Current:Home > MarketsMelissa Joan Hart was almost fired off 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' after racy Maxim cover-LoTradeCoin
Melissa Joan Hart was almost fired off 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' after racy Maxim cover
View Date:2024-12-24 00:03:06
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! (16)
Related
- Sofia Richie Reveals 5-Month-Old Daughter Eloise Has a Real Phone
- Marvin Harrison Jr. injury update: Cardinals WR exits game with concussion vs. Packers
- Who are the last three on 'Big Brother'? Season 26 finale date, cast, where to watch
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Age Brackets
- Real Housewives of New York City Star’s Pregnancy Reveal Is Not Who We Expected
- Tia Mowry Shares How She Repurposed Wedding Ring From Ex Cory Hardrict
- ‘Legacy’ Forests. ‘Restoration’ Logging. The New Jargon of Conservation Is Awash in Ambiguity. And Politics
- Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson has surgery on fractured tibia, fibula with no timeline for return
- Melissa Gilbert recalls 'painful' final moment with 'Little House' co-star Michael Landon
- Wisconsin officials require burning permits in 13 counties as dry conditions continue
Ranking
- A growing and aging population is forcing Texas counties to seek state EMS funding
- Why black beans are an 'incredible' addition to your diet, according to a dietitian
- Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson has surgery on fractured tibia, fibula with no timeline for return
- Sabrina Ionescu shows everyone can use a mentor. WNBA stars help girls to dream big
- Amazon Best Books of 2024 revealed: Top 10 span genres but all 'make you feel deeply'
- Back to the hot seat? Jaguars undermine Doug Pederson's job security with 'a lot of quit'
- When is daylight saving time ending this year, and when do our clocks 'fall back?'
- Horoscopes Today, October 14, 2024
Recommendation
-
College football Week 12 expert picks for every Top 25 game include SEC showdowns
-
Another tough loss with Lincoln Riley has USC leading college football's Week 7 Misery Index
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's crossword, Definitely Not Up to Something
-
Tour guide identified as victim who died in Colorado gold mine elevator malfunction
-
Get Your Home Holiday-Ready & Decluttered With These Storage Solutions Starting at $14
-
Opinion: Texas proves it's way more SEC-ready than Oklahoma in Red River rout
-
'Just a pitching clinic': Jack Flaherty gem vs. Mets has Dodgers sitting pretty in NLCS
-
Kansas tops AP Top 25 preseason men’s basketball poll ahead of Alabama, defending champion UConn