Anthony Anderson interviewed Lindsay Lohan in a deeply creepy way.
When he was in his 30s and the actress was 17, the actor interviewed her.
The jokes in the interview took several weird, sexual turns.
So weird that the clip is circulating on social media, with people asking why this gross exchange ever took place.
Anthony Anderson interviewed a teenage Lindsay Lohan
In 2003, Anthony Anderson filled in for Sharon Osbourne to interview Lindsay Lohan on The Sharon Osbourne Show on the December 16 episode.
At the time, Lohan was only 17. Mean Girls hadn’t even come out yet.
She was still best known for The Parent Trap and (the then-very-new) Freaky Friday, and was years away from her party girl reputation or her more recent motherhood.
During the interview, Anderson asked Lohan about her home life.
She shared that she had moved in with her friend, fellow actress Raven-Symoné.
“Both of you are beautiful women. Both of you are young and have your individual styles,” the actor praised.
Anderson then asked: “What gentlemen will be at the new pad with you and Raven-Symoné?”
‘I’m illegal, for people that are old’
“No one. I don’t have a boyfriend,” Lindsay Lohan clarified to Anthony Anderson.
As you can see in the social media clip, Anderson then turned that to the audience, quipping:
“She’s single, but looking!”
Lohan pointed out that she was only 17, reminding everyone: “I’m illegal, for people that are old.”
“Some men like them young. We ain’t gonna mention no names, but I’m one of them,” Anderson joked.
Later in the interview, he told the audience “right now, we’re about to get our freak on” and scooched closer to Lohan on the couch, wrapping his arms around her.
That was a clumsy reference to Freaky Friday. But really not appropriate.
Even if he had not been a grown man in his 30s, but especially uncomfortable given his age and hers.
How is Anthony Anderson responding to the backlash?
Naturally, people on social media are skewering Anthony Anderson over the creepy Lindsay Lohan video.
“This interview was clearly intended as comedy. He regrets if the humor was in poor taste and maintains the utmost respect for Lindsay,” his rep told Entertainment Weekly in a stern statement.
Of course, folks on social media are quick to point out that Anthony was accused of rape just a year after this interview. That’s an upsetting topic in any context.
It is true that it was sometimes considered “normal” to speak in a flirtatious manner to minors during interviews back in the day.
It famously happened to Britney Spears. That doesn’t make it not gross! It’s okay to acknowledge that some things are gross.