Lisa Kudrow says male ‘Friends’ writers stayed up late “discussing their sexual fantasies” about female cast members
Lisa Kudrow has opened up about her “brutal” experience working on Friends, claiming that the writers would discuss “sexual fantasies” about the show’s female stars.
In a new interview with The Times, Kudrow reflected on her time on the show, revealing that she rewatched the classic sitcom in the wake of Matthew Perry’s death in 2023.
“For the first time I truly appreciated just how great it was,” she shared. “I felt I did OK, but Jennifer and Courteney? Amazing. David and Matt? They had me laughing so hard. And then Matthew — he was just beyond us all.”
However, behind-the-scenes, it was a different story with Kudrow admitting, “There was definitely mean stuff going on.”
She added of her experience with the show’s writers, “Don’t forget we were recording in front of a live audience of 400, and if you messed up one of these writers’ lines or it didn’t get the perfect response they could be like, ‘Can’t the bitch f***ing read? She’s not even trying. She f***ed up my line.’”
Kudrow also claimed, “And we know that back in the room the guys would be up late discussing their sexual fantasies about Jennifer and Courteney. It was intense.”
While Kudrow admitted “it could be brutal”, before stating it was “mostly men”, she revealed, “My attitude was, ‘Say what you like about me behind my back because then it doesn’t matter’.”
Notably, per a 2004 report from The Guardian, former Friends writing assistant Amaani Lyle alleged in a sexual harassment lawsuit that male writers graphically described how they would like to have sex with the show’s female stars.
She alleged, “I would have to listen to comments about the sexual conduct many of the writers would like to do with Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston.”
However, the Supreme Court ruled against Lyle.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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