Melissa Joan Hart is opening up about how the premiere for her 1999 teen rom-com “Drive Me Crazy” turned out to be “one of the worst days” of her life. The actress bravely shared details about that night while reflecting on her career.
A Night of Celebration Takes an Unexpected Turn
Hart detailed the night where she was body shamed and fired from two jobs in one night during her recent appearance on Betches’ Picture Day, a series where celebrities like Hart look back at old photos from their career and react to their past selves in a yearbook-style format.
While discussing a photo where she is posing with Britney Spears at the “Drive Me Crazy” premiere, Hart said, “if you look at my eyes, they’re very bloodshot because this was what I would consider, if you read my book, one of the worst days of my life at the time.”
Hart explains that she and Spears were doing press for the film together, but she was set to travel to Vancouver to shoot “Scary Movie.”
“I was supposed to be this small part in the beginning, that’s like the Drew Barrymore knockoff part, but they decided when I did the fitting that I didn’t have big enough boobs for that part,” she said. “I’m driving to the airport and back in those days you had, the cell phone in the limo, and I got a call, and it was like, ‘Turn around, go back to your premiere. You’ve been fired from the movie.'”
Hart continued, “so I was already crying and waiting for everyone to finish the movie and come on over. And when they get there, my lawyer meets up with me first and says, ‘because of your cover of ‘Maxim’ magazine, you’re being fired from your show.'”
“So then I really start crying. And then my dad comes and hugs me. And I don’t see my dad often, so like for him to hug me? I was, like, ‘Oh my God, my dad’s hugging me.’ It was just a dramatic night,” Hart concluded.
Hart’s Career Following ‘Drive Me Crazy’
Though Hart lost out on “Scary Movie,” she went on to have a successful career on and off-screen.
She remained on the hit television series “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” a role which solidified Hart as a household name.
Hart also landed a leading role in the sitcom “Melissa & Joey” opposite Joey Lawrence.
She appeared in several television movies, including “My Fake Fiancé,” another role where she starred alongside Lawrence, and “Holiday in Handcuffs” with Mario Lopez. She finished 6th place on season 9 of “Dancing with the Stars” when she was partnered with Mark Ballas.
Hart also expanded her career producing and directing for television including projects for Hallmark and Lifetime.
