People still talk about it like it was some legendary Hollywood war. You know the story: the veteran Oscar winner versus the reigning America’s Sweetheart. For decades, if you brought up Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts, the conversation almost always drifted toward a supposed "feud" on the set of their 1998 tear-jerker Stepmom.
It’s a classic tabloid setup. Two powerful women, one movie, and a plot that literally features them at each other's throats.
But honestly? Most of what you heard back then was a total lie.
Not just a misunderstanding, but a deliberate fabrication. And the person who started the rumors wasn't some anonymous stalker or a disgruntled lighting tech. It was someone much closer to the production.
The Fake Feud: A PR Stunt Gone Wrong
Back in 1998, the media was obsessed with "catfights." If two women shared a top billing, the press assumed they were pulling hair in the trailers. Susan Sarandon finally blew the lid off the whole thing a few years ago. She admitted on social media that the rumors of her and Julia Roberts hating each other were actually planted by her own PR person.
Yeah. Her own team.
The logic was simple, if a bit cynical: conflict sells tickets. The publicist thought that if people believed the two stars were feuding in real life, they’d be more likely to show up for a movie about two women who can’t stand each other.
It worked. Too well.
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The narrative became so entrenched that Sarandon and Roberts spent their entire press tour answering questions about how much they despised one another. Julia Roberts, in her typical blunt fashion, joked at the time that she and Susan were actually hoping people would say they were "sleeping together" because that would at least be interesting. The "feud" was just boring.
Breaking the "Fighting" Stereotype
Sarandon hit the nail on the head with a quote that still rings true in Hollywood. She noted that if a female star works with a male star, everyone assumes they're "f***ing." If it's two female stars, everyone assumes they're "fighting."
It’s a narrow box that the industry has used for decades.
In reality, the two were co-producers on the film. They didn't just happen to be in it; they helped build it. They chose to work together because they respected each other’s craft. You don’t produce a massive project with someone you can’t look at without wanting to scream.
Why Stepmom Still Hits So Hard
If you haven't seen Stepmom in a while—or ever—you've missed out on some of the rawest acting of the 90s. The film follows Jackie (Sarandon), a mother of two who is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and Isabel (Roberts), the younger "cool" girlfriend of Jackie’s ex-husband.
The movie isn't just a melodrama. It's a study of ego and legacy.
- The Power Shift: The tension comes from a very real place: Jackie is terrified of being forgotten. She’s scared that Isabel will be the one to see her kids graduate, get married, and have their own lives.
- The Vulnerability: There is a specific scene at a restaurant where Jackie looks at Isabel and says, "I have their past, but you have their future."
It’s gut-wrenching.
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The chemistry between Sarandon and Roberts in those moments is so sharp because they actually liked each other. They trusted each other enough to go to those dark, uncomfortable places on camera.
Production Details You Might Not Know
Filming took place mostly around New York and New Jersey from September 1997 through January 1998. Director Chris Columbus—the guy who gave us Home Alone—pushed for a lot of improvisation. He wanted the family dynamic to feel lived-in, not scripted.
That "family portrait" scene at the end? That wasn't just a scripted beat. It was a culmination of months of these two women building a professional partnership that the tabloids tried to tear down before the first trailer even dropped.
The Relationship Today: Still Friends?
So, where do they stand now?
They're fine. Better than fine. Sarandon has consistently defended Roberts over the years, and whenever they’ve run into each other at awards shows or events, there’s zero "coolness" between them.
When Sarandon was promoting the show Feud: Bette and Joan—which actually is about a real Hollywood rivalry—she used it as a platform to remind everyone that she and Julia were always on the same team.
She even joked on Twitter that she and her Feud co-star Jessica Lange were "dating" just to poke fun at the media's obsession with her relationships with other women.
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Looking Back at a Different Hollywood
The 1990s were a weird time for actresses. You had to be the "sweetheart" or the "serious actor," and there wasn't much room for both. Roberts was the biggest star in the world, and Sarandon was the intellectual heavyweight.
The media tried to pit those two archetypes against each other.
What we see now, through the lens of history (and 2026 eyes), is that they were two smart businesswomen who recognized a great story and used their collective power to get it made. The "rivalry" was a ghost.
What You Can Learn From This
There's a takeaway here that goes beyond celebrity gossip. It's about how we consume narratives.
- Question the Source: If a story feels too "perfect" (like two women on a set hating each other), it might be manufactured for clicks—or in 1998, for magazine sales.
- Professionalism Wins: Sarandon and Roberts proved that you can be co-producers, co-stars, and friends even when the world is rooting for you to fail.
- Legacy Matters: Stepmom remains a staple of the "sad movie" genre because the performances were rooted in mutual respect, not off-screen drama.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this era of film, your next step should be to watch the "joint interviews" from the Stepmom press tour on YouTube. Pay attention to how they look at each other while they're being asked those annoying "do you get along?" questions. The subtle eye rolls and shared smiles tell you everything you need to know.
You can also check out the 2017 Twitter thread where Sarandon finally called out her PR person by name (well, by title) to see exactly how she reclaimed her own narrative.