Julia Louis-Dreyfus recounts standing up to Warner Bros.

During a recent interview on the Podcrushed podcast, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus discussed a significant turning point in her life that occurred between her roles in Day by Day and the iconic sitcom Seinfeld. She revealed that she faced a daunting situation when a major studio threatened her with a lawsuit.

Louis-Dreyfus expressed her initial fear, as she felt intimidated by the fact that it was Warner Bros. while she considered herself a relatively unknown actress at the time.

Recounting the events, she explained that she had a development deal with the studio, which had provisions for an exit based on the material being developed. 

Unfortunately, the project didn't work out, and Louis-Dreyfus made the decision to step away. However, the studio mistakenly believed that she had breached their agreement and threatened legal action against her.

At this point, Louis-Dreyfus found herself caught in a predicament. Her representatives advised her to give back the development money to resolve the issue swiftly, even though she knew she had done nothing wrong. 

Feeling uneasy about admitting fault, she sought guidance from Gary Goldberg, the creator of Day by Day, Family Ties, and Spin City.

"I called [Gary Goldberg], because it didn't sit well with me," she said.

"He was a huge force at NBC and in television specifically, and I called him and told him this story, and he said, 'You know what? I don't respond well to bullying so just tell them to f--k off and don't give them their money back.'"

"It really emboldened me to stand up for myself, and so, that's what I did," she added.. 

"And they just went away, that was the end of it... That was a seminal moment for me when he said that. Because it was bullying by the way."

Remarkably, the studio backed down, and the issue was resolved without further consequences.