Rachel Bilson revealed that she once lost a job after comments she made about her sex life on a podcast drew media attention.
Speaking on the Sept. 19 episode of the "Why Won't You Date Me?" podcast, Bilson confirmed she had been dismissed from a project after remarks from another podcast were circulated in the press.
"I was already cast for a job, and it got pulled," she said. "It was the first time it's ever happened to me in my professional life."
Bilson, 44, originally spoke about her preferences during a May 2023 episode of the "Women on Top" podcast. Later that month, she addressed the fallout on her own program, "Broad Ideas," telling listeners: "A job got taken away from me because I was speaking candidly and openly about sex in a humorous way."
On Friday's episode, Bilson elaborated on the ordeal.
"Look, I can see both sides," she told host Nicole Byer. "When you take something out of context and you just read something as a standalone comment, it can come off a certain way."
She recalled joking with co-hosts Roxy Manning and Tammin Sursok when she used the word "manhandled" to describe a preference, which was later highlighted in coverage.
"But because I used that word in whatever context, they just took that out of the conversation," she said. "I think it was a very conservative company, so they weren't comfortable, maybe, just talking about sex at all, in general."
Bilson did not name the employer involved. She said the experience made her more cautious in interviews.
"I definitely felt myself filtering after that, because I was like, 'If I say this, am I going to lose this job? Am I going to be judged, shamed?'"
The actor, best known for her role on "The O.C.," added that the cancellation had personal consequences.
"I cried. I'm a single mom, I need these jobs ... I provide a lot for my family, my daughter, and regardless of anything else, it all matters," she said, referring to her 10-year-old daughter with ex-partner Hayden Christensen.
Although she acknowledged her phrasing could have been different, Bilson said she did not regret speaking openly.
"I haven't said anything inappropriate," she said. "Choice of language, if I could go back, now knowing I lost a job, maybe I would say it differently. But I still wouldn't not say it."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.