Embed from Getty Images
Most of the headlines about Rachel Bilson these days are from her podcasts. She has an O.C. rewatch podcast with Melinda Clarke and then a podcast called “Broad Ideas” with her friend. “Broad Ideas” is about a variety of topics related to women and has different celebrity guests each week. And sometimes Rachel makes headlines for revelations that come up during the conversation, often about sex and her personal life. But, Rachel revealed on “Broad Ideas” that she lost a job for talking about sex on someone else’s podcast.
Rachel Bilson is standing up for herself after a professional setback.
Nearly two weeks after the O.C. alum shared her candid takes on the topic of sex, Rachel revealed that she lost a job in the wake of her commentary.
“It’s been an interesting week guys,” she said during the May 15 episode of her Broad Ideas podcast. “This is the first time it’s ever happened to me in my professional life that I lost a job this week because of things that were said.”
She continued, “A job got taken away from me because I was speaking candidly and openly about sex in a humorous way on our friend’s podcast. I basically got a job, that I already had, pulled from me because I was speaking openly about sex.”
The Hart of Dixie alum—who shares 8-year-old daughter Briar with ex Hayden Christensen—went on to note that she’s simply “baffled” by the move: “A single mom, a woman, lost a job because they were being candid and honest and the subject was sex.”
During her appearance on the May 3 episode of the Women On Top podcast, Rachel quipped about her favorite and least favorite sex positions, saying in part that she likes to be “manhandled.” It was a comment that the actress, 41, says was meant to be lighthearted.
Setting the record straight on Broad Ideas, Rachel noted, “First of all, I said it in a joking manner in the interview, like, ‘Yeah, I wanna get f–king get manhandled.’ Basically, it’s like, okay give control or take control in the bedroom, whatever.”
But as she explained, she’s still reeling from the effect her quip had on her latest professional endeavor.
“I’ve been floored honestly,” she noted, “Everything was set in motion and I lost the job. It sucks.”
However, as the Take Two star shared, though her delivery could’ve been different, the sentiment still remains the same.
“I haven’t said anything inappropriate,” Rachel continued. “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.”
Rachel appeared as a guest on the “Women on Top” podcast and said she likes to be “manhandled” in bed. In the past, Rachel has made headlines for saying stuff like she misses Bill Hader for his “big d-ck” and that she didn’t have a big O from intercourse until she was 38. And she also appeared on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast and that whole conversation was pretty much about sex. I think she said similar stuff on “Call Her Daddy” to what she said on “Women on Top,” but apparently the latter was a bridge too far for some job? It’s very pearl-clutchy and I wonder what the job was, like if it was something on a more conservative or “family-friendly” network. Because her most recent comments aren’t much different from her past ones. It is pretty shocking that Rachel lost a job over some comments that aren’t that unusual in this day and age. In another interview, she said she cried over losing the job: “I’m a single mom like I need these jobs… everything counts. You know, I provide a lot for my family — my daughter — and regardless of anything else, it all matters.” It really sucks and I wish we knew what the job was.
photos credit: Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com, Getty and via Instagram
Hopefully a bunch of potential employers will look at Rachel Bilson and realize that they can -communicate- with her before firing her due to her saying something on a podcast outside of her work?! That is extreme: the podcast is for adults, what she said was perfectly legal, and her employer must have known her home situation. They would never fire a guy (I believe) for saying that he liked rough sex. Smh
Manhandling does not even necessarily mean rough sex. It just means a guy who switches you up with the positions. When he knows what he is doing that is a great way to change the “massage point”.
That is some sexist, oppressive bullshit. I wish I knew what the job was. I wish I knew which network/production company/streamer thought it was appropriate to punish a woman for expressing herself.
That does really suck. And it’s just another way people try to control us as women. If she were married and made that same comment I wonder if she’d have lost the job?
Or if she were a man? No way would she have been fired for talking frankly about sex. Because if that were the case, most of the people who have been guests on Howard Stern’s shows would never had worked again.
That really sucks. Maybe it was a Hallmark movie or something like that?
her image has always been wholesome, girl next door, so i can see something along that line, or just that she was cast in a role that played off that image. awful. so many men can be known predators and still cast as nice guys, heros.
I agree, if it was a Hallmark movie or ABC family something etc, it makes more sense than if it was to be like, the next detective on SVU or something.
But I do think that manhandling was a poor choice of words. Not sure exactly what she meant by that – like what use of force she means, etc, and whatever she likes is her choice obviously. But for women that have previously been in or currently are in an abusive relationship, I could see that comment being disturbing. It bothered me for that very reason.
I figured that as well, it has to be some conservative, “family” show or something.
Yeah- it does indeed suck.
I’ve worked for decades at a company that has us do acknowledgments and compliance things throughout the year, that basically reintegrate over and over again don’t ever do anything unlawfully, or say anything online, or in the media that we don’t like- or else you can lose your job based off of our (subjective) whims.
I’m not saying her job had a “morality” clause or if she even had a contract- but I can see this happening.
I like Rachel Bilson and this is absolutely sexist but not a surprise? Some of these media companies hire a person based on their past acting jobs and even brand. This means people are absolutely judged (unfortunately) by public persona.
And, honestly, people are unfairly judged all of the time on the job market and/or do not get jobs based on bias? Talk to a disabled person, a person of color, or a woman about their experiences in the professional world, and they usually will have one story of bias to share with you. (As a woman in academia, I was sexually harassed, told I acted too feminine, assumed was dumb, etc.) It seems like Bilson is getting this awful lesson late in life.
This is ridiculous, poor Rachel. I hope Hayden is not keeping that star wars money from their kid.
That is incredible. Agree that no man would ever be fired for a comment like that. I’m so tired of people regulating women’s bodies
It’s probably a Hallmark movie. Also, she isn’t very famous and doesn’t have much clout. I mean, if Charlize Theron had said that, it would have zero affect on her career.
Hallmark came immediately to mind for me too.
In acting, things can be moving along with several people still in consideration. Something small like this can just make a different person seem like the better choice.
It was probably the same network Candace Cameron works for.
Why won’t she name the company that did this? Also, doesn’t her ex help with their child? He’s a millionaire. There must be some child support there? She shouldn’t be struggling. Though I’m not sure how much her ex works anymore. Haven’t seen him in any movies/shows in a very long time.
He was in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series recently. I’d imagine he got paid pretty well for that
I’m sure he pays but he was pretty unknown when he got SW. his biggest payday would’ve been for the last one. His recent comeback in obi wan marks his first substantial role in a decade plus. And Rachel hasn’t work much in recent years. I hope he put most of his money away but he also seems to have lived frugally. But he can make bank at conventions. Probably tens of thousands at a pop and he’s been at a few. (My daughter wants to see him at the upcoming Boston con and his photos and autographing sessions are like $150 each. And they get a LOT of people through especially the photos.)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/stars-getting-rich-fan-conventions-933062/
I listened to a couple of her podcasts. I like her. Good, frank discussions about women and sex. The one where they find out their female friend got a happy ending massage had me giggling nervously in the aisles of a grocery store. Hallmark’s (or whoever fired her) loss.