Sarah Jessica Parker addresses the “painful” rift between her and Kim Cattrall
Parker also insists that the disagreement between them is not a "catfight"
Aux News Sarah Jessica Parker
Could the bubbly Sex And The City theme song ever sound like a mournful tune? Manhattan’s most famous female foursome have experienced well-documented turbulence, especially between stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall. Now, weeks after Cattrall opened up about not returning for And Just Like That… and her relationship with her former costars—who she called “colleagues” not “friends”—Parker has responded with her own side of the story.
Cattrall was not a part of the recent HBO Max reboot series (only in our dreams will Samantha ever attend one of Che Diaz’s comedy shows), and during an appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Parker addresses her absence.
“We did not ask her to be part of this [And Just Like That…] because she made it clear that that wasn’t something she wanted to pursue, and it no longer felt comfortable for us, and so it didn’t occur to us,” Parker shared of her and costars Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, who both reprised their roles. “That’s not ‘slamming’ her, it’s just learning.”
According to Parker, problems began brewing in 2017, after a proposed third Sex And The City film “fell apart” amidst contractual demands from Cattrall. Afterwards, Cattrall was open about her contentious relationship with her former costars, claiming they were never really friends and alleging cruel treatment on set.
“It wasn’t that she said ‘no’ to the movie; it’s that the studio said ‘no’ to the movie, which, you know, happens,” Parker said. “Every actor has a right to ask for things, to have, you know, a contract that feels good to them. I never would have disputed that ’cause, frankly, that’s not my business. Were we [costars Davis and Nixon] disappointed? Sure. But it happens.”
Although Parker acknowledged Cattrall was a “huge contributor” to the original success of Sex And The City, she called Cattrall’s public statements “very painful” to hear, and not reflective of her, Davis, or Nixon’s “experience.”
“I’ve spent a lot of years working really hard to always be decent to everybody on the set, to take care of people, to be responsible to and for people, both my employers and the people that I feel I’m responsible for as a producer of the show. And there just isn’t anyone else who’s ever talked about me this way,” Parker said.
Parker also addressed the ways outsiders talk about her seemingly nonexistent relationship with Cattrall. “It’s so painful for people to keep talking about this ‘catfight’—a ‘fight,’ a ‘fight,’ a ‘fight.’ I’ve never uttered fighting words in my life about anybody that I’ve worked with — ever. There is not a ‘fight’ going on,” she insisted.
She added, “There has been no public dispute or spat or conversations or allegations made by me or anybody on my behalf. I wouldn’t do it. That is not the way I would have it. So I just wish that they would stop calling this a ‘catfight’ or an ‘argument,’ because it doesn’t reflect [reality]. There has been one person talking.”
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*sing*
“But now I’m over that/we had a little spat…”
I am more interested in this ‘feud’ than I am in the show, mostly because it seems more like a realistic example of how people work and speak, opposed to the show’s version of that.
Having never seen a full episode or watched any of the movies, I somehow know way more than the average fan about this. There’s how SJP gets paid way more than anybody else, how Cattrall asked for and was denied EP credit (which SJP has had), how the plot for SatC3 (now know as And Just Like That) was entirely about SJP whereas the show was always an ensemble, how SJP worked with Cattrall for years and only tweeted her condolences for when Cattrall’s brother died, etc etc etc. And then there’s the matter of how they’ve treated Samantha Jones in the new series. None of it reads as civil as SJP would want us to believe.
I particularly like the part where SJP says it’s not a catfight because it’s “only one person talking” as though Parker and Cynthia Nixon haven’t been out here talking about this shit for years. A quick Google confirms that. Davis, to her credit, has kept herself more out of that conversation. Mostly, I remain flummoxed that all parties involved continue to beat this entirely tiresome dead horse when it would be so easy to just move on. Get asked about it in an interview? Easy: “We had a professional relationship that ran its course. I wish her nothing but the best.” Done. Instead, here we are years into this thing, with this petty sniping that in the end makes everyone look small and bitter.
I think the public continues to lap this up because fans honestly believed these women were real-life besties instead of just, you know, actresses on the same show.
I agree with SJP that the media really eggs this on, but both parties take the bait and behave contrary to their stated intentions of moving on. In this interview, she feigns being the bigger person while also sprinkling in slightly provocative comments like, “there has only been one person talking.” Also, considering how involved she is in the creation of the ongoing show, she should know better than to let it imply that the characters are going to make up and be friends again by having Catrall’s character text, send flowers, etc. in the background when she keeps saying there’s no chance of her returning. People naturally see stuff like that as keeping the door open to a reconciliation, and it often results in Catrall getting asked to weigh in on this all over again.
If they weren’t friends but merely colleagues, as Kim Cattrall said, tweeting condolences seems like the appropriate level of contact. It seems that Kim jumped down her throat for even daring to do that, so it seems like SJP can’t win for trying.
