According to reports over the years, Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker (SJP) have been at each other's throats over everything from costumes to money.
Even now, with the film in the can and the publicity train steaming away, the tabloids just can't get enough of the rivalry, reporting that the stars of the film were standing in separate areas of the premiere party. Clearly, this is an indication that Kim Cattrall and SJP must be kept away from sharp implements and each other...
The question is then: why do we care? Actually there are two questions. Why do we care? And why do we expect this group of very different women to be all chummy sweetness and light, off set? When was the last time you spent 18 hours a day with your colleagues for several weeks of the year and still wanted to hang out with them for brunch?
Actually, there's a third question. Why do we treat the four female stars of SATC differently from groups of male stars? Does anyone expect to run into the Entourage gang discussing their feelings over an omelette? Did anyone ever expect to see the boys from Bonanza slapping each other playfully in the sauna? Of course you don't (and if you did, well, you're probably the sort of potential stalker who expected Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey to share a flat in the real life, and the police know who you are).
Aside from the fact you would have an embarrassing sphincter-related incident if you noticed you were neck and neck with the Sopranos in the pub quiz, nobody expects the blokes to be matey once the cameras stop rolling. However, get four women together and they're supposed to be sharing a house and exchanging knitting tips or something before the end credits. And you only have to look at Britain's Next Top Model to realise you have as much chance of that as you would herding cats.
And it looks like the "curse" of the SATC feuds extends to the show's creator, Candace Bushnell and the show's producer, Darren Star. Bushnell had reportedly approached Star to turn her novel, Lipstick Jungle, into the next big glossy smash hit series. Star though was busy - and let's hand things over to one of those mysterious "sources", who keep the tabloids in gossip, to continue the tale.
"Candace was actually living at Darren's house when she was writing the pilot for her show," a source told the New York Post's Page Six. "Candace called him to say how happy she was that NBC picked up her script, and Darren told her, "Oh, yeah, I have a similar project at ABC." She was devastated."
It could all just be part of the publicity machine, of course - we rather suspect the Cattrall vs Parker thing is a tabloid feeder - but we do know that Candace had the last laugh. Star's project, Cashmere Mafia, sank. Lipstick Jungle, starring Brooke Shields, was a hit - and will be appearing on Living later this year.
