What actually went down with Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall?
by Ana Walia | Thu, 09 Dec 2021 07:59:42 GMT
Image Source: PNGEgg, PngFind, ELLE

Twenty years ago, "Sex and the City" premiered on HBO, and soon four superbly talented and good-looking actresses made their way into the hearts of the audience. Sarah Jessica Parker, who played Carrie Bradshaw, Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones, Cynthia Nixon, who played Miranda, and Kristin Davis, who played Charlotte, were the four actresses. The show was created by Darren Star and ran for six years, from 1998 to 2004.

Set and filmed in New York City, "Sex and the City" is a show that follows the lives of women in their mid-thirties and one of them in their forties and their lives in the city. Despite every woman being different in nature and ideologies, the one thing that kept them going was the infinite amount of love and respect they had for each other. The show also showcases the modern issues of life that include sexuality, safe sex, promiscuity, and femininity.

A still from the show. Image Source: Vogue

But when the rumors of everything are not right with the cast were circling, especially when it came it, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall. Kim refused to reprise her role for the third installment of the movie.

Let us walk through the feud between Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker:

In December 2004, Kim Cattrall appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. She said, "I felt, after six years, it was time for all of us to participate in the financial windfall of Sex and the City. When they didn't seem keen on that, I thought it was time to move on."

In May 2008, it was reported that Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall had issues over money because Sarah was upgraded to executive producer in season two, which led to an upgrade in her salary of up to $300,000, causing Kim Cattrall to reportedly negotiate for a higher salary. It was later reported that other girls were upset about Kim’s move, which is why they avoided sitting with her during mealtimes as well. During the Emmy Awards in 2004, Kim Cattrall sat by herself, whereas the other girls sat together at the same table. Kim later said, "Are we best of friends? Not at all. We're professional actresses. We have our own separate lives".  Sarah Jessica Parker also mentioned, "Honestly, we are all friends, and I wish I saw more of Kim. She mentioned money, and no one should vilify her for it. People made a decision that we had vilified her. "

Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis. Image Source: The Guardian

Kim Cattrall, in her interview, candidly opened up about the issue with the cast, saying, “I was going through a divorce and my job of seven years was coming to an end. Then my dad was diagnosed with dementia. So I took a step back and returned to Canada, where my family is—that’s the reason behind it. It wasn’t all about the money.” Sarah Jessica Parker, in her ELLE interview in 2009 addressed the rumors about Kim not getting along with the cast and clarified that she adores her and wouldn’t have done the movie without her. She added,  "Honestly, we are all friends and I wish I saw more of Kim. She mentioned money, and no one should vilify her for it. People made a decision that we had vilified her."

The following year, when Kim Cattrall was asked about the same thing with the Daily Mail and Sarah’s comments, she agreed with the actress’ comments and added, "I think Sarah was right: People don’t want to believe that we got on. They have too much invested in the idea of two strong, successful women fighting with each other. It makes for juicy gossip and copy. The truth is that we are friends, getting along, and happily doing our jobs together is nowhere near as newsworthy. I think Sarah is fantastic. She is a born leader, and she guides the crew and the cast in such a strong but gentle way. She and I are sick of this. It’s exhausting talking about it, and a real bore. " 

In another interview, Kim Cattrall expressed her disappointment with the media and publications, which she said try to put women in boxes rather than show them as the movie portrays them, working together and being powerful. It was reported by The Daily Mail in 2017 that the third installment of the movie was canceled due to Kim’s unreasonable demands, but the actress further clarified that all she demanded was not to be a part of the movie, and she refused to be part of the third movie in 2016.

Explaining why she refused to do the movie, Kim shared, "This isn't about more money. It's not about more scenes. It's not about any of those things. This is about a clear decision, an empowered decision in my life to end one chapter and start another... It's a great part. I played it past the finish line and then some, and I loved it."  In the same interview, she mentioned that the girls had never been real friends and that, because of the ‘demand’, she expected the makers, especially Sarah Jessica Parker, to be nicer towards her. In an interview with Pierce Morgan, Kim Cattrall mentioned, “We’ve never been friends. We’ve been colleagues, and in some ways, it’s a very healthy place to be. Nobody ever picks up the phone and tries to contact you and say, ‘How you doing?’ That would have been the way to handle it. This is, it feels like, a toxic relationship.”

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Sarah, in 2018, appeared on Watch What Happens Live and shared that she was "heartbroken" on hearing Kim say that they were never really friends. "The whole week... I was really, I found it very upsetting because that's not the way I recall our experience, "she added. When Kim Cattrall’s younger brother passed away, Sarah reached out to her and wrote a condolence message for him, but in return, Kim said, "My Mom asked me today, 'When will that @sarahjessicaparker, that hypocrite, leave you alone?' Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now. Let me make this very clear. If I haven’t already, you are not my family. You are not my friend. So I’m writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your "nice girl" persona. "

Recently, Chris Noth, who plays Mr. Big on the show, shared his views on the feud between the leading ladies. Speaking to The Guardian, Chris said, "I have to tell you, I have no idea what her thinking is or her emotions. I do know that I’m very close with SJ, and [Cattrall’s] descriptions of her don’t even come close. I liked her. I thought she was marvelous in the show, and some people move on for their reasons. I don’t know what hers were. I just wish that whole thing had never happened because it was sad and uncomfortable. I just don’t like to see anyone talking about SJ because she’s a target and people can be nasty. I felt very protective of her, and I was not happy about that. That’s all I’ll say about that. "

On January 11th, 2021, a sequel series titled, "And Just Like That..." was announced, with Kim Cattrall not returning as Samantha Jones. The premier for the show was recently held in the New York City and the first two episodes of the highly anticipated show are now streaming on HBO Max. 

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