Jesse Metcalfe has addressed the alleged issues on the “Desperate Housewives” set. The actor spoke to E! News, looking back at the success of the series. Metcalfe, 47, voiced his gratitude for the role that made him a star at the show’s peak. The primetime soap opera continues to command a huge audience, 22 years after it first debuted. Metcalfe was not a regular-billed star on the show, but his role became one of its biggest talking points.
Metcalfe maintains he had a positive relationship with all the actresses involved. However, he has confirmed knowledge of a rift between the stars, along with issues they had with the show’s creator.
Jesse Metcalfe Stayed Out Of Behind-The-Scenes Drama But Knew What Happened
Jesse Metcalfe avoided landing himself in any hot water. The actor said he was never personally involved in any of the hostility on the “Desperate Housewives” set. Speaking to E! for its “The Greatest Year in Pop Culture” interview, Metcalfe said he was too naive to fully grasp everyone’s issues. However, he also admitted he wasn’t oblivious to what was going on.
Metcalfe said he didn’t experience the drama himself, mainly because he was swept up in his own newfound success and fame. “Desperate Housewives” commanded a massive audience in its earlier years, and Metcalfe’s character drew some of the biggest responses. Playing teen gardener John Rowland, his affair with Eva Longoria’s character has some of the steamiest scenes on the show.
Metcalfe maintains he didn’t have much awareness of what was going around, but he did catch on that there was drama surrounding the leading ladies. The actor didn’t mention any specific names, although he confirmed there were problems happening. The 47-year-old said he had a good relationship with everyone else, even when the main cast and creator were allegedly feuding.
“Apparently there was some in-fighting between some of our leading ladies and also some drama between our creator and some of our leading ladies,” Metcalfe told the outlet. “I certainly wasn’t part of that. I wasn’t really aware of it. But I know that it happened.”
Inside The ‘Desperate Housewives’ Drama
“Desperate Housewives”‘ drama didn’t exist only on the screen. The ABC show’s most famous controversy involved Nicollette Sheridan’s departure. The actress filed a $20 million lawsuit against creator Marc Cherry involving multiple allegations and wrongful termination. The suit was ultimately dismissed.
One of the biggest unproven allegations involves rumors of on-set bullying. A potential dispute surrounding a Vanity Fair photoshoot began a media frenzy, which the cast attempted to downplay at the time. Eva Longoria has since implied there was a serious issue between one of the cast members and their co-stars, but has elected not to go into detail.
Longoria was asked about the bullying allegations in an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen,” only to avoid giving a full answer. In an interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, the actress also said that “99 percent” of the cast are “very good friends.” When asked who she left out, Longoria chose not to reveal any names.
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Jesse Metcalfe Dishes On Behind-the-Scenes Drama Between Leading Ladies on ‘Desperate Housewives’