9021 uh oh: The Polaroid Incident

Misspelling with Tori Spelling and iHeartRadio Podcast. Okay, so my friend and OMG co star Amy Sugarman is coming on today to Misspelling. Super excited to talk to you about life, give you an update.

How are you? How are you?

I'm I'm good.

No, yeah, okay, before we talk about you.

Yeah, sorry to Can we acknowledge that you're wearing pink and I'm wearing green. We're ready for plan this and we do a rewatch of nine two.

Can we also all goes in the shower three minutes ago? Okay, before we talk about what everything we were going to talk about today, can I ask you about all these articles from last week about Kathleen Robertson. I mean, there was a lot of lost, sick up as they say about this incident or incidents. I don't know if it was one time or multiple times on the set of nine O two one.

Oh yeah, So, oh my gosh. So I saw it too, just like everyone else, and I was like, oh MG, like this is wild.

I didn't dig deep into all the articles, but I did see the headlines talking about what happened during her time on nine O two one oh, and I just wondered if you've talked to her, do you know any like? What was all that?

Right? So she did our friend Pete who does the other nine O two one, Oh, okay, Yeah, I was wondering.

I got it.

He does another podcast called the Slice of Life, and he interviewed her. So I saw all the press, Like the press was blowing up right talking about.

What were the main headlines, cut.

Photos, polaroids from wardrobe that she found in the makeup trailer. Yeah, during her time there, bullying that was so harsh that she left. That's why she finally left in season seven.

WHOA.

I sort of assumed it was in the beginning. This is one of the reasons she left the show.

Correct, That's what the article is saying. WHOA And I, honestly.

I thought it was not to be funny, but I thought it was a bad story, not to.

Be fun to no. And I remember when you, me and Jen were talking about it, saying, I said, you know, she left on her own. She wanted to go out and do other things. I didn't remember it being because of bullying, but I know that it was intense what she came into. What you know, any female came into on that set. But the cut of Polaroids. I do know.

About whoa I do so.

She So she.

Just found them obviously hurt her feelings and probably was scary.

As you can imagine.

Yeah, it would be. It seems like a horror movie.

It does.

And I think she handled it really well. And she says, you know, I'm tough. I can get through it. But it was a lot. It was the biggest show in the world, and I was so excited to be a part of it. She's a Canadian actress. She had come, you know, come to the US.

It was her first role for years at this point.

When the Polaroids were cut up.

No, when she left, you would think that she would really had, you know, become a part of the group that it was, wouldn't still be going on the bullying? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

No.

She even says that in the interview.

Yeah.

Wait, go back to this.

Photo the Polaroids. So I actually texted.

Her on a couple of nights ago and I said, you told the Polaroids story. She's like, I still have so much anxiety.

Around thirty thirty years later, she'd.

Be atsd from it. She said, you know, I've never said it. I don't I don't want that out there, Yeah, for for that person, and I get that me too.

Of course, of course, how does she know who did it? Did the person admit it or she just thinks she knows?

Ah, there were the people in makeup, in hair, and in wardrobe all kind of vouch for who.

I guess they thought did it?

Okay, got it? And this was when she joined the cast. I mean, it's interesting timing because there was another story that got a lot of traction last week about another sort not exactly that, but on a different show.

Way, tell me about that because you mentioned that in our text.

I mean, I don't have any inform other than Kaylee Quoco said it in an interview, so I feel comfortable saying that she talked about it too. But I guess my question is why is it like that? Are people worried when someone new comes in? Because knowing work, right, I would think it would be fun when someone new comes in, because you're like, I have to be with these people all the time, so it would be, in

Think, only because I've been through it. It was really hard for me coming on to stay by the bell, yeah, because you know, I was the new girl. It was we were all on our teens and it was tricky, and I remember, definitely till this day. I remember who was nice to me and who wasn't as nice. They

So sorry to laugh at that, but you played the you play the biggest nerd on the safe with the bell that like, why would any girl be like you know what? I feel nervous about that girl.

