One Tree Hill Fans Think Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz Are Feuding. Here’s Everything We Know

One Tree Hill fans think there may be some drama going on behind the scenes of Drama Queens.

At the beginning of March, fans of the iHeart Media podcast—hosted by former co-stars Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz, and Sophia Bush—began to suspect that two of the three women were no longer on good terms. While Burton and Bush’s OTH characters Payton and Brooke had the most beef during the series’ run from 2003-2012 (we all know Lucas Scott’s name was on the damn door under Brooke’s name), this alleged feud involves Burton and Lenz, who played even-keeled Haley James Scott on the popular teen drama.

Here’s everything you need to know about the online discourse, which would probably be better suited for BookTok than The CW.

A bit of important background context first.Over the years, Burton, Bush, and Lenz have spoken at length about misogynistic and inappropriate behavior by show creator Mark Schwahn. Back in 2017, Burton, Bush, and Lenz joined other former stars of the show in signing an open letter accusing him of sexual harassment and manipulation.

On their own podcast, the trio discussed how Schwahn would pit the women on the series against each other. In one instance, Burton and Bush were pressured to take part in a Maxim magazine cover shoot in 2006, while Lenz was told she was “too fat” for the cover and was replaced by cast-mate Danneel Ackles. However, Bush was led to believe Lenz turned the shoot down.

“When I said, ‘I don’t want to do it,’ I was like, ‘But Joy’s not doing it! She said no. Why does she get to say no?’” Bush recalled. “They go, ‘Well, she said no, so you have to say yes. She said no first.’ They scapegoated you to tell the three of us we couldn’t say no…. We weren’t mad at you but we were pissed about it.”

All this to say, any discussion of “feuding” between these women is bound to bring up some intense feelings for fans as well as the actors themselves.

So, what’s going on right now?On February 29, Bethany Joy Lenz 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,” she 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. 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.”

That same day, Hilarie Burton allegedly posted a cryptic Pink quote to her Instagram Story and X.com. “I don’t think imitation is the highest form of flattery. I think it’s annoying,” the quote read, per fan screenshots.

When fans began to suspect that Burton was referencing her own memoir, Grimoire Girl: A Memoir of Magic and Mischief, which was released in October 2023, TikTok user @laguna_biotch decided to check if Burton and Lenz were following each other on Instagram. They were not.

And while Glamour can’t confirm whether or not they used to follow each other on Instagram, they still don’t as of March 4. Both currently follow Sophia Bush.

How are fans reacting?Many now suspect that Burton is upset over the similarities between the book’s cover art, with one TikTok user commenting, “It better not be about a damn book cover bc Hilarie’s wasn’t some revolutionary concept.”

Meanwhile, others are just sad about the alleged drama, going so far as to suggest Burton is “bullying” Lenz. “I’m so sad to see what is happening with Joy Lenz,” one fan commented on one of Burton’s recent posts. “I wish you continued to be an example modeling friendship. Even navigating friendship that don’t work in a productive way. I’m sure there is more to the story but the part you made us part of it and the part you showed makes it look like you’re bullying joy. I’m so sad. I loved the podcast but i guess that wasn’t real. Hope y’all can work it out. Wish you guys both healing or moving on.”

On TikTok, another commented, “If they end drama queens before getting through the whole series I am going to be UP IN ARMS. 🤬”

The topic continues to pick up steam on the social media video app.

Will this effect Drama Queens?As of March 4, Drama Queens is still promoting new episodes.

Have Burton and Lenz commented on the situation?While Lenz has limited comments on her memoir announcement, there have been no official comments at this time. Glamour has reached out to representatives from both parties.

This post may be updated.