You spend a decade+ working hip to hip with someone and they tweet condolences to you for the loss of a sibling? Nah. I’m an elder millennial but they’ve got a generation on me. That’s a phone call, video call, DM, something private. Not a performative post from someone you’ve been boxing out for years. The jumping down the throat is exactly appropriate. It sounds like after the second movie Cattrall finally had the FU money to tell SJP where and how to shove it.
I don’t think I could pick a Millennial out of a line-up. All you youngsters blend together for me at this point.
I wouldn’t expect a personal condolence call from someone I didn’t consider a friend, and complaining about any condolence seems petty to me.
Hell, I wouldn’t want a condolence call from someone at all if I didn’t consider them a friend.
I outed my generation because I mentioned actually using a phone to make a call (the horror!)
But if the condolence was performative where your “not-friend” would receive status from giving it, would you take offense? I had an acquaintance in college who used the murder of a mutual friend as a way to try to get laid. Didn’t feel great to watch, especially considering the friend wasn’t even buried yet.
Millennials aren’t really youngsters anymore. I’m a millennial (granted at the oldest end) and I’m 41. I’d love to be called a youngster, but I’m definitely middle-aged.
Read Cattrall’s response to Parker. There is absolutely no indication that she would have accepted much less preferred a phone call, video call, or whatever else you imagine from Parker. This wasn’t an etiquette issue, this was a matter of two people not liking each other (or at least, one person not liking the other).
I mean, if a former co-worker I hated tweeted similar condolences at me, I really wouldn’t like it
Man, for someone who says there was never a fight and that everything is fine, she sure does bring it up a lot.
What else does she have to talk about? The Just Like That thing was kind of a bomb and one of the cast got booted for sexual assault accusations. I’d probably be leaning on the “spat with co-star” thing too.
You’re looking at it wrong … ‘Only’ one of the cast got booted.
Was it a bomb? Everyone thought it sucked, but they still watched it.
A big part of why it bombed was that Samantha is the most popular character and carving her out was a big swing and miss. Not sure if Parker reaching out to patch things up could have changed that, but if it were my show I’d sure as hell try.
How was it a bomb? Didn’t get enough viewers for a second season?
Blah. Talking is a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” thing and you just can’t win. Some people will fill in the details if you don’t talk, and some people will say that denying something is strong evidence to the contrary.Everyone involved – the media particularly because conflict is content – has “brought this up a lot”. Hardly seems fair to pin that on any specific participant in this ecosystem.(Which is not to say that I know what happened or who is the better person in this mild conflict. I have no idea. I’m just unmoved by the assertion that talking about it constitutes a telling defensiveness.)
I was on the fence and thought she sure was talking about it a lot, and bringing it up in-and-of-itself is stirring the pot. But she also made a good point that the media framing exacerbated the problem. And ultimately, she keeps getting asked about it every time Catrall brings it up so it isn’t really her fault that this won’t die. But I also think it was a bad idea for the show to give the false impression she might come back by having her character continue to pop up. That just results in Catrall getting asked about it which starts up a whole new news cycle about this. They really should have just moved on in the show
I mean she is asked about it but at this point say “no comment.” Which is what Kristen Davis basically does.
Yeah, when invited on to an interview on a podcast, she should respond with stony silence when she’s asked a direct question.
You mean she brings it up…when asked about it?
I don’t think you should have to “work really hard” to be “decent to everybody”.
Apparently you do in the business they call show.
You must not deal with people on a regular basis cuz it’s REALLY fucking hard to be decent to some people.
I have worked in retail.
Hopefully Kim Cattrall is saving her time for more relevant projects, like a Big Trouble in Little China sequel
SaMannequin 2: Electric Boogaloo. Or maybe Star Trek VI-a.
Let’s just make it a full retrospective and get Porky’s and Police Academy updates into the mix as well.
Okay so I once went to a party where someone who worked at HBO was and explained what went down with these two so here we go. And I have zero idea if this is true. I also don’t know if there is information that contradicts this. This is just what I was told. So when Sex and the City first started they wanted to get kind of a name. They knew they couldn’t get Julia Roberts (and couldn’t afford someone like that) but they at least wanted someone with some level of fame. SJP ended up being a name tossed around. She had dated JKF Jr., Robert Downey Jr., starred in a Tim Burton’s Ed Wood (maybe his last great film), etc. Initially SJP wasn’t sure, she was doing alright as a film star. She wasn’t usually in people’s top ten choices but she was still getting roles that more than paid the bills. So promises were made about a cut into profits, producing credit, etc. if the show became successful. The rest of the actresses on that show didn’t really have any pull to make those asks or be offered those things. As the show became more successful and set up changed in season 2 (if you noticed there were less guest stars, no talking to the camera, and the focus became on their dating lives of the core four and their friendship) and Kim Cattrall rightfully felt that the show had changed enough that the contracts needed to change. She also felt by season 3 that while SJP was the main star the rest of them were as much a draw as she was. Now at this point it was pretty well known in Hollywood (not sure if the public knew) that the Friends stars negotiated as a unit. No one was paid more than they other. Kim Cattrall wanted to do this with Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis; SJP was left out because she did do extra work because of voice overs, often had to do promotion things they didn’t, and conflict of interest as a producer, etc.Apparently Nixon and Davis asked Parker what she thought and she refused to get involved. She basically said to them exactly what she said here. That every actor has to do what’s best for them. SJP was very old school at the time because she had been a child star (she did stage work, Footloose, etc.) and was taught you didn’t talk about those things with each other. Cattrall took this as being discouraging to others which I really do see that perspective. But I also see how maybe SJP felt like as producer it wasn’t her place because I know sometimes when they give a producer credit to an actor it’s about money, not actually being involved in production decisions.
