What Happened Between Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz?
Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz, and Sophia Bush are no strangers to drama.
Published Sept. 3 2024, 3:40 p.m. ET
For decades, Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz, and Sophia Bush of One Tree Hill fame appeared more like sisters than friends or co-workers.
But now it’s speculated that there is drama between the former trio — primarily Hilarie and Bethany. What happened between Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz? Here, we investigate.
What happened between Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz?
Speculation of a rumored feud began in March 2024. All three women co-host Drama Queens, a podcast that goes behind the scenes of the hit CW show, which ran from 2003 to 2012.
Hilarie, Sophia, and Bethany starred in the teen drama as Peyton Sawyer, Haley James Scott, and Brooke Davis, respectively. While Hilarie is usually part of podcast announcements, she was noticeably missing when they announced the launch of Drama Queen’s YouTube channel.
“We are so excited to announce that as of today, our Drama Queens episodes will now be available on YouTube starting with Season 1,” co-hosts Bethany and Sophia Bush announced on Instagram. “Thanks so much for coming on the journey with us. So much more to come.”
Even more signs of an alleged feud occurred after Bethany announced her new memoir, Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show.
“Dinner for Vampires, my memoir about the decade I spent in an abusive, high-demand group (aka cult) is on presale now,” Bethany captioned her post.
“Being a writer has been a great, private joy in my life since I was about 12. This isn’t the first book I thought I’d write, publicly, but as difficult as this subject matter is to untangle, I’m grateful I get to share my story, my way. It’s a story of forgiveness and a roadmap to how manipulation works, with heartache and humor along the way."
She continued:
"We all make mistakes, and I hope Dinner for Vampires reminds you that, no matter what weird roads you’ve gone down, you’re not alone.”
Bethany’s announcement was followed by Hilarie posting a cryptic Pink quote on social media.
“I don't think imitation is the highest form of flattery. I think it's annoying,” she wrote on Instagram Stories and X (formerly Twitter).
Fans speculated that she was calling out Bethany for copying her 2023 memoir, Grimoire Girl: A Memoir of Magic and Mischief. Some believed that the artwork and magical theme of the memoirs are similar.
Fans checked to see if Hilarie and Bethany were still following each other on Instagram. They weren’t.
Hilarie Burton stepped down from the ‘Drama Queens' podcast after Season 6.
"We have reached the end of my behind-the-scenes experience on the show, and so I really started to question what I brought to this, but also how we keep that storytelling alive and important," Hilarie said on the podcast.
"And so as we head into Seasons 7 through 9, it was important that we introduced a new queen who could take over for me."
Robert Buckley is now co-hosting the podcast with Sophia and Bethany.
A 'One Tree Hill' sequel may be in the works.
"What if you really can go back home? If there’s an opportunity to team with brilliant creatives and build a space where all our friends can show off their talents? Own our history? Reclaim our turf? Honor our fans? Sign us up," Sophia shared on Instagram.
"There’s only one Tree Hill, after all. And you — the #OTHfam — have shown us that it’s not just an idea. It really is the place where 'everything’s better and everything’s safe.'"
The final smoking gun to an alleged feud may be Bethany's absence from the photo.