So here's the thing, is that what it comes from, I don't believe it's that. I don't know because I've never been that girl. I've never been a bully. Like even in real high school, I was the girl that either are different groups. I could float to any group and I just got along with people but I don't know.

If it's I don't know if you feel threatened, or it's.

Just is it like, who is this person coming to our cool character? Or like maybe really kind of odd?

I don't I just know that I never wanted to be that person. So of course when Kathleen came, I was like a but then we ended up going beyond them being best friends.

Was the part that I find so interesting is that this impacted what her decision to leave. Did she never feel like she was truly a part of the group or did she really leave because she wanted to go do other things? And look, you know, the character had kind of gone to where it was going to go.

But I mean, I don't know how what did she say.

When you when you don't have to reveal the text, But like, I wonder what made her just decide like I'm just going to sell this, sell what tell this?

She's oh my god, look in my brain. I think it's something that's always bothered her. And she's a mom now, I mean, raising two strong men, but still she wants to set an example and be like it's not okay. She is a director now, you know, writer, director, producer and working with a lot of young females and she wants to be a real powerful figure and advocate for them. And I think she's just like I held this in all these years, like and was like, that's what you

I mean, I think you think about things. Yeah, I can't remember something that happened in seventh grade that I'm still like.

Oh, well, for sure, and then she had to repress it all those years, and then I still think about of course, And it probably felt very freeing for her to be like this happened. It wasn't just all amazing things on that show, yeah, because everyone's like, oh my god. And also probably when she was younger, it probably felt like people should were like, you know, you should be so grateful, and she was grateful, right, But so if I'm so grateful, why am I seeming like I'm complaining

I was like, you.

Didn't reveal who it was. We know who it was. And she goes, no, I know, I know.

Yeah, No, she does talk about your friendship in that same interview. I do want to acknowledge that, like she talks about.

That, you have to believe.

I guess at some point that people that mistreat people that their time comes that eventually someone will speak out and say because she wasn't the only one, so.

And y'all were young. I mean, I know that's not an excuse, but it's like, maybe, of course, yes, yes, yeah, just behave in when you're age and all the things are happening. Yeah, of course, do things that you wouldn't do ten years later, twenty years later, obviously, thirty years later.

I agree with that.

I mean, that wasn't my experience, but yes, I agree with that. When people are young, they do things that are foolish and come in other people's expenses, and then yeah, years later they're like, oh, why do you.

Have a regret from that time? Something that you wish you could change. Interesting.

I wish I had stood up for myself.

More, or what about others and my other cousiners because you're always the friend, but maybe you should have I don't know. I'm not speaking for you. I'm just asking if you have anything.

I was so like, I was so Donna, like the middleman with everybody, friends with everybody, and then you know, but I it would have. I don't feel like I was prepared enough as a human to be able to go to people and say, hey, this person's scared of you, and this person like maybe it would help if you just talk to them more.

Did they keep that kind of stuff from your dad or would people tell him what was going on or did they try to like don't let Aaron know.

I'm not sure about that. I was because my dad didn't ever with me want to get involved right with other castmates and taught it and I never would tell him anything. So now I don't think so, but I don't know. Or maybe there were conversations and they were like just handle it, you know, right, like handle it on sex. We had producers on set at all times. Yeah, the polaroid thing was such a big thing. I have to imagine that it him so everything they.

Knew about it. Yeah, whoa yeah, it's kind of it seems like for some reason, I keep thinking that is this scream? Do you know what I mean? Like it seems kind of like a horror movie a little bit like.

Oh, I mean it's you know, my brain goes there, so I'm like, oh, this would make it good?

Do you hate that things like that come out now that sort of tarnish the good parts of nine o two one zero? Like how big it? You know? Like I think about just still now people know all of you, right, do you does it make you sad a little bit? Or or are you like it wasn't just fantasyland.

