Jane Sibbett spoke about the “heartbreaking” reason behind his refusal to celebrate her role as Carol
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY NBC
Jane Sibbett, who played the iconic lesbian Carol on the show Friends, told The Sun in a recent interview that her father had refused to watch the show due to her character’s sexuality.
Fans of the infamous show will remember Carol as being one half of the first-ever televised lesbian wedding in season two. Playing the role of Ross’ ex-wife, Jane went down in history for providing vital representation for the lesbian community.
In her interview with The Sun, Jane revealed that playing the role had led to strain in her own family. “We had a big situation with my father who wouldn’t watch the show,” she said. “It was heartbreaking that he wouldn’t watch it. He would hold a bible study group at the time it aired to ensure his friends wouldn’t see it either.”
While the wedding was celebrated by the LGBTQIA community, it received a large amount of backlash, with several countries and US states refusing to air it. Jane spoke about why her father finally watched it: “It took my godfather writing a letter to him saying how proud he was of me for the wedding scene that cracked it for my father. He thought, ‘Wait, I’m not going to be judged for this and it can help people.’ It was great for that wound to be healed before my dad passed.”
Jane also said that she still appreciates being able to play a character like Carol today, adding that it was a “gift”.
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