Twenty-five years after her on-set confrontation with Bill Murray, Lucy Liu harbors no regrets about defending herself. The actress, who rose to fame alongside Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore in "Charlie's Angels," was on the brink of Hollywood stardom thanks to her role in "Ally McBeal" when she had an uneasy encounter with her co-star, Murray. Since then, Liu has been vocal about the insulting remarks Murray hurled at her, describing them as "inexcusable and unacceptable," prompting her to confront him. Reflecting on the incident now, Liu remains steadfast in her decision to speak out.
"I didn't hesitate," she recently told The Guardian, emphasizing that she wouldn't let her status dictate her ability to stand her ground. "I would have done the same in any situation. When I sense something is wrong, I protect myself. It's a natural reaction to injustice, and I always feel that way," she said.
Liu added that she is not the type of person who can brush things under the rug or stay silent. "If I were, it would have been a lot easier," she admitted. "But since I'm not that person, we had to find a solution."
In 2021, Liu discussed the incident during an interview with the Los Angeles Times' "Asian Enough" podcast, shortly after a tweet about the alleged interaction resurfaced. "I won't go into details, but it kept escalating. I thought, 'Wow, he seems to be staring right at me,'" Liu recalled, explaining that she eventually confronted Murray directly to ask if he was addressing her. She said it eventually turned into a one-on-one confrontation.
When the actor began "hurling insults" at her, Liu stood her ground. "No matter how low on the totem pole you may be or where you come from, there's no need to condescend or put others down," she argued. "And I wouldn't back down, and I shouldn't have."
Liu continued by saying that she has crossed paths with Murray since then and had amicable conversations, but she certainly doesn't regret pushing back during their argument. "I'm not going to sit there and be attacked," she said. "I don't want to be the person who doesn't speak up for myself and stand by the only thing I have, which is my dignity and self-respect."
Barrymore, who was also a producer on the 2000 film, later praised Liu for handling the situation so well. "Lucy stood up for herself, and that was the best thing that happened in an unfortunate situation. She literally said, 'I don't accept that kind of behavior from you.' And we all supported her, backed her up, and moved forward," Barrymore said.
As for Murray, he gave his side of the story to the Times of London in 2009 and hasn't commented since. "If you're unprofessional and working with me, I'll dismiss you completely," Murray said. "When our relationship is professional, and you're not fulfilling your end, forget it."
