Bethany Joy Lenz breaks silence on rumoured rift with Hilarie Burton

Bethany Joy Lenz has finally shed light on the rumoured tension with her former One Tree Hill co-star, Hilarie Burton Morgan.

During an interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast on Oct. 16, Lenz, 43, addressed the ongoing rift, explaining that despite some "bizarre misunderstandings” that have created some distance between them, she still has nothing but love for her former co-star and longtime friend.

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

Rumours of a falling out first emerged in March when fans noticed that the two no longer followed each other on Instagram. Some speculated the tension began when Lenz’s memoir, Dinner for Vampires, was compared to the cover of Burton 2023 memoir, Grimoire Girl.

Burton seemed to hint at this in February when she posted a meme on her Instagram Stories saying, “I don’t think imitation is the highest form of flattery, I think it’s annoying.”

Adding fuel to the speculation, Burton Morgan later stepped down from hosting the One Tree Hill rewatch podcast Drama Queens, which she co-hosted with Lenz and Sophia Bush.

While she mentioned she’d “pop in here and there,” Burton Morgan explained it was time to introduce a new voice to carry on the show’s legacy, especially as the girls had caught up to her season 6 departure.