Rachel Bilson Gives Update After Rami Malek Photo Debacle: 'We Were Able To Squash It'

Rachel Bilson got candid about her friendship with Rami Malek after she disclosed his awkward social media request last month.

Bilson shared in March that the "Bohemian Rhapsody" star sent her a direct message in 2019 asking her to remove a throwback photo of them when they were teens. She was "super bummed because he was always so nice and we were good friends."

"The O.C." actress gave an update on the photo debacle when she appeared in the "LadyGang" podcast Tuesday. According to her, she and Malek have remained friends after that.

"Rami and I actually have talked since that came out. He connected with me, and we're all good. He, you know, was so sweet and we're totally fine now and we talked about it and we're good," she was quoted by E! News as saying. "He was so gracious, and I totally understood where he was coming from and he understood me. And I was just so happy we were able to squash it and, like, move on."

The "Jumper" star added that the incident somehow helped because it opened a way for them to reconnect.

"It actually turned out to be a good thing for a reason, because we were able to reconnect and, like, make it better and everything is great," she added.

Bilson said she understood Malek's side and "he knew I wasn't doing it with any ill intention."

She admitted that she was also surprised when the story blew up. She didn't expect many outlets to pick it up until she received a CNN link from a friend covering the story.

"I was so mortified though. Like, I was having a panic attack," she continued. "I had to go to therapy that day, and I was like, ‘I am having anxiety. I did not want this to resurface in this way. I feel so bad. Oh my god. Rami is going to think I'm doing this again.'"

Bilson and Malek both attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. According to her, they were close, so she told Dax Shepard and Monica Padman when she appeared in the "Armchair Expert" podcast that she didn't expect his reaction when she shared the snap.

"Rami was a good friend of mine," she told the hosts. "We were [in] the same crew. We did the Crucible together senior year, we were the leads in it together—all these things."

Speaking about the picture, Bilson said they looked super nerdy in the shot and it was their "dorkiest picture." However, she still shared it because she found it funny and she thought, "It's so important to be able to make fun of yourself."