Lindsey Shaw recalls being fired from 'Pretty Little Liars' (2024)

Lindsey Shaw is opening up about why she was fired from Pretty Little Liars.

The actress, who starred as Paige McCullers on the teen drama, explained on a recent Ned's Declassified Podcast Survival Guide episode that her drug use and relationship with food at the time led the series' creative team to part ways with her during its fifth season.

"When I had my drug problem and I was in between working on stuff, you know, I would never have to address my relationship with food because I was always like, 'Oh, I could always just go get more Adderall.' Do you know what I mean? And be okay with it," Shaw told fellow Ned's Declassified alums and cohosts Devon Werkheiser and Daniel Curtis Lee. "So it was really hard, and I especially — I got basically let go from Pretty Little Liars in season five because of the weight that I had lost, and it was really an embarrassing thing."

Shaw later recalled the moment in which she discovered that she had been fired. "It was so bad. I got called into the Pretty Little Liars creator's office," Shaw said before becoming visibly emotional. "And she was just like, 'So, we're gonna let you go.' She's like, 'It's not because of your acting.' She's like, 'But do you have anybody to talk to?' And I was like, 'Um… No.' And she's like, 'Well find somebody, and we have to let you go for now.'"

Shaw starred as Paige, a close friend of the Liars and Emily's (Shay Mitchell) ex-girlfriend, from its first season until her dismissal. While on the podcast, she commended the show's creators for bringing back her character for several episodes during its final season in 2016. "It was really sweet because they brought me back in season 7 and it was so lovely of that writing team to see that relationship and that character out," she said. "But that was rough."

Shaw maintained that the series let her go "with so much care," adding, "They did me so right bringing me back for season 7 and just letting me say goodbye. I will just never forget that writer's room."

Lindsey Shaw recalls being fired from 'Pretty Little Liars' (1)

After learning that she had been fired, Shaw said that she returned to shoot her final episode — which saw her and Mitchell's characters go their separate ways in an airport — and that the scene quickly became an emotional experience for both actresses.

"I used that show as a therapy session every time I went in. I cried harder there than I did in that whole six years by myself. Everything went into the page," she said, noting that she and Mitchell were both crying so hard that a makeup artist had to assist them.

She added, "Finally, when it was done, we just hugged each other and let it be what it was. But my god, I'm so appreciative for that set and that character and for Shay and for those people who brought me back. It was a great and crazy and scary and sad, wonderful, tragic ride."

Shaw has discussed aspects of her relationship with drugs and alcohol and her ongoing sobriety journey over the years, including in a 2020 episode of the Women on Top podcast. "I was totally broken, and the velocity of me carrying forward trying to just act like I wasn't had stopped," she said at the time. "Even though it felt like death, I had no other recourse. I had to leave. Like, I couldn't leave my house when I was [in L.A.] without being wasted. I would feel like there was voices in my head. I would feel like everybody was judging me. The social anxiety was crippling."

She relocated to Arizona for two years in order to prioritize her mental health. "It was deep. It was me reconnecting with my family by pulling weeds and cleaning the paddy, of just being normal," she said. "Reading books, going to AA, finding sponsors. All this mundane stuff that — getting close with my mom again — all this stuff that I had neglected for so long."

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Lindsey Shaw recalls being fired from 'Pretty Little Liars' (2024)

FAQs

Lindsey Shaw recalls being fired from 'Pretty Little Liars'? ›

"So it was really hard, and I especially — I got basically let go from Pretty Little Liars in season five because of the weight that I had lost, and it was really an embarrassing thing." Shaw later recalled the moment in which she discovered that she had been fired. "It was so bad.

Did Paige from PLL lose weight? ›

Shaw said that “it was so bad” that she was "basically let go" from the show “because of the weight that I had lost.” “I didn't look good too skinny and then... when I started to put the weight back on, it couldn't handle it being too heavy,” Shaw said.

What does Lindsey Shaw do now? ›

In February 2023, Shaw started a Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide rewatch podcast called Ned's Declassified Podcast Survival Guide with co-stars Devon Werkheiser and Daniel Curtis Lee under the network PodCo.

How long did Devon and Lindsey date? ›

"Lindsey and I got together the last few months of Ned's. We were dating at the time." He added, "We dated for over a year after that and I have a lot of love for her because before that we were such close friends as well."

Why did Ali gain so much weight in PLL? ›

Sasha Pieterse's Weight Gain: Alison DiLaurentis from Pretty Little Liars Gained Weight Because of PCOS; The Actress Has Had Weight Loss Since Then; Check Out Her Before and After Pictures!

Why did Paige get kicked off Pretty Little Liars? ›

Shaw, 34, played the role of Emily's (Shay Mitchell) girlfriend in the series, which ran on ABC Family from 2011 to 2017. Speaking on a recent episode of Ned's Declassified Podcast Survival Guide, the star claimed the series' bosses fired her over her drug use and relationship with food.

Are Ned and Moze dated in real life? ›

Devon and Lindsey played Ned and Moze, respectively, before they started dating at the end of the series. Both the characters and the actors behind them began a relationship, so it had all the magic and fantasy of teenage romance that we hoped for. The show ended in 2007, but Lindsey and Devon are still friends.

What happened with Lindsey Shaw on TikTok? ›

TikTok/Lindsey Shaw

After TikTok users called out Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide star Lindsey Shaw for apparently mocking Black creators on the platform, Shaw announced she would be quitting social media. In a video, a crying Shaw said her inbox was full of hateful comments.

What is Devon Werkheiser doing now? ›

He has released three albums over the years and currently hosts two podcasts — “Growing Up with Devon Werkheiser” and “Ned's Declassified Podcast Survival Guide.”

Do Ned and Moze end up together? ›

Since he was eight years old, his dream girl has been Suzie Crabgrass. In the series finale, he and Moze start dating. He usually turns to Gordy, the school's janitor, for advice. Jennifer Ann Mosely (played by Lindsey Shaw) is Ned and Cookie's tomboyish best friend.

What is the name of the ladymshawsters? ›

Lindsey Shaw (@ladymshawsters) • Instagram photos and videos.

Did the Neds declassified people date? ›

In a recent episode, Shaw touched on her romance with Werkehiser - but admitted that he wasn't the first Ned Declassified co-star she was involved with. "Dude, I ran through every Ned's cast member before I landed on Devon," Shaw admitted.

How did Jackie Paige lose weight? ›

Jackie is working hard at working out. She's at the gym several times a week and is running on her own. Her new life, post-surgery, requires discipline, strength and a lot of motivation. This was by no means an easy way to lose the weight.

What happened to Paige on PLL? ›

' Yeah, it was awful." Shaw's PLL character was written out in season 5, episode 14. Her character moved to California early for college to get away from "A" and all the trouble in Rosewood. And with that, Paige and Emily shared a tearful goodbye at the airport gate, ending their relationship.

How did Hanna lose weight in Pretty Little Liars? ›

After Alison disappears Mona and Hanna work out and diet and she becomes thin. Following Alison's disappearance, the new, thin, reinvented Hanna became the most popular girl at Rosewood alongside Mona, a fellow former nerd.

How much weight did Sasha gain in Pretty Little Liars? ›

Pieterse detailed gaining 70 pounds during the show's run due to her polycystic ovary syndrome. She explained on a recent episode of Taylor Lautner's “The Squeeze” podcast how she went to several doctors to try to alleviate her symptoms and stop her weight hike.

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