TV feuds: 8 times co-stars just couldn't get along

The spat between Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall reached an extraordinary (and very public) climax this week.

Cattrall's Instagram swipe at Sex and the City co-star SJP came after the death of the 61-year-old's brother, Chris Cattrall.

The actress, who played Samantha Jones in the series, accused SJP of being a "hypocrite", adding: "I don't need your love or support at this tragic time."

Sex and the City followed the ups and downs of life for four inseparable women working and dating in New York.

Sex and the City ran from 1998-2004

They were close confidantes on screen but off screen there were persistent rumours that some members of the cast didn't get on.

Behind-the-scenes differences are nothing new however.

Here's a look at some of the most famous off-screen TV feuds.

1. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress Janet Hubert (second right) continues to be unhappy with her former co-stars

Fans of the hit '90s US sitcom the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air were delighted when a cast reunion picture was posted on Instagram by Alfonso Ribeiro last March.

But one person who wasn't so happy was Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv in the first three series of the hit show.

She wrote on Facebook in response: "There will never be a true reunion of the Fresh Prince. I have no interest in seeing any of these people on that kind of level."

Ouch.

The actress was sacked and replaced in 1993 after a conflict over money and egos with the show's star Will Smith.

Smith said later Hubert considered him the "antichrist" and "a snotty-nosed punk" and that she wanted the comedy to be "The Aunt Viv of Bel Air Show".

In the years since, Hubert has been publicly vocal in her criticism of Smith and has also claimed he and Ribeiro had "destroyed" her "20-year career with untruths".

More instalments of this feud may be yet to come.

2. American Idol

Keith Urban had to sit in between the pair to keep them apart

With two musical divas working together it was possibly inevitable there would be some fireworks.

So Mariah Carey saying she didn't exactly enjoy her time as a judge on 2012's American Idol while working with Nicki Minaj may not be a total surprise.

"Ugh. It was the most abusive experience," the singer said on a press tour in 2016.

There were many reports of on-set fighting and increasingly heated exchanges between the two stars, with producers forced to stop auditions at one point.

Footage of Minaj yelling at "her highness" Mariah emerged in the media, and the rapper claimed Carey didn't want another female star on the talent show "coming to steal her shine".

The rage spilled out onto social media and former US President Obama was even questioned about it on Miami radio station Y100's The Yo Show.

After just one series, both Carey and Minaj abandoned ship, with Mariah later saying in a radio interview she had "hated" every minute and it was like "working in hell with Satan".

3. Masterchef

John Torode (left) says he and Gregg Wallace are not the best of friends

It's not just the pots simmering in the Masterchef kitchen, but tensions between hosts John Torode and Gregg Wallace as well.

"It's funny, we've never been friends," Torode told the Daily Mirror, admitting they'd had "a couple of standoffs over the years".

The Australian chef added: "We've not been to each other's houses... If we go away to somewhere like South Africa, we do things separately. If we do go out for a drink, I'll invariably be at one end of a big old table and he'll be at the other."

However, Wallace later clarified: "I think what he was trying to say was that we're not friends in the typical sense.

"But it came out that we're not friends and that simply isn't true. John was best man at my wedding and I'm not really closer to anybody else.

"We don't see each other away from work but we're close in work seven months of the year. We don't meet up at weekends, or share the same interests and we've never been to each other's houses."

4. Grey's Anatomy

TR Knight (left) was the subject of anti-gay remarks from Isaiah Washington

Bedside manner was lost on the hospital drama in 2007 when actor Isaiah Washington made an anti-gay comment about co-star TR Knight during a heated argument on set.

He then denied the incident ever happened, while repeating the slur backstage at the Golden Globes in 2007.

The actor later said his comments had been "unacceptable in any context or circumstance" and agreed to therapy as "a necessary step".

US network ABC didn't renew his contract, although he did return for a guest appearance seven years later.

Not long after, it was Katherine Heigl who clashed with bosses over money and publicly criticised them by pulling out of the 2008 Emmys.

"I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination," the star said, after winning an award the previous year.

In early 2010 she was granted an 18-month early contract release, leading the show's creator Shonda Rhimes to tell Oprah Winfrey: "When people show you who they are, believe them."

5. Anger Management

Sheen sent Blair an expletive-laden text telling her she was fired

Selma Blair played Charlie Sheen's therapist Kate Wales in the comedy Anger Management for two series before Sheen reportedly fired her with an expletive-laden text.

According to Deadline, Sheen reportedly kicked Blair off the sitcom after she complained about his work ethic (or lack thereof) to the show's producers.

Blair later retaliated by threatening to sue him with a $1.2m lawsuit.

6. Beverly Hills, 90210

Jennie Garth, Shannen Doherty and Tori Spelling starred in 90210

Jennie Garth confirmed long-standing rumours of a feud between her and her Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty in 2014.

In an interview with E! News, the actress said she and Doherty "butt heads a lot" on set.

"There were times when we loved each other and there were times when we wanted to claw each other's eyes out," she said, adding that they get along much better now as adults.

Fellow 90210 co-star, Tori Spelling, claims in her memoir there was even a physical fight between the bitter rivals, when Doherty pulled Garth's skirt up revealing her backside to the whole crew.

Spelling - who, likewise, did not get on with Doherty - also admitted that she got her father, Aaron Spelling, who created and produced the show, to fire Doherty.

7. The Good Wife

The Good Wife stars Julianna Margulies (left) and Archie Panjabi stopped appearing together onscreen

There's nothing like the tension of a legal drama to keep viewers glued to their seats, and The Good Wife more than fulfilled this brief.

But early in the show's history, rumours began to surface that all was not quite right between leading ladies Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi.

The pair played on-screen best friends who fell out in season two and then rarely interacted with each other again - something which appeared to spill over into real life.

Panjabi left at the end of season six and her final scenes showed her sharing a drink with Margulies. But viewers were shocked to later find out they filmed the scene apart and they were stuck together in post-production afterwards.

Addressing the rumours surrounding her departure in 2016, Panjabi said: "In terms of anything that happened on The Good Wife, I think it's only respectful for it to stay on The Good Wife.

"It was time for me, for many reasons, to unzip the boots and step into another show."

8. Castle

Despite being all smiles on screen, all was not well with Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion behind the camera

On screen, viewers saw Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion's bickering characters marry on the seventh season of long-running crime drama Castle.

But behind the scenes, the pair were reportedly sent to couples counselling by show bosses to resolve their differences.

"Stana and Nathan completely despise each other," an insider told Us Weekly. "They will not speak when they are off set, and this has been going on for seasons now."

Katic's agent denied the claim, saying she "had absolutely no issues" with her co-star, although another insider told the Hollywood Reporter the pair had "repeated clashes".

The actress announced last year she was leaving after season eight, tweeting: "To the fans: Thank you for your support."

US network ABC then decided to abruptly cancel the series, leading to a rushed ending and unhappy fans.

A previous version of this article appeared in April 2017.