INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

‘Friends’ Reunion: Rumors About Feuds, Hookups, And The Hush-Hush NBC Reunion

By Chrissie Williams
Published on: 06:57 PST, Nov 23, 2016

More than a decade after the hit television show ended its arc, the gang could be coming back to Central Perk, Life & Style reports. Friends could return as early as 2017 if all the negotiations go as planned. NBC is reportedly quietly trying to solidify contracts with each of the stars of Friends since the network knows that a reunion special would generate huge ratings.

“Top secret negotiations have begun,” an NBC insider revealed. “NBC is champing at the bit over Friends coming back for one big episode. They feel that it would be ratings and advertising bonanza.”

According to the rumor, huge salaries are being tossed at the Friends cast, because it appears that not everyone is on board to return for the one-episode reunion special. Despite the fact that the cast acted as if they were a close-knit group, they allegedly became megastars with inflated egos, plagued with substance abuse problems, and had numerous cat fights with each other while filming Friends. Even so, the cast pretended they were close while they secretly hated each other, inside source reveals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2fZb9tDXKE

“The network played up the image that all six actors were as close offscreen as they were on-screen, but it wasn’t the truth,” an NBC insider reported. “While they are all much more mature and settled now, they are still not very close to each other.”

When the series began, no one was sure if the show would last. However, the show ran for 10 seasons, and ever since the series ended, fans have begged for at least a one-episode reunion special. When it began, the series featured six fresh faces, all of whom are well-known now — David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Cook, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, and Matt Leblanc as Joey Tribbiani.

Behind-The-Scenes Secret Hookups

According to an inside source, there were several secret hookups — at least at first. One of the rumors was that Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry had a fling, although it was never confirmed. Another backstage report was that Matt LeBlanc hit on Jen, but she didn’t feel the same way about him.

“Matt was relentless in his pursuit of Jen, and she hated it,” the insider revealed. “She had zero interest in him. She thought he was an airhead and a ladies’ man.”

Apparently, the one that Jen had a secret crush on was the actor who played Ross Geller. She thought that David was smart and great-looking.

Lisa is the only cast member who hasn’t gone through a painful divorce. She tried to warn Jen that Brad Pitt was wrong for her, claiming that he wasn’t Mr. Right and would end up breaking her heart. It turns out her gal-pal Lisa was right in that assumption and hunch.

“Lisa wasn’t impressed with Brad when she first started dating him,” an insider stated. “She thought that Brad was full of himself and a total slacker. Jen was annoyed by Lisa’s opinion, but years later, after their divorce, she told Lisa she should have listened to her because she was right.”

Cliques

Friends rumors have long speculated that Courteney and Jen were best friends and made Lisa feel like an outsider. An inside source reveals that is entirely accurate. She often felt like they excluded her and made her feel like she was intruding in their conversations.

“Lisa often complained that Jen and Court were cliquey,” the NBC insider stated. “She’d constantly say she felt like the Winona Ryder character in Heathers—the big nerd who was the odd man out with the popular girls.”

Substance Abuse

A few of the stars of Friends were afflicted with much a deeper problem than feeling excluded in a clique. Matthew entered drug rehab twice during Friends’ run, claiming that he was so high on alcohol and Vicodin that he didn’t remember working on Seasons 3 through 6. A few of the Friends cast members believed that Perry should have been fired. It was Lisa who suggested that the show should go on a hiatus to give Matthew time to seek treatment.

Matt LeBlanc also faced substance abuse issues during the Friends run. He had faced a serious alcohol problem and was arrested twice for DUIs. The cast considered forcing the star to go to rehab, but he went to treatment on his own.

The Friends cast became adept at keeping their personal lives out of the public eye and continued to work even if they had struggles that the fans were not privy to. They were each raking in a $1 million-per-episode for the last two seasons of the show.

Big Stars, Bigger Drama

Brad Pitt only agreed to appear on the show after losing a bet with his then-wife, Jen. He later told David that he wouldn’t have appeared if it wasn’t for the bet he made with his wife — and lost. The cast favorite guest star was, without a doubt, Sean Penn. They described him as warm, funny, and an overall delight to be around. After his appearance, he sent them flowers and thanked them for allowing him on the show. The most hated co-star was Julia Roberts. They found her “standoffish,” and she allegedly acted as if she was too good for the NBC sitcom.

The Reunion Details

So far, details about the Friends reunion are scarce. The rumors state that Jen would fetch at least $2 million with the rest of the cast getting between $1 million and $1.5 million. It isn’t known which cast members have not agreed to a reunion show, but apparently, money is the main hurdle the show is facing.

Gossip Cop reported that NBC is not considering a reboot or a reunion show and that the cast has denied there is any talk of a one-episode reunion for the Friends cast. At this point, we’ll have to wait to see what happens as it could still be early in the negotiations.

Would you like to see a one-episode scripted Friends reunion special?

[Featured Image by Getty Images]

Share this article: ‘Friends’ Reunion: Rumors About Feuds, Hookups, And The Hush-Hush NBC Reunion
More from Inquisitr