Full disclosure: I was and still am a big Sex and the City fan. Some aspects of the HBO show feel problematic in 2018, which is why the #WokeCharlotte meme is so genius, but those classic episodes remain super-entertaining. Sex and the City was funny, daring, outrageous, stylish, aspirational, and fundamentally a celebration of female friendship.
Now, rumours have swirled for years about a "feud" between Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker, fuelled no doubt by a media culture that loves to pit one powerful, successful woman against another. But this weekend's Instagram post from Cattrall is still pretty shocking for any stalwart SATC fan.
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Cattrall's brother has recently passed away, so Parker left a message of condolence on an Instagram post. Cattrall responded by making a whole new post aimed at Parker, in which she wrote: "You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I’m writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your ‘nice girl’ persona."
Seriously, how often does someone in the public eye really go in like this? I actually gasped when I read it.
At the end of her post, Cattrall draws our attention to a New York Post article from last October titled "Inside the mean-girls culture that destroyed Sex and the City". This, presumably, gives the version of events she wants us to believe. The article claims that back in the day, tensions initially arose on set because Cattrall's portrayal of charismatic, sexually liberated Samantha made her "a scene-stealer in the best possible sense." Parker reportedly had trouble with this because her character, Carrie, was supposed to be the show's heroine.
A clique comprising Parker, Cynthia Nixon (who played Miranda) and Kristin Davis (who played Charlotte) reportedly formed, leaving Cattrall "out in the cold." When the show's creator Darren Star left after season two, Cattrall reportedly lost her closest confidant on set and became increasingly isolated.
The picture painted by the New York Post only gets sadder. By the end of the show's six-season run, the article claims, "no one would talk to Kim." Cattrall was reportedly reluctant to sign up for the two spin-off films, and when she asked for a larger salary for Sex and the City 2, closer to the one Parker was getting, stories about her "diva demands" hit the press.
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Now, it almost goes without saying that there are two sides to every story, and this article feels firmly pro-Cattrall. It's also filled with unsubstantiated claims and quotes from an unnamed "friend" and "insider." So it's probably best to take it like your Sunday eggs: with a decent pinch of salt.
Still, it feels pretty safe to say after her Instagram post and implicit endorsement of the article, Cattrall won't be changing her mind about Sex and the City 3 any time soon.
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