Rachel Bilson has revealed her former classmate Rami Malek asked her to remove an old photo of him from Instagram, shortly before he won an Oscar for his role in Bohemian Rhapsody.
The actors both attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California – and were in the same group of friends as teenagers.
Speaking on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, the 39-year-old said she posted a throwback snap of her and Rami from high school in February 2019, right before the Oscars took place in Los Angeles.
Rachel explained: “I had posted a throwback of us from our senior trip to New York. We’re super nerdy… just the dorkiest picture of the both of us. But I throw it up, ’cause it’s funny and I think it’s so important to be able to make fun of yourself.”
One week later, the actress noticed a DM from Rami, and was surprised by his blunt message.
“I don’t usually check my DM’s on my Instagram…maybe a week goes by and I actually look and I have a message from Rami,” she said.
“But it wasn’t like, ‘Hey! How are you?!’ It was straight to: ‘I would really appreciate if you take that down. I’m a really private person.'”
“I was like, ‘Oh, s**t! OK.’ I get really hot and start sweating. I’m all nervous, like, ‘Oh god! What did I do?’ He was a really good friend, it’s a funny picture…you know? I don’t take myself that seriously.”
Rachel also explained she’s friends with Rami’s stylist, who she asked about the awkward situation.
“I’m friends with his stylist and she was like, ‘Well it’s not a great picture of him,'” she said.
“It was right before the Oscars and I remember Josh Schwartz [The O.C. creator] being like, ‘You did him dirty. He’s about to be nominated.'”
“I was like, I guess I should’ve found something more flattering… But I removed it and I even wrote to him a really nice message: ‘I’m so sorry. Go get the Oscar! You’re doing amazing.'”
“And I never hear anything back, which is fine. But I was super bummed because he was always so nice and we were good friends.”
“I was just a little bummed at how it was handled,” she added.
