cover nearly left her unemployed.
Hart, who starred as the titular role in the fantasy comedy "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," revealed that a racy photoshoot she did with Maxim magazine almost got her fired off the series during an appearance on the "Pod Meets World" podcast Monday.
Hart recalled the publicity ordeal when hosts Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Rider Strong asked her about a photo she took with pop singer Britney Spears during the New York premiere of Hart's film "Drive Me Crazy."
"If you look at my eyes, I had been crying all evening," Hart said. "At the time, I thought this was the worst day of my life."
Hart went on to explain she had been dealing with a barrage of bad news during the film's premiere, including breaking up with her boyfriend and getting fired from her role in "Scary Movie." During an afterparty at Planet Hollywood, the "Dirty Little Secret" star said she was informed by her lawyer that her recent appearance on the cover of Maxim magazine had landed her in legal hot water.
Hart was the cover star for Maxim magazine's October 1999 issue. The actress was dressed in black lingerie and a white sheet that covered her bare chest. The cover's headline read, "Sabrina, Your Favorite Witch Without a Stich!"
"My lawyer shows up and goes, 'You did a photoshoot for Maxim magazine?' I'm like, 'Yes, I did,' " Hart said. "They're like, 'Well, you're being sued and fired from your show, so don't talk to the press. Don't do anything.' "
Melissa Joan Hart:Actress says she helped kids flee Covenant School in Nashville shooting
Hart said the magazine's use of her "Sabrina" character's name violated a clause in her contract with Archie Comics, the publisher of the comic book series the sitcom was based on.
"(The contract) said I would never play the character naked," Hart said. "So, here they were thinking I'm in breach because I'm playing the character. No, that was supposed to be me promoting my movie: It wasn't supposed to be a character. I had no control over what they wrote on the cover."
Hart said she was able to resolve the situation − and save her job on "Sabrina" − with an apology letter. In an unexpected stroke of luck, Hart said the controversy generated by the Maxim cover gave a publicity boost to "Drive Me Crazy."
"Can Melissa be sexy? She's 23, is she allowed to be sexy? What's going on here? … Why is she being fired from her show?" Hart said, describing the media "drama" surrounding her cover. "But it made for 'Drive Me Crazy' to come out and be a huge success."
More:Melissa Joan Hart is magical first $1 million winner on 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune'
veryGood! (2)
Related
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- California lawmakers vote to reduce deficit by $17 billion, but harder choices lie ahead
- Kevin Costner makes surprising 'Yellowstone' revelation after drama-filled exit
- Woman found slain 38 years ago in California identified with DNA testing
- Sam Taylor
- Kansas City Chiefs’ Rashee Rice surrenders to police on assault charge after high-speed crash
- The magic of the Masters can't overshadow fact that men's golf is in some trouble
- The show goes on for Paramount with ‘Gladiator II,’ a new Damien Chazelle movie and more
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Untangling Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan's Years-Long Divorce Trial
Ranking
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Thirteen men plead not guilty for role in Brooklyn synagogue tunnel scuffle
- TikTok’s Conjoined Twins Carmen and Lupita Slam “Disingenuous” Comments About Their Lives
- Kathy Hilton's Update on Granddaughter London's Sweet New Milestones Will Have You Sliving
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- The show goes on for Paramount with ‘Gladiator II,’ a new Damien Chazelle movie and more
- Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal go into bloody battle in epic first 'Gladiator 2' footage
- ‘I’m dying, you’re not': Those terminally ill ask more states to legalize physician-assisted death
Recommendation
Intellectuals vs. The Internet
Ralph Puckett Jr., army colonel awarded Medal of Honor for heroism during Korean War, dies at 97
O.J. Simpson was the biggest story of the 1990s. His trial changed the way TV covers news
Conjoined Twins Abby and Brittany Hensel Seen for First Time Since Private Wedding News
Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
Alaska House passes budget with roughly $2,275 payments to residents, bill goes to Senate
Meet The Real Housewives of Dubai's Fiery New Housewife in Sizzling Season 2 Trailer
Greg Norman shows up at Augusta National to support LIV golfers at Masters