Bette Midler Reflects on Short-Lived Sitcom, Expresses Regrets Over Lindsay Lohan's Departure

Bette Midler, the legendary actress and singer, opens up about her regrets over her failed sitcom "Bette," revealing her belief that a lawsuit could have saved the show after Lindsay Lohan pulled out.

Bette Midler has opened up about her short-lived sitcom "Bette," expressing regret over Lindsay Lohan's departure and her own inability to assert herself during the show's chaotic production.

In a recent episode of David Duchovny's "Fail Better" podcast, Midler recalled her experience on the 2000-2001 CBS show, in which she played a fictionalized version of herself.

"I believe it would have worked if I had had a team that was on my side," Midler said. "Things happened that were so astonishing. I didn’t know those things could happen."

Midler revealed that Lindsay Lohan, then a teenage star, was cast as her daughter in the pilot episode. However, Lohan decided to leave the show after the pilot, leaving Midler and the producers scrambling for a solution.

"After the pilot she decided that she didn’t want to do it, or she had other fish to fry. So, Lindsay Lohan left the building and I said, ‘Well, now what do you do?’" Midler said.

According to Midler, the studio did not offer her much support after Lohan's departure, exacerbating the show's already chaotic production schedule.

"It was extremely chaotic," Midler said. "I didn’t understand how fast you had to go."

Duchovny observed that contracts are meant to prevent such situations, but Midler admitted that she was not aware of her full rights and responsibilities.

"If I had known that was part of my duties, to stand up and say this absolutely will not do. I’m going to sue,' then I would have done that," Midler said.

Midler's frustration with the show only grew as production progressed. In an interview with David Letterman on the "Late Show" during the show's short run, Midler famously declared it the "worst thing that’s ever happened to me in my entire life."

"Of course, the next day I was fired," Midler recalled. "My lawyer called me at like 9 o’clock in the morning and said, ‘You’re fired,’ and I said, ‘Oh, isn’t that fantastic.’"

Despite her relief at being fired, Midler expressed regret over ending up leaving her production company after the show's cancellation.

"My biggest failure is haste and acting on impulse," she admitted.

"Bette" ran for 18 episodes on CBS before its cancellation in 2001. Lindsay Lohan, who would have been around 13 or 14 at the time she dropped out of the sitcom, shared a Throwback Thursday post on Instagram last week with a photo of herself and Midler on set.

Midler's reflections on "Bette" offer a candid glimpse into the challenges and regrets that can accompany the creative process. Despite the show's ultimate failure, Midler's resilience and the lessons she learned along the way have undoubtedly shaped her subsequent successes.