September 23rd 2024.
The iconic show Friends has been beloved by fans for over three decades, but not everyone has always embraced it with open arms. In fact, one of the show's stars recently opened up about the horrific backlash she faced due to her character's storyline.
Jane Sibbett, who played Ross Geller's ex-wife Carol Willick, shared that she received a barrage of homophobic abuse after her appearance on the show. For those who may not remember, Carol divorced Ross after realizing she was a lesbian and falling in love with Susan Bunch, whom she later married.
Despite being a pivotal character in the co-parenting dynamic between Ross, Carol, and Susan, Jane revealed that she faced some intense negativity from viewers. In an interview with The Sun, she shared, "I would say there was 95 percent support, but once I had flown to Canada to shoot a Disney movie, and a child was yelling at me out of a school window. He was shouting, 'Go home, American [homophobic slur]' and I just went, 'Wow, wrong on so many levels dude. Come down here and have a conversation with me.'"
But the abuse didn't stop there. Jane also received a call from someone from her old church who told her she was going to "burn in hell" for her role on Friends. Jane also faced opposition from her own father, who disapproved of her playing a lesbian on TV.
Despite the negativity, Jane stood her ground and used the opportunity to educate others on the importance of love and acceptance. She explained, "There was suddenly a responsibility about being able to stand up against all of the people that were saying this was wrong, including my own father who had a really hard time with that. I was going toe to toe with people on talk shows in America, who were saying, you know, this and this and this is the reason why you shouldn't be doing this."
But Jane didn't always play Carol on Friends. In fact, she originally auditioned for the role of Rachel Green, which was ultimately played by Jennifer Aniston. Jane admitted that "no one could've played Rachel like Jen," but she was happy to later get a callback for the role of Carol.
Aside from Friends, Jane has also appeared on popular TV shows like Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Ally McBeal. On the big screen, she has been in films such as The Resurrected and It Takes Two.
Fans can still enjoy the beloved show Friends on Netflix, where it is available to stream. And if you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures to share, you can reach out to the entertainment team by emailing or calling them, or by visiting their Submit Stuff page. They would love to hear from you!
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