Melissa Joan Hart, best known for her role in the TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch, recently revealed one of the “worst days” of her life when she was almost fired due to a Maxim photo shoot. During an episode of the Pod Meets World podcast, hosts Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Rider Strong showed a photo of Hart with Britney Spears at the New York premiere of the 1999 rom-com Drive Me Crazy. Hart recalled the chaotic 24 hours surrounding that photo, explaining that she had been crying all evening.
The day started off rough for Hart, as she had planned to break up with her boyfriend at the time, who was also in the movie. Additionally, she had been up since 4 a.m. doing press. When she arrived at the movie premiere, she was told she couldn’t leave her car until Spears arrived. She had to wait on the red carpet, and despite wanting to start doing press, she was instructed to wait for Britney.
After the red carpet event, Hart was whisked away in a limo to the airport so she could shoot the horror parody film Scary Movie in Vancouver. However, on the way to the airport, she received a call informing her that she had been fired from Scary Movie. This news came after she had just broken up with her boyfriend while working on the film, so she was already upset. Instead of heading to the airport, she decided to go to the Planet Hollywood afterparty.
Just when Hart thought things couldn’t get any worse, she received another blow regarding Sabrina the Teenage Witch. While at the party, her lawyer showed up and informed her that she was being sued and fired from the show because of a Maxim photo shoot she had done. Hart had to refrain from talking to the press or doing anything until the issue was resolved. Even her producer called her to ask what she had done, and she explained that she simply followed her publicist’s instructions during the photo shoot.
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The whole problem stemmed from a line on the Maxim magazine cover, which read, “Sabrina, your favorite witch without a stitch.” Hart was accused of violating her contract with Archie Comics, which stated that she would never play the character Sabrina naked. However, Hart argued that she had no control over what was written on the cover and that the accusations were baseless. She also wrote an apology letter to address the situation.
Despite everything getting resolved in the end, the entire ordeal took an emotional toll on Hart for weeks. She recalled crying in her father’s arms on the night she thought she had lost her show. She was fired from Scary Movie, broke up with her boyfriend, and faced professional challenges all at once.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch aired on ABC for seven seasons from 1996 to 2003. The show followed the story of a teenage girl who discovers she has magical powers and receives guidance from her two aunts in learning to control them.
In conclusion, Melissa Joan Hart’s experience during the Drive Me Crazy premiere turned into one of the worst days of her life, as she faced potential firing from both Scary Movie and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The incident was triggered by a Maxim photo shoot and a line on the magazine cover that resulted in accusations of contract violation. Though the situation was eventually resolved, it caused emotional distress for Hart, who had to deal with personal and professional challenges simultaneously.
