Lisa Kudrow says “Friends” writers made mean and offensive comments behind the scenes

Lisa Kudrow says there was harsh behavior behind the scenes on the TV show “Friends.”

In a recent interview with The Times of London, Kudrow said some of the show’s writers, who were mostly men, made mean comments about the cast during the show’s 10-season run. Kudrow played Phoebe Buffay on the popular NBC sitcom.

She said writers would get angry if actors forgot lines or if jokes did not land well with the live audience. According to Kudrow, some writers used offensive language when criticizing the cast.

Kudrow also said that some writers spent time discussing sexual fantasies about her co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox. She described the environment as “intense” and sometimes “brutal.”

Despite this, Kudrow said she tried not to focus on the comments because they were usually made privately in the writers’ room.

Concerns about behavior in the “Friends” writers’ room are not new. In 1999, a writers’ assistant named Amaani Lyle filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Television. She claimed the writers often made sexual and racist remarks, which she had to document as part of her job.

The case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against Lyle. The court decided that the behavior, while offensive, was part of the creative work environment.

“Friends” aired from 1994 to 2004 and remains one of the most popular sitcoms in television history.