Everyone’s lord and saviour Melissa McCarthy revealed she once worked on a film set that was so toxic, it wreaked havoc on her health.
BRB, crying at the thought of anything remotely awful happening to this hilarious icon.
McCarthy opened up about the horrible experience in a recent interview with The Observer.
“I did work for someone once who ran such a volatile, hostile set that it made me physically ill,” she said.
“My eyes were swelling up, I was absorbing all of this nuttiness.”
According to the Bridesmaids star, one person in particular — whom she didn’t name — was bringing the on-set toxicity and all-round bad vibes.
“There were people weeping, visibly so upset by this one person. And I think that’s why the manipulation worked, because to get to me, this person would fire people I loved, which kept me quiet. It was very effective. Then one day, I was like, ‘It stops today!’ I just kept saying to them, it stops, it stops. And I know now I’ll never keep quiet again.”
Look, I know it’s extraordinarily difficult to name and shame someone in the big bad world of Hollywood. The person who speaks out risks being attacked, scrutinised and blacklisted, all while the powers that be protect the bastard at the centre of the allegations.
There’s also a major gender parity in Hollywood, which means it’s harder for women to call out issues such as discrimination, harassment, sexism, representation and wage gaps without, like, fearing for their careers.
But also … name and shame, sis! Spill the beans so I, a professional hater, can make sure the dickhead feels the force of a thousand suns.
I also hate how relatable McCarthy’s experience was. We’ve all worked in deeply toxic environments where we felt we couldn’t speak out lest we lost our jobs or were punished, and it takes a lot to stand up to folks in positions of power. Good on the icon that is Melissa McCarthy for speaking up for herself.
The funny queen is starring as the villainous Ursula in Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid, which we reckon is copping a load of unfair criticism. Justice for Halle Bailey who was born to play the ethereally beautiful Ariel IMO.
