Was Jessica Alba the Victim of a Cruel Prank on ‘90210’?
Jessica Alba seems to be the only 90210 guest star to get the 'no eye-contact' treatment. | Source: Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com
- Jessica Alba recently claimed she was directed not to make eye contact with the cast while filming episodes of “Beverly Hills, 90210.”
- Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling have both responded to Alba’s claims and don’t recall these kinds of rules on set.
- Alba is the only actor who has appeared on the show to make these claims and may have been the victim of a cruel prank.
Jessica Alba’s claim that she was told not to make eye contact with anyone on the set of “Beverly Hills, 90210” has caused a bit of a stir among former cast members. Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling have responded to Alba’s allegations, determined to set the record straight.
Neither actress could recall such a rule on set, and after comparing the experiences of other celebs who’ve appeared on the show, something doesn’t add up. Was Alba the victim of a cruel prank?
How Jessica Alba Described Filming For ‘90210’
In a recent interview, Alba recalled her time on the set of “Beverly Hills, 90201.” She appeared in two episodes as a pregnant teenager in season 8, long after the show’s viewership had dropped.
Here’s what Alba had to say about her experience filming:
On the set of ‘90210,’ I couldn’t even make eye contact with any of the cast members, which was really strange when you’re, like, trying to do a scene with them. It was like, ‘You’re not allowed to make eye contact with any one of the cast members or you’ll be thrown off the set.’
You can watch Alba’s full Hot Ones interview here:
Despite countless stories of tension behind the scenes of the infamous ’90s sitcom, Alba was the only actress to make claims of these specific demands. Most celebs who made guest appearances on the show had different experiences.
Other Celebrity Experiences On Set
During the ten years “Beverly Hills, 90210” was on the air, many actors made guest appearances , and some even went on to make it big. In addition to Jessica Alba, these include Matthew Perry, Rebecca Gayheart, Adam Levine, Ryan Seacrest, Vivica A. Fox, Eva Longoria, and Hilary Swank, none of whom have come forward about bad experiences on set.
Gayheart, who played Dylan’s wife in season 6, has even raved about her time filming the show, saying:
I woke up every morning very excited to go to work. There was a great comradery, it was really fun days. Some long, hard days of shooting, but no one complained because it was so great shooting.
Paul Johansson, known for his role as Dan Scott on “One Tree Hill,” also spoke highly of his time on set. However, he did notice some tension between cast members. He told The Blaze with Lizzie and Kat back in 2016:
They were all so nice to me. Everybody was really kind to me. There were some antics. There was some tension. But that’s what happens when kids go from 0 to 600 and are hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’ three years into their acting career.
If actors were told not to make eye contact on set, why is Alba the only one who mentioned it?
Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling Respond
Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling addressed Jessica Alba’s allegations in their new podcast, “9021OMG.” Neither recalled this being a rule on set, but Garth did ask Spelling if she had something to do with this recent news.
Garth tried to recall that time on set saying:
Tori, did you, I just need to know, did you tell her not to look me in the eye? … Like, if anybody was, you know, didn’t want to have their eyes looked into, it would have been me. But, I don’t remember because I have the world’s worst memory.
Whether her bad memory is to blame or the excessive drug use that went on behind the scenes , neither Garth nor Spelling could explain Alba’s memory of her time filming the show. Spelling tried to come up with a reasonable explanation, pushing the blame on the show’s producers.
[Was there was some] memo that was, like, going around from the producers or the ADs and we didn’t even know?
While it would be nice to push the blame for this mess onto someone else, Spelling’s explanation doesn’t make sense.
Was Alba Pranked?
Since no one else has come forward with the same experience, I’m thinking Jessica Alba was the victim of a cruel prank. With long hours on set, it’s bound to happen.
Whether it was the cast themselves who were behind the prank or some poorly paid assistant, we might never know!
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