I think with life in general, we tend to, once out of it, hold on to the good parts. I mean, they say it's why we keep having children, Like if we remember the horrid part of childbirth, we wouldn't do it. So you remember the good not the bad, or you know, our bodies just repress it. But yeah, the good for me, the good outweigh the bad. And I think for everyone, including Kathleen, she had some amazing moments there. I mean,

See something like those articles, yeah, I know we kind of talked about this earlier, but what do you what does it make you feel?

I mean, I gotta be honest. I was like, good for her, I because I know it was a big looing thing in her life and for decades, and I was like, oh, I'm glad she's talking about it. I was nervous at first because I was like, oh my gosh, she get a name, like what's going to happen? And then she didn't, So I was proud of that.

I kind of agree with her on that.

Yeah, me too, me too, me too, I mean yeah, yeah, I mean I'd be scared to name my bully.

Because also naming it, I don't know. My reaction is like then it becomes something different than what I think she was trying to do with it.

Yes, no, I agree, I agree. And you know, it's just like Jessica Alba, who when I would say her experience, does.

That make you think there was some truth to what Jessica Alba said? Yeah, yeah, but.

Yes, but she wouldn't name who it was.

No, right, But I feel like.

So it put us all in a like a thing because it's like, oh my gosh, wait, Like I like.

I would want to what's me. It wasn't me, It wasn't.

Yeah, but I was like, she knows it's not me, Like it's I, yeah, not our story to tell, but it definitely wasn't us. So it's interesting because it's like, well, it's always consistently I mean related to the same person. So I wonder at some point is someone going to be you know, like with the Me Too movement, going to be call out bullies you know from their shows or movies, and then people are going to come out of the woodwork and be like, yes, that happened with me.

What if the person and I have no idea who the person is, I just want to say that I don't know. Yeah, what if the person said sorry, like I was young, I was dumb. Would that.

What you just said that?

And my whole body felt good inside because it was probably thinking about people's lines yeah, like they said, oh my god, I don't even and maybe they don't even recall doing it correctly correct and it's just yeah, and this goes for it anything anything.

Yeah, I think you should say sorry for things you messed up and thank you for things when which I really liked about Kathleen, she clearly said Tory was it wasn't. Tory was the opposite. And so you want to also acknowledge people that treat people well. You don't want to just be the one that's like, all this person's mean, and I'm like that. I think people have their reasons, right.

No, because Kathleen and I are still friends, so we kind of talk about it all the time, like over the years. And yeah, again, it's going to happen in any place, any workplace. Not everyone's going to be friends. But you all are professional and you do your job and you get through it, and we all have to, you know, acknowledge that. And I think when we're young, we don't know, so we walk into a place and we're like, oh my god, we're all going to be friends,

I just have a weird question. Is it a Hollywood thing because or an on set thing or an actor thing? Because I don't I've worked at the same I heart for thirty years and I do not have one example of anybody who has ever bullied I don't have. I don't have one. So it's like, is more of an actor thing?

I don't know?

Any different?

The one job I've ever had is being an actor. Do you know what I mean, or being you know, a producer, like doing that entertainment. Maybe it is.

Other than Saved by the Bell. Had you ever experienced it on any other set? I have really Yeah, maybe actor.

It might be. And I've never thought of it that way because I don't have any.

Saying it, but I've never had I mean, and I were like.

Troue Beverly Hills.

I had it.

I was fourteen.

Were they mean to you? I thought you were the cool kid on that movie. Uh uh, oh you're the nerd.

Because I was in you know, there's the Beverly Hills Troop. I was Culver City.

Oh was that your dad's movie? Or no?

It was not.

You just got the part.

I imagine that. You guys. I can act and I auditioned for something and I get apart.

Right, So people were mean, do you think there was part of me?

