‘One Tree Hill’ star Bethany Joy Lenz had a falling out with Sophia Bush: ‘I really f–king wish I could turn back time’

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“One Tree Hill” alum Bethany Joy Lenz said she once had a falling out with her co-star Sophia Bush. 

Lenz, 43, who published the memoir “Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!),” talked about how she was involved with the ultra-Christian organization the Big House Family, which she has called a “cult.”

“I was using religion as my benchmark,” Lenz writes in her book. “My budding friendship with sweet Sophia became a casualty of this and instead of sitting shiva for my ego, I really f–king wish I could turn back time, walk into her trailer, and give her a long, hard hug.”

Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz and Sophia Bush in 2022. CBS via Getty Images

Lenz and Bush in “One Tree Hill.” ©CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection

Lenz, Chad Michael Murray, Bush, James Lafferty and Burton. Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

She continues, “as bubbly and compassionate as she was, she was even more intelligent… Her mind could have been put to good use by NASA — except, of course, she’s so beautiful the astronauts would never want to leave Earth.”

Lenz added, “I failed to notice that she was also trying hard.”

“One Tree Hill” was a teen drama that aired from 2003 to 2012 on the WB and then the CW. Aside from Lenz and Bush, it also starred Hilarie Burton, Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty. 

Before she got on the show, an exec told her manager to give her a message. “You tell her this show is about f–king and sucking and if she’s gonna have a problem with that, she shouldn’t come in tomorrow,’” Lenz recalls in her book.

Bush attends the Glamour Women of the Year event. Getty Images

Bush and Ashlyn Harris, Bush’s girlfriend. NBAE via Getty Images

The actress would eventually leave the Big House Family after welcoming her daughter, Rosie, in 2011, with ex-husband Michael Galeotti Jr., who was also in the cult. Bush, 42, meanwhile, was briefly married to Murray. She’s dating former soccer player Ashlyn Harris.

Bush was “frequently favored and constantly underestimated in life because of her beauty. Sophia worked obsessively at proving her value,” Lenz writes.

Lenz said that she and Bush were so close at the beginning of the show that they adopted dogs together, before Lenz realized she “wasn’t equipped to get too close to Sophia.” 

Lenz on “One Tree Hill.” ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

In 2021, Lenz and Bush began hosting their “One Tree Hill” podcast “Drama Queens” with Burton, which helped them mend fences.

On the Oct. 16 episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Lenz said, “we definitely talked about our time back then and what was hard and how great it was to reconnect and the feelings of unraveling things that were so mysterious to us at the time.”

She said their relationship is, “an ever-evolving journey.” 

Lenz on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” this month. Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Lenz Getty Images for American Heart Association

Lafferty, Bush, Murray, Lenz, Burton and Tyler Hilton. FilmMagic

As for Burton, she said, “I love Hilarie, I have always and will always, and I don’t have any problem with her. There have been some bizarre misunderstandings that I really hope we can figure out one day, but I love that girl.”

Fans recently noticed that the pair unfollowed each other on Instagram at the beginning of the year, seemingly because of drama that has to do with Lenz’s memoir cover, which looks similar to that of Burton’s 2023 memoir “Grimoire Girl.”

Lenz caught up with several “One Tree Hill” castmates for the show’s 21st anniversary convention. 

Burton, Lenz and Bush at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Festival. Getty Images for iHeartRadio

“And so we all just got to sit down and emotionally snuggle,” she told People.

“We have all these moments in between all the events where we catch up on what we’re doing, and then we’ll have a dinner afterward or something, and it feels really good.”

“Dinner for Vampires” is now available. 

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