Sitcom stars who openly despised each other – including this beloved duo

Despite playing one of television's most iconic couples, Vivian Vance and William Frawley's on-screen bickering was not far from their real-life dynamic. Playing on-screen bickering neighbours Fred and Ethel Mertz in '50s sitcom I Love Lucy, they were a tremendous comedic duo. 

Their feud reportedly started after Vivian made a comment calling her co-star "old". Television historian Geoffrey Mark wrote for Woman's World in 2026, recalling the moment their off-screen clash supposedly began: "Day one of I Love Lucy, the first read-through, Bill is there early to prove he’s reliable. Vivian shows up and innocently greets Desi Arnaz. She didn’t recognise Bill Frawley because Vivian wasn’t really a film person; she was a Broadway and nightclub performer. She said to Desi, 'Who’s the old coot?' Desi said, 'That’s the guy who’s going to play your husband.' 'Husband?! He could play my grandfather!'"

Mark wrote that William "heard this, instantly hated her and never forgave her." Yet, the writers wrote the animosity into the script, so some good came from it!

The late stars of '80s American sitcom The Golden Girls were the subject of many rumours regarding a long-standing feud. Bea Arthur played Dorothy Zbornak, while Betty White played her optimistic gal pal, Rose Nylund. Considering the show was a Sex and the City-esque series about four female friends, Bea and Betty's off-screen relationship was far more volatile than that of their characters. 

In the 2025 documentary The Golden Girls: 40 Years of Laughter and Friendship, co-producer Marsha Posner Williams recalled: "I used to get calls at home from Bea complaining about Betty." Yikes. 

Things came to a head while filming season three in 1986. Writer Barry Fanaro recalled hearing yelling backstage: "We all sort of crept out. They were having a fight. It was the only time ever." While they may not have had a golden friendship off-screen, the series ran for seven years, showing they could set their grievances aside for the show's success.

The feud between Will Smith and Janet Hubert lasted nearly 30 years after the pair played nephew and aunt on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. After three seasons, Janet exited the show in 1993, citing "creative differences" and handing her role as Aunt Viv over to Daphne Maxwell Reid. At the time, it was clear something had happened, as there was no clear explanation for her sudden departure. 

Not long after, Will struck the first blow, telling an Atlanta radio station in 1993 (according to E! News): "I can say straight up that Janet Hubert wanted the show to be The Aunt Viv of Bel-Air Show."  A public feud ensued, with Janet telling The Huffington Post: "Will apologised later in an Essence magazine article, but it still lingers."

Years later, the pair managed to make amends. When asked during an interview on Atlanta's V-103 radio station in September 2025 whether she and Will now have a cordial relationship, Janet smiled and replied: "It's so good." As Will was only 21 years old when the show launched him to stardom, it may have been an age clash as well, given Janet was 34 at the time. Thankfully, this feud has since been squashed.

Will & Grace first aired in 1998, with Debra Messing and Megan Mullally starring as interior designer Grace Adler and wealthy socialite Karen Walker. Rumours of a feud surfaced in 2019 when fans noticed Megan reportedly unfollowed Debra and co-star Sean Hayes on Instagram. Megan's character was subsequently absent for two episodes of the eleventh and final season, with reports citing set conflicts, as the reason for her temporary departure. 

While the feud remains unconfirmed by the cast, creator Max Mutchnick told Entertainment Weekly in 2020 that the final year "was not an easy year" on set. Unfollowing your co-stars after 11 seasons together certainly made a statement, regardless of what transpired behind the scenes.

Iconic '80s sitcom Cheers was not without its real-life drama for co-stars Ted Danson and Shelley Long, particularly during the early days of filming. Ted played Sam Malone and Shelley played Diane Chambers, who shared an on-off romance throughout the series. 

Even though their on-screen chemistry was electric, Ted revealed on the SmartLess podcast in 2024 that his first reaction to Shelley's casting was: "Oh, no. No. That's a bad, bad idea." He explained that their initial interactions were "horrible" because they were so different. 

Luckily, this friction benefited their characters: "It was hard for us sometimes to be in the room together. But when we started working, it was just fantastic, because you'd smack her and she'd smack you back harder." Given that the show ran for 11 seasons, the casting team clearly spotted the spark between the pair that kept viewers hooked.

The stars of Three's Company, Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt, initially started out as friends on the ABC sitcom in the late '70s. Playing florist Janet Wood, Joyce was friendly with co-star Suzanne, who played secretary Chrissy Snow. However, in 1980, Suzanne reportedly renegotiated her contract and asked for a pay rise in line with her co-star John Ritter. Suzanne told People in 2020 that the response was: "Who do you think you are? They said, 'John Ritter is the star.'"

Dramatically, Suzanne was fired from the show for the remainder of season five and was "shunned by the cast and crew". Before Suzanne passed away in 2023, she had reconciled with Joyce over the money matters, as well as with John.