Rachel Bilson has alleged that she lost a job because she spoke “candidly and openly about sex,” with the actress revealing that she is “baffled” by the outcome.
The former star of The OC, 41, opened up about the situation during an episode of her Broad Ideas podcast this week, where she said the professional repercussions stemmed from comments she’d made about wanting to be “manhandled” during an appearance on the Women on Top podcast earlier this month.
“It’s been an interesting week guys,” Bilson said. “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 and then spun in the press and clickbait headlines and whatnot.
“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.”
According to Bilson, the decision left her “baffled,” as she noted that “a single mom, a woman, lost her job because they were being candid and honest and the subject was sex”.
Bilson made the comments in question during a conversation about her favourite and least favourite sex positions, with the Hart of Dixie star claiming at the time that she likes to be “manhandled”.
However, Bilson said during this week’s episode of Broad Ideas that she’d made the comments in a “joking manner,” and that she believes it was “discrimination” she was let go from her job because of the them.
“First of all, I said it in a joking manner in the interview, like, ‘Yeah, I wanna get f**king manhandled.’ Basically, it’s like, okay give control or take control in the bedroom, whatever,” the actress clarified. “We were speaking candidly.”
Bilson, who admitted that she “cried” about losing the job, then reiterated her shock over the situation.
“I’ve been floored honestly. Everything was set in motion and I lost the job. It sucks,” she said, adding that she “needs” these jobs as a single mother.
According to Bilson, the company in question, which she did not name, was also concerned that fans would search her comments, and then find other instances where she’d spoken candidly about sex.
However, she said she would not take back what she said if she could, as she said she hasn’t said anything “inappropriate”.
“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.”
On social media, Bilson’s fans have come to her defence, with many angry on her behalf.
“Wish she would name the brand so the internet can give them a dose of justice,” one person wrote on Twitter, while another said: “That’s a pretty wild reason to lose a job. A lot of folks overshare about their personal lives, it had nothing to do with her work or ability.”
