Melissa Joan Hart, 47, reveals she was almost FIRED from her role on Sabrina The Teenage Witch after posing topless in her undies for Maxim cover

Melissa Joan Hart has revealed that she was nearly fired from her role on the TV show Sabrina The Teenage Witch.

That was because she posed topless and in her undies at the age of 23 for a Maxim cover in October 1999.

 During an episode of the Pod Meets World podcast, which was released on Monday, the 47-year-old actress shared she was blindsided with the news that she was being axed from the show, in which she played the title character, after participating in a photoshoot.

The performer, who recently attended a SAG-AFTRA rally in New York, then expressed that the controversy surrounding magazine cover ended up boosting the success of another one of her projects.

Hart began by speaking about posing for a photo with Britney Spears on what she described as ‘the worst day of my life’ at the time.

Risky business: Melissa Joan Hart revealed she was nearly being fired from her role in Sabrina The Teenage Witch after posing for a Maxim cover during an episode of the Pod Meets World podcast

Looking back: During her interview, which was released on Monday, the 47-year-old actress expressed that she was blindsided with the news that she was being axed from the show, in which she played the title character, after participating in a photoshoot

The Melissa & Joey star expressed that, prior to the party, she was informed that she had been fired from her role in Scary Movie and recently broken up with her boyfriend.

The performer recalled that, during an afterparty that took place at Planet Hollywood that same night, she was informed that she was being let go from Sabrina The Teenage Witch as a result of her work for Maxim’s October 1999 issue.

She recalled: ‘My lawyer shows up and goes, “You did a photoshoot for Maxim magazine?” I’m like, “Yes, I did.” They’re like, “Well, you’re being sued and fired from your show, so don’t talk to the press. Don’t do anything.”‘

The cover for the magazine featured a headline that read ‘Sabrina, Your Favorite Witch Without a Stich!’

The usage of the character’s name violated a clause in Hart’s contract with Archie Comics, under which she was never to portray the teenage witch naked.

She stated that ‘so, here they were thinking I’m in breach because I’m playing the character. No, that was supposed to be me promoting [Drive Me Crazy].’

The actress also remarked that she only did ‘whatever my publicist told me to do at the photo shoot. Like I did a photo shoot for Maxim! It’s Maxim, of course you’re gonna be in your underwear’ 

The performer also expressed that she did not expect to have her role on Sabrina referenced in the magazine. 

Bad news: She recalled that ‘My lawyer shows up and goes, “You did a photoshoot for Maxim magazine?” I’m like, “Yes, I did.” They’re like, “Well, you’re being sued and fired from your show, so don’t talk to the press. Don’t do anything”‘

Reasoning: The usage of the character’s name violated a clause in Hart’s contract with Archie Comics, under which she was never to portray the teenage witch naked

Smoothing things over: Hart explained that she defused the situation by writing a letter of apology, after which she was able to keep her role as Sabrina; she is seen in March

‘It wasn’t supposed to be a character. I had no control over what they wrote on the cover,’ she said.

Hart explained that she defused the situation by writing a letter of apology, after which she was able to keep her role as Sabrina.

The performer also expressed that the ‘drama’ surrounding the magazine cover ended up giving her movie a publicity boost.

She stated that the racy image ‘made for Drive Me Crazy to come out and be a huge success.’ 

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