Sarah Jessica Parker Recalls ‘Sobbing’ Over 'Cruel' Comments About Her Looks on Sex and the City

Parker starred as Carrie on the hit HBO series from 1998 to 2004, including two spin-off movies. Her character returned in sequel series And Just Like That… which first aired in December 2021.

In a recent episode of Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast, Parker explained the cruel comments she received from people about her looks that ended up affecting her emotionally.

"Discussions of my physical person were the hardest," said Parker. "Like, stuff that I couldn't change and wouldn't change and had never considered changing, or still even after hearing something that was like, 'What? Somebody would say that?' — even still, no interest in changing it."

The television star expressed her understanding that being on television would lead to commentary from people watching the show.

"I do think that being on a television show in particular that grabs people's attention was probably a real test of coping, like my coping mechanisms, because I wasn't prepared. And this was before social media, so I really wasn't prepared for public commentary," Parker opened up.

But she also recalled the one time when she did break down after reading negative comments about her appearance in a magazine.

"It was the personal stuff that I was really not prepared for," Parker clarified. "So at that time I thought I was a fairly confident person, not boastful, not-- it wouldn't be a confidence you could detect. It was just the way you get up every day and try to get on with your life and take care of yourself and the people you care about and love."

"But I think it really comes into question and is tested when you're kind of fileted in a way, when you're opened up," she told Cooper.

Cooper jumped in to reply to Parker's comment, "It doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.”

"Yes. And I think that was the thing is that up to that point ... there was no chatter about me. It was just my work," Parker disclosed.

"I was just like, 'Why is this a problem? Why is this deserving of your time and why do you seem to delight in saying it?'" she questioned.

"And I called my friends, two of my friends who happened to be male because I knew that they might know about it. And I was just like, I was sobbing because it felt so purposeful. I think that's the only time I really cried about it," Parker opened up.

Cooper expressed her understanding of Parker's feelings and talked about the societal pressure of women to look a certain type of way whereas men -- don't necessarily have that strain.

"I can go make a whole episode about it -- 'Why do we feel so comfortable commenting on women's bodies? Why do we feel like women have to actually look like a statue?' -- where we celebrate men and a beer belly and everyone's like 'he's hot!' It's just the double standards are insane," Cooper passionately explained.

Parker replied by questioning if these negative critiques and comments would ever leave the magazines.

"You can't help but wonder, 'I couldn’t help but wonder,'" she referenced her iconic line from the show, "Would you say it to my face? Would you?" she asked. "I don't know."

Season 3 of "And Just Like That..." is currently airing on HBO Max, Hulu, and The Roku Channel