One Tree Hill stars say they were threatened into doing risqué Maxim cover shoot but one was 'too fat'

The actors from teen drama One Tree Hill have alleged that the creator of the show once threatened them into a photoshoot with Maxim magazine in order to save the future of the show, but said one of the actors was ‘too fat’.

Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz made some serious allegations about how the Maxim photoshoot actually came to be on the latest episode of the ‘Drama Queens’ podcast that they share together.

The actors explained what Schwahn told them before the shoot, as well as discussing why Lenz wasn’t chosen to be a part of it.

So, Maxim actually featured in the plot of the show as well, with Bush’s character Brooke taking pictures of Rachel, played by Daneel Ackles, for the publication.

Back in real life, cast members Bush, Ackles and Burton all appeared on the cover of the mag, largely against their will if the podcast is to be believed.

Warner Bros.

Apparently, the whole thing was a ploy to get men to watch their TV show, as well as introducing scenes with the women in their underwear and bringing in a weird, predator character called ‘Psycho Derek’.

Bush said: "I know they weren’t trying to solicit basement bullies on the internet,

"But they saw that a lot of young men were drawn to a violent assault of women and they went, ‘We should do more of that.’"

When the idea of a real-life shoot was floated, Bush said she wasn’t keen, recalling saying: "I have gone to battle trying to make Brooke less of this thing that you guys tried to force me into. I don’t want to do it.”

She was then allegedly told: "If you do not go and shoot this cover with your co-stars, we will guarantee you that you will never be let out for a press day, a movie, an event, any of your charities.

“We will keep you here for ever."

Burton went on to claim that Schwahn told her that ‘no-one wants you guys’.

"It was very much a, ‘No one else wants you, the studio wants to cancel your show,'" she said.

"’[If] you don’t start to generate some buzz and attract these male numbers, we’re dead and all your friends are going to lose their jobs.’"

What’s more, they left Lenz out altogether, with the actor saying she was told that she couldn’t be involved.

“They told me that they didn’t come to me because I was too fat," Lenz said.

"I wasn't a hot girl on the show anymore."

A number of female cast members signed an open letter making allegations against Mark Schwahn

Bush told Lenz: "When I said I don’t want to do it, I was like, ‘But Joy’s not doing it! She said no. Why does she get to say no?’

“They go, ‘Well she said no, so you have to say yes. She said no first,'

"They scapegoated you to tell the three of us we couldn’t say no."

18 women in One Tree Hill have previously released an open letter accusing Schwahn of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour on set.

Then, in 2017 the cast of his other show The Royals also made similar claims, for which he was fired.

Burton has claimed that Schwahn kissed her forcibly and, at one stage put his hands down her trousers, allegations that Ackles has since supported.

Schwahn has never publicly commented on the allegations, though UNILAD has attempted to contact a legal representative for a comment.