If there were to be a list of actors most hated in Hollywood, past and present, Steven Seagal would rake in a landslide unanimous victory by ranking at the top of that roster. The Under Siege actor who has managed to leave a disturbing impression on every person he met throughout his years in the industry has left behind a trail of controversies and cringe-inducing encounters with actors, actresses, athletes, martial artists, models, talk show hosts, SNL cast/crew, and even rap artists.
Jenny McCarthy’s Terrifying Audition With Steven Seagal
Despite the several sexual assault cases presented against him, an incident that relates as particularly terrifying was Jenny McCarthy’s encounter with Steven Seagal which could have gone horribly awry if the former model hadn’t extricated herself from the scene immediately.
As McCarthy recalled in a 1998 interview with Movieline, during her audition process with Seagal for the 1995 film, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, her one-on-one meeting with the film’s lead actor was traumatic, to say the least:
“I stand up and he goes, ‘Take off your dress.’ I said, ‘What?’ and he said, ‘There’s nudity.’ I said, ‘No, there’s not, or I wouldn’t be here right now.’ He said again, ‘There’s nudity,’ and I said, ‘The pages are right in front of me. There’s no nudity.’ He goes, ‘Take off your dress.’ I just started crying and said, ‘Rent my [Playboy] video, you a**hole!’ and ran out to the car.
He grabs me and says, ‘Don’t you ever tell anybody.’ He won’t sue me or say anything because he knows it’s true. If I saw him today, I would still say, ‘You’re a f–king a**hole and I really hope you change your ways.’”
With time, many similar encounters and public revelations about Seagal have come out into the light. Actors ranging from Sharon Stone, Bob Odenkirk, Liam Neeson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and many more have publicly spoken out about their vitriolic hate toward the Above the Law actor.
Steven Seagal Puts Off Every Person He Encounters
With Steven Seagal in the scene, apparently, nothing is supposed to come easy to his co-stars. The martial artist who earned a reputation in Hollywood by serving as a consultant on MMA fights and stunt choreographies and later joining fellow actors in front of the lens had one too many obnoxious first meets with fellow veterans of the industry.
Actresses Rachel Grant, Rae Dawn Chong, Julianna Margulies, and Portia de Rossi have publicly spoken up about their disturbing encounters bordering on sexual harassment with Seagal. In 2018, Grant accused the actor of sexually assaulting her in 2002 while she was auditioning for a role opposite him in Out for a Kill in Bulgaria.
Industry veterans like Sylvester Stallone, George Foreman, George LeBell, and John Leguizamo have also been anything but reserved in their dislike of the martial artist, accusing him of being “an egomaniacal diva” who is more obnoxiously off-putting than anyone they have met in their lives. In recent years, Steven Seagal has retreated to Russia where he maintains a close bond with the country’s former President.
Source: Movieline