I'm not kidding. There's still trolls that I'll be like last year when I was like, oh, this TV movie and they're like someone's like, well, I'm sure her dad made it. I'm like, really, rest in peace, Dad, But you know he passed away nineteen years ago, you know what I mean, Like pretty sure he didn't produce it.

I did not mean that. When I asked, I was curious, well, do you think, because in some ways that feels method, Like where the troop Beverly Hills was mean to the were you in the better troop? The troop that was like, yeah, all the badges, yes, yeah, okay, God, maybe that was.

Method method they all hung out. No, no, no, no, no, no.

It's happening.

It's happened in some form on every set I've worked on until I became the ringleader? Is that right?

Does the lead sort of the lead determine how the set is?

Bingo? Yeah, we're coming to a conclusion here.

Okay, Yes, God, I heard Jennifer Garner telling the most lovely story about Matthew McConaughey. Did you see that?

No? I didn't, But she's great.

She couldn't the nicest person ever. Yes, And she tells this story. Everybody can look it up because it's not my story to tell about how amazing Matthew McConaughey was. And I almost cried. I was just like, whoa, you really get how one person can determine how it goes? And I get that.

Yeah, and you try your best It's interesting because Kathleen and I nine O two and zero and we definitely, you know, kind of I took her in under my wing, and there were others that didn't, and they kind of did their things together in different group being because it was a little cliquy me. I'm friends with everybody, of course. And then we worked together again in Scary Movie Too.

Oh she was in that too.

She was And we had lost touch for years just because we weren't working together anyway. We were reunited and we're like, oh my god, why did we lose our friendship? Like just yeah, not working together and the same thing. Right, reunited and it was like we had never left each other.

Oh my gosh.

It became the best season.

Maybe people thought, oh, they're too cool, I can't have lunch with them.

I don't know, No, it wasn't our set, because keep in mind, the same people from Scary Movie one were two I.

Still the lunch thing is like I can give a little people are gonna eat lunch. It's true, right, It's like to me, that's different than like finding photos cut up.

Oh listen, and every single person she found from the cast of Scary Movie two was amazing.

Right, they were great.

Like I'm just saying, you don't know if people are like they're rewriting scripts at lunch, who knows. Like the lunch thing, I'm like.

Female driven I'm talking about. I think this is a female driven sadly, wow, think I feel like that sucks.

We need to change that.

We do because all we talk about, especially nowadays, is sisterhood and female bonding. And women don't tear women down, but women tear women down the most, is what I found in my experience in life. I want that to change because I don't want that for us. We're the smarter ones.

Yeah, well, when.

It's all said and done, we're the ones that are going to still be standing. So we all got to get along.

Yeah, well I didn't get to what we were going to get to today, but we'll get to that.

It made me feel bad, sad the entertainment that's how it rolls.

No, just the all those articles I mean, all those articles made me feel real sad like and kind of like.

Oh, yeah, I'm curious because you're a super fan. We know this of nine two, and I think I just.

Did not in my mind, I'm like no, everyone, like I think my thing was like that can't be. That was my react. No, not that I don't believe her. I do, but it's like, no, what.

You know. So it's interesting because you know, fans of the show that you know have for years been so like you know, like Darren Martin is a super fan, and you know there's so many others and they all kind of know the jam too. Oh really because they followed the show since way back through you know, they've been to conventions with us, They've been you know, they all for so many years. They've gotten to know all

But I know also everybody, I think about you and Brian and Ian and Jenny and Gabrielle and Jason. Yeah, all do feel like you all get along with each other.

We do really well.

Yeah yeah, yeah, so it's for me. I'm like, that can't be real.

I know.

Well, I guess some people when all the you always hear actors we're all best friends.

But no, you're not. Here's the thing in this industry, I think we're scared to say who's not kind because we're like, oh god, well, what if that affects if my future? Like working?

Sure, you don't want to be the right way, like everyone loves that person.