So apparently that is why Cattrall thinks there is conflict and SJP doesn’t. And apparently they just didn’t mesh as friends which didn’t help.
That’s a very interesting story, thanks for sharing. Not seeing why the other three would have really needed SJP’s blessing to go about their negotiations as a trio, but it certainly could have helped.
Just Nixon and Davis asked SJP according to the person, and it wasn’t really about a blessing but whether it was the right move. It was more about advice.
But it sounds like her lack of support/advice is what scuttled their plan. I’m glad I’m not the only one who remembers how weird Season 1 of that show was. What with the talking to the camera and other bizarre flourishes. They even have montages of random strangers doing so, faux documentary style, to try to get different perspectives on the theme of the week! Not as bas as the fake commercials in early “Six Feet Under”, but still cringey AF.
I honestly hate a lot of Season 1. Thank goodness they made those changes.
It gets off to a pretty rough start. That said, I still pissed about the franchise’s Skipper erasure.
THIS. I was hoping Skipper would return in Just Like That.
Yeah, it seems like SJP was aware she basically shot down their attempt to get more money collectively and Catrall is 10 year older than them on average. Imagining being a bigger star than SJP had been, more seasoned, and while on a significant decline seems to have been hurt by SJP just not going to bat. Doing nothing is an inherent negative in most situations.
A lot of people say Kim Catrall was a bigger star before but I am just not seeing that just based off their Wikipedia pages, what they were starring in pre-SATC and my own experience. I was just a teen when the show came out but I had never heard of Kim Catrall but had heard of SJP because of Footloose and the tabloids talking about her JFK Jr.
Catrall’s star had faded and honestly, she likely would have starred in more movies but got SATC. SJP was hot more so for tabloid excess than sheer starpower.
People are usually skeptical of anyone who claims insider tea but this is the exact mix of banal contract disputes and celebrity ego that would make perfect sense.
SJP was very old school at the time because she had been a child star (she did stage work, Footloose, etc.) and was taught you didn’t talk about those things with each other. This is terrible advice, in any field, in case anyone doesn’t see that. The only people who benefit from the “taboo” against discussing your compensation is management, who can use the secrecy to pay employees as unfairly or capriciously as they like.
Yes, it’s an ingrained taboo, but everyone needs to get over it, talk to your coworkers — whatever your field is — and advocate for yourself and others.
Yeah, but if Parker was a producer than suggesting the other stars form a mini-union and hold out for more money would have put her in conflict with her bosses. I’d say telling them to do what they think is right for themselves is good advice; it doesn’t sound like she discouraged it.
The way SJP professes innocence and confusions over KC’s negative feelings about the show, when SJP knows she was making something more than 10x what KC was making is ridiculous. SJP doesn’t *need* to help her castmates, but she should realize people will resent her for making 10x more than they do. Especially when SJP was the only actress able to write a no-nudity clause into her contract (well, and get it to stick. I remember the producers guilting Davis into nudity later in the show, despite a new clause).
Great post! I can verify that some actors get Producer credit just for the $$$. In the final few seasons of Dallas, Larry “JR Ewing” Hagman was listed as an Executive Producer. Years later, he was asked what he did as EP and his response was something like: “I wanted more money and that was a way to legitimately pay me more. I certainly wasn’t going to start telling Leonard (Katzman, the longtime showrunner) how to do things.”Also, I remember reading that William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy each had contracts for the Star Trek films saying neither one could make less $$$ than the other. They’d use this to their mutual advantage when one would hold out for more money: the other would publicly feign annoyance and urge both sides to come to a resolution, because he knew as soon as his counterpart’s pay went up, his pay would go up.
I’m not sure if it was SJP doing anything with the story lines but some of them really did Sam dirty. Highlighting how much older she is…on more than one occasion. Making her go nuts over youth serums or whatever weird hormonal creams those were? MAKING WEIGHT GAIN A STORY LINE? How embarrassing for her character. Sounds like it was about to get worse, tooo from what KC has said recently. Honestly how Samantha to say “fuck em” and walk away.
This is a thoughtful and logical take which makes me immediately skeptical.
there just isn’t anyone else who’s ever talked about me this way
Jesus, that is just begging everyone to come out of the woodwork, Sarah. You’d better be right, or you’re about to Ellen yourself.
One thing I’ve never understood about Kim Cattrall is why they call her Lassie