Rachel Bilson Reacts to Mischa Barton's Bullying Claims on the Set of 'The O.C.'

By Joshua Summers First Posted: Jun 03, 2021 01:28 AM EDT

After being off-air for over a decade, a recent interview with Mischa Barton resurrected the name of the iconic teen soap "The O.C.," with Rachel Bilson commenting on Barton's bullying claims.

Rachel Bilson also spoke out over Mischa Barton's attribution for her early exit from the series as Bilson was upgraded to a series regular last minute.

Rachel Bilson shared her side of the story on her new podcast, "Welcome To The O.C., Bitches!" with co-star Melinda Clarke who played as Mischa Barton's mother on the series, Huff Post reported.

Rachel Bilson Speaks Out Over Mischa Barton's Bullying Claims on 'The O.C.' set

Rachel Bilson's comments stemmed out when Mischa Barton had an interview with E! News in May. Barton claimed that she was a target of bullying from the men of "The O.C." set.

Barton further noted that she felt she was not protected by her cast and crew. The actress also alleged that some were "very mean" during her stay in the show.

However, Rachel Bilson remembered the show's behind the scenes differently. Bilson noted that she and co-star Melinda Clarke immediately talked after the interview came out.

"And we were just like, 'Wait, what?'," said Bilson. Bilson added that she was confused by most of the bullying claims.

"I don't know who she's referring to because I didn't personally witness any of that," said Bilson.

Melinda Clarke echoed Bilson's claim, saying that she did not also witness the bullying firsthand. Clarke also noted the amount of pressure that Barton might have faced at a young age.

AV Club reported that Mischa Barton also alleged that Rachel Bilson being added during the first season as a series regular made the producers even out everybody's pay and resulted in her early exit in the storyline of "The O.C."

Bilson slammed Barton's statements, saying that what the actress said was completely false.

"Where are we going with this and what is she trying to say," said Bilson in her podcast.

Rachel Bilson also noted that Mischa Barton was "completely false" because she was not added to cast regulars at the last minute.

Melinda Clarke noted that some of Barton's comments were very "perplexing" to her, adding that she cannot determine "what the truth is about that."

Despite the comments, Rachel Bilson invited Mischa Barton on her podcast.

"I would actually like to talk to her and find out what her experience was from her perspective because I saw things a little differently," said Bilson.

Mischa Barton on "The OC"

Apart from Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke who spoke out over Mischa Barton's comments, a source told Page Six that Barton was allegedly a "nightmare" to work with on the set of "The O.C."

"It wasn't because she was bullied. People didn't appreciate waiting for hours for her to show up," the source said about Barton's bullying claims.

The source further noted that the crew of "The O.C." was frustrated because Mischa Barton would constantly show up late for filming.

"Everyone experiences things differently and where I acknowledge some of my past behavior may not have been helpful in certain instances," Mischa Barton told Page Six.

The 35-year-old actress added that she will tell her truth when she feels ready.

"The O.C.," where Rachel Bilson and Mischa Barton co-starred, ran for four seasons from August 2003 to February 2007.

WATCH: Rachel Bilson Reacts To Mischa Barton's 'O.C.' Exit Claims - From Access