I call bullshit. They weren't nice, Like you don't want to be that person because I don't want, you know, I don't want to not work. Someone asked me about an actor that's really big recently, and I kind of got in the bandwagon and being like, well yeah, we were like talking back and forth, Oh yeah, we know that he's not nice in it. And then I got super nervous. I was like, whoa wait, like no one else heard that, Like I don't want that to go anywhere, Like I want to work.

For that guy.

Right, it's like eight year Yeah, it's the old.

If you don't have something nice to say, I don't say anything.

Yeah.

Oh boy ikes, Well, I know how to end this.

I know, I really do like the thought of people saying this is this is the human that made me feel bad for one reason or another, and that person going back and saying I'm sorry, but let me from my perspective explain my life at the time, and then them walking away being like it's done. That's a cool notion. You should make another podcast with that.

Well, I appreciate you telling everyone this, you know, just your thoughts. It's interesting to hear and definitely makes me, like, I don't know, it makes me want to be nice. I mean not everyone. I'm not nobody can be nice all the time, especially in business. Sometimes you have to be tough, but like it generally makes you want to be nice.

Wait this about me, But do you think all of that and me being like I'm the nice one that Dada has carried through so much in my life that you know, I'm a people pleaser. We're trying to work on this and like stand up for myself and take ownership. Do you think I went overboard being nice because of that? Yeah?

Of course. And I think it's tough because in business it's there's a fine line between being tough and being mean, and people can perceive toughness or accountability or you know, expecting a lot from people as mean. Correct, So it's really tough.

That's right, actually when you're young.

Because like I had something this morning where I had to write sort of a stern email and they'll think I'm mean, but really I was like.

Hey, listen to me.

No, it was just like, hey, you know, like if you're going to do that, that's okay, but you should call me and explain why. And it was like, let's I would do the same for you. So they're gonna think I mean, But really it was like, hey, I'm just being you know, accountable for how I would be and how you need to be. So I don't know, I think that's that's a whole conversation.

Yeah, that's a difference between you and others that I have experienced things with that Hey, if you're just showing up being accountable, I would rather them be perceived as tough than mean, totally. Yeah, but they're not willing to take accountability for that behavior as like oh I did say it that way or I did experience this because of this, Like with you, you're completely honest about everything. So even when like tough love with me, I know that it's because we're friends.

So to say it like you feel it.

Which I do my best. I mean I have to because when you're like running a thing, you have to still have accountability and toughness and standards and expect a lot of people. But then you have to give that in return. And so I think, I think there's always a way to do it. There's a way to do there's got to be a way to do both. You do do it well.

Because you're innately warm and you're likable.

I try. I think I would just say, like say, say I was on the set, yeah, okay, yeah, it'd be interesting to me if somebody just said, hey, it's hard for me with new people. I'm glad you're here, you know, give me some time to get to know you. Like, sometimes it's better to just say that, because some people are not just going to be like extroverted and hugging the new person, right. They might be like, I want

Yeah, and I'm gonna work on not people pleasing and being so I'm nice to the core, but I want to develop that side of running my business and being tough and being just there are another.

Word for tough. Tough gets a bad rap.

Let's redefine that word you said, accountable, which I like, but it's different, not just accountable.

I don't know, this is a whole I know. I think we should continue the conversation because it's like, especially for women, it's like, yes, people just be like she's a mean beiald.

Well, really it does go back to that that men. You know, men can be tough and they're like leaders. Women are tough and and they're bitches and there's that old school thing. But I feel like true, we are starting to change.

But I mean, I think about it, every day. How do I convey this without being mean?

Right?

Sometimes I just go I'm not trying to be mean. I don't know. Anyway, we'll talk more. We'll talk more in the next episode. I like it.

No, I like this too.

There's definitely experts on this topic. Yes, yeah, we'll get someone better than.

You or me for sure.

Yeah, all right, we'll talk to you later. You're the best, so