Kristin Davis, star of the American drama series Melrose Place, said she fainted after overexercising. The show's producers pressured the actress to keep herself slim, fat-shaming her into dangerous workout routines.
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Best known for playing Charlotte York in Sex and the City, Davis told People in an exclusive interview about her weight issues. The 59-year-old was candid about how there was an overall pressure to be skinny. "There was a general vibe on the set though, that was difficult, about the thinness situation," said Davis.
Kristin Davis Fainted After Producers Pressured About Weight
"Every single person was gorgeous and super skinny, so I was like, 'This is what I have to do.'" To achieve this, Davis resorted to doing back-to-back 90-minute spin classes and hiring a running coach. She also detailed how she wasn't eating much during this time, which is a dangerous combination for your health.
During this time, there was one point where she felt light-headed, resulting in her fainting in a parking lot. "Sometimes I couldn't remember my name. It was a lot," Davis added.
The situation got worse when her costar Thomas Calabro mentioned to Davis how the producers felt about her weight. After showing up in her makeup trailer, Calabro started by complimenting her appearance.
When she questioned why he said that, Davis recalled Calabro saying "Oh, I know that the producers are really stressed, you know, but I just think it's amazing that we have a woman who has curves." Calabro attempted to ease Davis' confusion by saying "I just think they shouldn't, you know, put too much pressure on you."
This left Davis even more puzzled, so when she confronted the line producer about it, his reaction was brazen. "And he was like, 'We think you look beautiful,'" Davis recalled. "And I was like, 'Yeah, and?' He goes, 'Just don't gain any weight.'"
Unfortunately, this type of behavior was normal for the time. Melrose Place was a soap opera that ran from 1995 to 1996, and it was Davis' big break. "It was normal for a long time," she continued. "But I mean, there was a lot of stress. If you had hips, it was a situation."
Nowadays, Davis spends her time revisiting old Sex and The City episodes in her iHeartRadio podcast Are You a Charlotte? Her most recent acting credit is playing Amelia Decker in the 2024 film Cash Out starring alongside John Travolta.
