Busy Philipps is known for her raw honesty in her Instagram stories. For instance, she recently confessed that she makes more money in sponsored posts than anything else. Sometimes her stories are booze-induced and sometimes its just Busy venting but she doesn’t filter herself. By example, her new Tina Fey produced sitcom did not get pick up in the first round of pilot season. Personally, I was pretty jazzed for this comedy. The show, The Sackett Sisters, stars Busy and Happy Endings star Casey Wilson. The plot revolves around a pair of estranged sisters that pull a Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger type act of heroism and are forced to reconnect while navigating their newfound fame. Bradley Whitford plays their father. However, Hollywood is a fickle and bizarre land where sometimes fun ideas go to die. Just because it didn’t make the first round doesn’t mean it won’t ever get picked up but it’s not a good sign. Busy learned the presumed fate of her show while on a well documented Disney cruise that she sprung for with her extended family. She doesn’t say this outright but it sounds like Busy counted her proverbial chickens before they were hatched and now that there is no series, there is no paycheck. So after she posted her emotional moment to her IG stories, fans had an odd reaction – they started given Busy money. She first found this funny, but eventually had to ask her fans to stop.
“I’ve been doing this since I was 19 years old and it never gets easier,” the Dawson’s Creek alum said. “And it sucks. It’s really hard because part of the whole thing is rejection. It’s what the whole thing is based on, right? It’s somebody else telling you yes or no.”
“The amazing thing about the Internet is that before I didn’t have a feeling of any voice or any ability,” she said, a tear rolling down her face. “The thing is, I know that you like watching these things because you feel like I’m so real. But I am f—ing real. I’m a real f—ing person. And this is what I do for a job.”
“The problem is I have to rely on other people to allow me to do it,” she continued. “This has been great — it’s great. I love that you can watch these Instagram stories. But I want to tell other stories. It’s like a momentary setback or whatever. But it also is you have to understand something I have dealt with for almost 20 years, this same thing.”
“I wish you guys could see it,” she told her followers before poking fun at herself for possibly overreacting while sitting on a Disney cruise, wearing a Dolce and Gabbana gown she previously wore to the Golden Globes with pal Michelle Williams.
That’s when her fans started doing what they could to support her.
“Shout out to the random person I don’t know who just paid me a dollar on Venmo for my Instagram Stories,” Philipps said. “So if you guys want to find me on Venmo and start paying me, that’d be chill.”She was joking, of course, but the money kept coming in.
“Okay guys I love you, but you don’t have to pay me on Venmo,’ Philipps said in another video. “So many people have started paying me a dollar on Venmo. It’s really awesome and so sweet, but you really don’t. Don’t. Save your dollars for someone else.”
They didn’t. And by Friday afternoon, Philipps said she had earned $500.
“Guys you don’t have to keep Venmo-ing me a dollar, although I greatly appreciate it,” she said in another post that she shot while lounging on the beach and captioned “I’ve made 500 bucks!”
“It’s really funny because I’m just flooded with these notifications that I’m getting a dollar from strangers,” she added.
“Guys, you’re still Venmoing me. Stop. But just so you know, obviously, I’m going to donate the money to Baby2Baby. Hooray,” said Philipps. “So your money is going to a good cause.”
Huh. I appreciate that fans want to show their support but this is a bit odd to me. Especially since Busy’s comments are not about being broke but the fact that she thinks she’s come into her own as an actress and she wants to show that off but no one will let her. However, I see where fans are coming from because Busy has added #ipaidforthis all over her Disney cruise pics so she is sending mixed messages. I really like Busy so I don’t want to come down too hard on her. Rejection sucks. But one must wonder, what did she think was going to happen? I hope the outpouring bolstered her spirits and I think donating the money is a wonderful response.
On a more gossipy note, I wonder if her friendship with Michelle Williams weighs on her at times like this? I don’t doubt for a minute that they adore each other but acting is a very competitive profession. It must have some impact on Busy that she and Michelle basically launched from the same show and now Michelle has Oscar nominations and her choice of parts while Busy is still hustling. I don’t think Busy would let that effect the friendship but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t get to Busy on occasion.
In truth, I hope The Sackett Sisters does get picked up because it sounds fun to me. I also hope Busy finds a role that really makes her mainstream because she is such a joy to watch. However, if the acting thing doesn’t work out, Busy can always start a Courtney Love cover band.
Photo credit: Instagram and WENN Photos
Michelle doesn’t have an Oscar. She’s been nominated 4 times.
I doubt they would feel like they’re competing with one another, as they both always seem to gravitate to such different types of roles. I could never see Michelle Williams doing, say, a show like Cougar Town. Which Busy was great on, and I really miss that show and her character and her wardrobe.
Maybe she could do the Hot Wives with Casey Wilson?
I think she probably used the #ipaidforthis hashtag to prevent people from telling her she should be putting #ad on her sponsored posts and she wants to save them the effort as it’s not an #ad it’s a #familyholiday that #shepaidfor! 😉
#indeed 🤓
Exactly. She seems very clear about whn she IS being compensated, so I think she just didn’t want people asking/whining about her trip being free.
She and Michelle don’t seem to go for the same roles at all, so I don’t imagine much competition.
Too bad the show didn’t get picked up, it sounded good.
I’m surprised she sponsors posts for cash after having a part in a successful, fairly long- running series.
Plenty of celebrities get paid to plug products on social media though, even ones who are much more famous and wealthier than Busy. They also get paid to attend red-carpet events, do commercials for random products overseas etc. It’s a fickle industry, so it makes sense to try and make as much money as you can.
I’ve been wondering for a while why the son of a really minor celebrity keeps tagging the companies his clothes are from until I figured out that he gets them for free because of it. There is always money to make.
This is just really weird to me. We all go through rejection in our profession aka not getting promotions or not getting the job we really want. That just happened to me after interviewing with my dream company. I would never go on social media to cry about it, especially if I was on an expensive vacation already? I mean, I definitely cried in private. At least she donated the money?
Totally bummed to hear that the series — which sounded like a super winner — wasn’t picked up. Maybe Netflix will come to the rescue, a la Kimmy Schmidt.
God, I was a theater major and stories like this make me glad I switched paths and didn’t try to make it professionally. It seems so tough to never know what’s coming next. I can see doing it as a young unattached person, but to also be responsible for kids and have a spouse… it seems so anxiety inducing and unstable!!
However, I think she’ll be fine. She’ll get back on her feet and write something else. And good for her for donating that money, but I wonder why her fans had her Venmo information??
I feel you. I started getting my foot in the door, doing auditions etc. I had so much anxiety during call backs. Then when I wouldn’t get the part I would cry for days. I’m so glad that I stopped when I did. I knew myself well enough to know that I couldn’t handle the rejection well enough to keep going.
But michelle’s personal life has been more of a disaster, and constant traveling can take its toll.
Aww, I felt so bad for Busy. I read her crying story as “I love doing these stories for you all because it’s partially performance, but they take time and resources, and I’d love to get PAID for an actual job of doing such things.” She wants a real, legitimate acting job instead of the free, mini-reality show she’s got going right now. I don’t blame her one bit for being disappointed that her pilot didn’t get picked up.
I loved her on Freaks and Geeks.
Watched her on beat Bobby Flay and she was fun.
btw, Bobby flays new face and new bushy eyebrows look weird af.