Former The O.C. stars Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke are weighing in on Mischa Barton‘s recent claims about her experiences while working on the hit show.
While appearing as guests on the Everything Iconic podcast (which was teased in their own Welcome to the OC, Bitches! podcast episode), the actresses opened up to host Danny Pellegrino about their reactions once they learned of Mischa’s recent interview with E! News.
“You know Melinda and I were talking immediately after it [the interview] came out,” Rachel, who played Summer on the show, recalled. “And we were just like, ‘Wait, what?'”
Melinda—who played Julie on the teen drama—explained that although she couldn’t speak for anyone’s experience other than her own, she can understand Mischa’s perspective. “Someone who is 16, 17, 18—that amount of hours of work, pressure, at such a young age—at best, you’re exhausted,” she shared. “And at worst, it’s overwhelming and chaotic so, it kinda breaks my heart a little.”