Entertainment
Rachel Bilson has cleared the air with former classmate Rami Malek over that throwback photo drama
Rachel Bilson has insisted things are “totally fine” between her and Rami Malek, after he asked her to remove a throwback picture she posted.
The OC star went to school with Rami, with both of them attending California’s Notre Dame High School, and she shared a ‘super nerdy’ snap of the pair of them to social media as a little dose of nostalgia in 2019, just ahead of the Oscars where Rami won best actor for Bohemian Rhapsody
However, Rami, 39, asked his friend to take it down, and Rachel, also 39, was rather taken aback.
Last month on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Rachel explained: “Obviously, he gets super famous and he’s always been extremely talented … even in high school. I had posted a throwback of us from our senior trip to New York. We’re super nerdy … just the dorkiest picture of the both of us. But I throw it up, ’cause it’s funny and I think it’s so important to be able to make fun of yourself.
‘I don’t usually check my DMs on my Instagram … maybe a week goes by and I actually look and I have a message from Rami. But it wasn’t like, “Hey! How are you?!” It was straight to: “I would really appreciate if you take that down. I’m a really private person.”
‘I was like, “Oh, s***! OK.” I get really hot and start sweating. I’m all nervous, like, “Oh god! What did I do?” He was a really good friend, it’s a funny picture … you know? I don’t take myself that seriously.
‘I guess he didn’t like the picture of himself. I’m friends with his stylist and she was like “Well, it’s not a great picture of him.” I’m like okay, we were 16. … I had some weird Chola thing going on, it was what it was. You just accept it.
‘But it was right before the Oscars and I remember Josh Schwartz being like “You did him dirty, he’s about to nominated.” I was like, “What do you mean?” This was my friend, it’s a funny picture.’
She agreed to remove the photo, but said Rami did not reply.
Rachel admitted she was ‘super bummed’ at how it was handled, but has now shared that she and Rami have cleared the air.
Speaking on the LadyGang podcast, she said: ‘Rami and I actually have talked since that came out. He connected with me, and we’re all good. He, you know, was so sweet and we’re totally fine now and we talked about it and we’re good.
‘He was so gracious, and I totally understood where he was coming form and he understood me. And I was just so happy we were able to squash it and, like, move on…
‘He knew I was wasn’t doing it with any ill intention.’
Rachel never expected her story to be as big as it was, and her humiliation led to her speaking to her therapist to find a way to handle the situation as she feared she would upset the Mr Robot star again.
She said: ‘My friend sent me a CNN link to it. I was like, “Are you kidding me?” I was so mortified though. Like, I was having a panic attack.
‘I had to go to therapy that day, and I was like, “I am having anxiety. I did not want this to resurface in this way. I feel so bad. Oh my god. Rami is going to think I’m doing this again.”’
However, Rachel is glad that the story resurfaced because it led to the actor getting back in touch with her.
She said: ‘It actually turned out to be a good thing for a reason, because we were able to reconnect and, like, make it better and everything is great.’
Rami wasn’t Rachel’s only famous classmate, as she also went to school with Kirsten Dunst and Katharine McPhee.
Rachel is now revisiting her days playing Summer Roberts on The OC, having launched a podcast with Melinda Clarke – aka Julie Cooper – called Welcome to The OC, B****es.
Since her days on the teen show, Rachel has gone on to star in the TV series Hart of Dixie, as well as films including Jumper and The To Do List.
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