Jenny McCarthy Revisits Alleged Casting-Couch Encounter With Steven Seagal

Long before she became a household name, Jenny McCarthy walked into an audition that would stay with her for the rest of her life. On the October 20 episode of her show, speaking openly with guest Selma Blair about the painful reality of being sexualized as young women in Hollywood, the 53‑year‑old actress and model recounted in full what she says took place during her tryout for Steven Seagal’s 1995 film Under Siege 2. It is a story she first told before first in 1998, again in 2017, and one that carries renewed weight as more women’s voices continue to be heard.

An Audition That Changed Everything

McCarthy arrived that day with everything to prove. “I’m just a Playmate at this point,” she recalled. Determined to be seen as a serious contender rather than defined by her appearance, she dressed deliberately in a loose, flowered muumuu that covered her figure completely. She was prepared, focused, and hopeful until the conversation took a disquieting turn.

“He’s like, ‘Why don’t you have a seat on this couch?’” she alleges Seagal told her. “Come closer, come closer.” When she stood to read her lines, she said he observed, “I can’t really tell what your body looks like in that dress.” The implication was unmistakable: to be considered, she would need to expose herself.

Instead, McCarthy gathered her things and walked out, but not before responding with defiance: “Why don’t you go buy my Playboy video for $19.99? F--- you.” Even then, she claims, she could not simply leave. Seagal, she says, followed her to her car, grabbed her arm, and issued a quiet warning: “Don’t you tell a soul.”

Finding Her Voice

At the time, McCarthy had no public platform. She was not famous; her breakout on Singled Out was still a year away. But when that success arrived, she did not remain silent. “Entertainment Tonight came for the very first time to interview me,” she recalled, “and I said, ‘I have a story for you.’ I ratted him out so quick.” She first went public in 1998, and when the broader cultural reckoning began in 2017, she spoke once more, sharing that Seagal had allegedly asked her directly to lower her dress “so I can see your breasts.”

“It was so disheartening,” she said then. “I thought about, ‘I was the last girl that day.’ How many girls had to take off their clothes? How many girls had to do more?’ It just so grossed me out.” That question of how many others may have had similar experiences has lingered with her ever since.

A Pattern of Accounts

McCarthy is far from alone in coming forward. Her story is one of multiple allegations against Seagal that stretch across decades, each echoing similar themes of power imbalance, private settings, and alleged pressure:

• Portia de Rossi alleged that during an audition, Seagal sat her down and unzipped his pants while telling her how important it was to have “chemistry off‑screen.”

• Julianna Margulies recalled being directed to Seagal’s hotel room at 10 p.m. for an audition during Out for Justice in 1991, and has spoken about seeing a gun present in the room a detail that added an element of fear to the encounter.

• Regina Simons, who worked as an extra in On Deadly Ground (1994), accused the actor of rape an allegation that Seagal did not respond to at the time.

Collectively, these accounts describe a consistent pattern: women early in their careers, summoned to private spaces and placed in deeply uncomfortable or threatening situations by a powerful star.

Power, Silence, and Speaking Out

What unites these stories is not just the alleged behaviour, but the setting: an industry where young hopefuls often feel they cannot afford to offend those who hold the keys to their next role. McCarthy herself was acutely aware of her position “I wasn’t famous yet” and that vulnerability made the warning at her car door all the more intimidating.

For women in Hollywood, then and now, the choice to speak up can carry professional risk. Yet McCarthy has returned to this story again and again, not out of desire for attention, but because she believes these experiences deserve to be named. Her conversation with Selma Blair underscored a shared bond — two women who entered the industry young, were reduced to their appearance, and found their voices later in life.

Denials and Unresolved Questions

Seagal’s representative has previously denied McCarthy’s allegations. With this latest recount, a spokesperson has not issued a new response to PEOPLE’s request for comment. The actor has similarly denied or not responded to other accusers’ claims over the years. These accounts remain allegations, and Seagal has maintained his innocence. Even so, the number of women who have come forward and the timeline across which they have spoken, leaves lingering questions that have not been fully answered.

Why These Stories Matter Now

McCarthy’s decision to revisit this experience is more than a personal memoir; it is a reminder that speaking out is rarely a single act. It takes courage once, and then again, and then again. Every time she shares it, she gives voice to what so many have endured in silence: the audition that felt wrong, the remark that made you shrink away, the instruction you could not obey without losing yourself.

For anyone who has been told to wait, to stay quiet, or to compromise themselves to get ahead, her message is clear: your dignity matters more than the part. And sometimes sometimes the most powerful performance is simply telling the truth.