Christina Ricci Says She Was Almost Sued Over A Sex Scene Dispute

The "Yellowjackets" actor explained how things have changed in Hollywood during her 35 years in show business.

Christina Ricci has been in show business for 35 years ― and she’s witnessed a lot of changes along the way.

“Us older ladies talk about it all the time,” the actor said Wednesday on “The View” during a discussion about some of her younger co-stars on “Yellowjackets.” Ricci appeared on the talk show to promote the Showtime series’ second season, which is set to premiere later this month.

“It’s amazing to see that they don’t have to necessarily go through the things that we had to go through,” she explained. “They’re able to say, ‘I don’t want to do this sex scene,’ ‘I’m not going to be naked.’”

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Christina Ricci attends the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 12 in Los Angeles.
Frazer Harrison via Getty Images

“They can set boundaries for themselves that we were never allowed to do,” she said, sharing an example of a time she attempted to construct such a boundary for herself but was denied.

“Someone threatened to sue me once because I didn’t want to do this sex scene in a certain way. So it’s just really changed, and it’s great to see,” Ricci said.

“Now that it’s more of their choice instead of something you’re forced to do, then you can get into the artistry of it or know how important it is for the story,” she continued. “When you take away somebody’s control over something like that, it just makes you never want to do it.”

One of the panelists on “The View” mentioned that “experts” are now present on sets, seemingly a reference to the rise of intimacy coordinators involved in Hollywood productions.

In 2019, HuffPost spoke with Alicia Rodis of the New York nonprofit Intimacy Directors International. She explained the role of coordinators and how they aim to help actors navigate difficult scenes or overcome existing power dynamics.

“After Me Too, people are realizing they don’t have to just go along with it. That they have a right to sovereignty of their bodies and their experiences,” Rodis said at the time. “We have specifically trained ourselves to have those conversations and to do the work, so that if you don’t have the language for it, we’ve got language for you.” 

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