Melissa Joan Hart’s racy Maxim cover nearly ended ‘Sabrina’ contract

Melissa Joan Hart nearly lost one of her most iconic gigs because of her Maxim magazine cover shoot.

The actress, known for hit ’90s sitcoms like “Clarissa Explains All” and “Sabrina the Teen Witch,” went for something a little more mature when she decided to do a racy photo shoot in 1999, not knowing that the move would nearly violate her “Sabrina” contract.

during an appearance on Betches’ podcast.Picture DayHe told the story of a photo taken with Britney Spears at the premiere of the movie “Drive Me Crazy.”

He stated that his eyes were bloodshot in the photo because it was “one of the worst days of my life.”

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Hart explained that he cried because he left the premiere attended by his family to go to the set of another movie. On his way to the airport, he received a call that he was fired from the movie. She was given a role in “Scary Movie,” but the powers that be decided she “did not have big enough breasts for the role.”

He was sent back to the “Drive Me Crazy” premiere, where his lawyer approached him and said, “You’re firing me from the show because of the Maxim magazine cover.”

“Then I really start crying,” she recalled, describing it as a “dramatic night.”

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Hart revealed he was believed to have violated his “Sabrina the Teen Witch” contract with the Maxim shoot. (Disney General Entertainment Content via Bob D’Amico/Getty Images)

Ultimately, Hart was able to continue her duties on “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” The problem was that her original contract stipulated that the character of Sabrina would never appear nude or in a way that implied nudity. When she was doing the cover of Maxim to promote “Drive Me Crazy”, the magazine referred to her as “Sabrina” on the cover.

The issue was resolved when it became clear that Hart had no knowledge or control over Maxim, who used the character’s name, and he continued to star in the series until it ended in 2003.

Hart starred in “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” opposite Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick. (Getty Images)

He told Fox News Digital in 2023 that despite the problems the photo shoot caused, he had no regrets.

“In retrospect, everything… is in the rearview mirror. Everything seems a little further away,” he explained.

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Hart previously told Fox News Digital that he doesn’t regret his decision to make Maxim. (Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

“What felt like panic at the time was that my career was over and all this terrible stuff started to translate into really good press around a movie I had started.

“It was kind of a bonus in the end.”

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