Eric Braeden, the 81-year-old star of the long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless, took to Twitter to express his displeasure with recent comments made by actress Eva Longoria about daytime television actors.
In an interview with journalist Chris Wallace that aired on Sunday, Longoria reflected on her time as Isabella Brana on the CBS soap opera, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Longoria said she was still working her day job as a headhunter during her stint on the show and would sometimes be embarrassed to tell her clients that she was an actress.
Braeden responded to the comments in a series of tweets, calling Longoria’s remarks derogatory and claiming she was “very lucky” to get on the show. He said that daytime actresses would “run rings around” Longoria and that it showed a “complete lack of class” to denigrate the medium. Braeden also noted that many actors, including Robert De Niro, have gotten their start in daytime television.
EVA LONGORIA: you just made derogatory remarks about daytime actors! You simply weren’t good enough to survive the pressures of this medium! You were very lucky to get on that “housewife” show! You did one show in 8-12 days, with mediocre but salacious dialogue! Our actresses
— Eric Braeden (@EBraeden) March 19, 2023
Would run rings around you!! And they did then!! From Robert di Nero to whoever they all are, many of them started in the medium you denigrate! It shows a complete lack of class!!
— Eric Braeden (@EBraeden) March 19, 2023
The tweets sparked a debate among fans, with some defending Longoria and others agreeing with Braeden. The actor responded to the comments, saying that the “tenor” of the segment was one of embarrassment and that he was “pissed off” when people who have not made it on daytime television make “pejorative” comments about it.
Braeden has been on The Young and the Restless since 1980 and has won an Emmy for his role as Victor Newman. He has also appeared in numerous other television shows, films, and theater productions. Longoria is best known for her role as Gabrielle Solis on the television show Desperate Housewives. She has also branched out into directing, producing, and writing.
If… this is what made him so angry… I… #YR #EvaLongoria #ChrisWallace pic.twitter.com/wIblHvhRlS
— Johnathon (@soapwikijohn) March 20, 2023
