We all know there’s an insane amount of pressure on women in Hollywood to be stick thin and aesthetically pleasing, so it’s never surprising (though it is vaguely depressing) to hear that an actress has been told to lose weight or encouraged to be unhealthy to keep a svelte frame. However, one of the most ridiculous stories of this vein I’ve ever heard has to be from Sarah Jessica Parker, who has revealed that she was once sent a treadmill by a producer so she could “stay fit”.
Now, anyone who’s ever laid eyes on SJP knows one thing: homegirl is TINY. And more than that, she’s muscular as shit. She grew up as a ballet dancer and just has that toned, taut frame that most women would kill for. In other words, she’s literally the last person on earth who should ever need encouragement to “stay fit” (not that it’s EVER appropriate, but I’m trying to get into the minds of the film industry execs who thought this bullshit up).
SJP was being interviewed on Sirius XM Radio Andy’s My Favorite Song w/ John Benjamin Hickey on Wednesday when she recalled the awkward incident:
“I was about to do Honeymoon In Vegas and before that I was off to do another movie in Iowa,” Parker, who was 27 at the time, recalled. “The producer of Honeymoon In Vegas was very concerned about me being fit for Honeymoon In Vegas. So they sent a treadmill to Iowa.”
“Are you kidding me?” Hickey responded as the Sex And The City star added: “Dead serious.”
In preparation for her bathing suit, Parker fondly remembered working out to the C+C Music Factory anthem [“Everybody Dance Now”].
“I would very diligently go out every single day and run like a lunatic to this song. And then when I went to Iowa, on the treadmill, I would continue to run to the song,” she said. “And then we went to Vegas and I had a treadmill also in my room and I would get up every morning and run.”
This is so embarrassing on the behalf of that producer. Not surprising, but embarrassing as hell.