Bethany Joy Lenz Faces Fan Backlash Over Videos: ‘I Feel Played’

Heavy/Getty Bethany Joy Lenz is facing fan backlash over her "One Tree Hill" videos

As buzz about the just-announced reboot of 20-year-old teen drama “One Tree Hill” reaches a fever pitch among fans, Hallmark Channel star Bethany Joy Lenz — who played one of the series’ main characters, Haley James Scott — is facing backlash over two social media videos she posted on September 4, 2024.

Early in the day, Lenz, 43, shared an outdoor selfie video that started with her coyly saying, “Ooooh, we’ve got a lot of ‘One Tree Hill’ energy happening around here. Hmm. Well, I have two pieces of pretty exciting news for you guys.”

The first tidbit was a reminder that her book, “Dinner For Vampires,” will be released on October 22 and is about the decade she spent in a cult while also filming “One Tree Hill,” and is available for pre-sale.

Lenz then teased that her “next piece of news is coming up momentarily,” but didn’t post another video for several hours. Fans flooded her comment section, eager for the update and hoping that she was about to announce that she’ll be in the “One Tree Hill” reboot.

When the “Savoring Paris” star did share her next video, she teased a reunion with her “One Tree Hill” co-star James Lafferty, who played her boyfriend-turned-husband Nathan on the show. But the “Naley” reunion Lenz announced was an interview with him in her subscription newspaper, Modern Vintage News, and not on the upcoming reboot.

Fans Accuse Bethany Joy Lenz of Misleading Them in Video

In her second video, Lenz — who co-hosts the “Drama Queens” re-watch podcast she started with  “One Tree Hill” co-stars Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton — shared that while writing her book, she realized “just how much I missed my ‘One Tree Hill’ family, just the day to day life with everybody.”

Adding to the suspense about her announcement, Lenz continued, “You know, I get to see everybody at conventions and, obviously, there’s the ‘Drama Queen’ podcast, but I haven’t seen James Lafferty in so long. Like, I miss that boy. We saw each other every day for 10 years. And it’s been a minute.”

“So, I know you guys are all clamoring a little for Naley to be back together,” she laughed. “So, your wish is granted! Naley is back together — for a brief moment in time.”

Lenz then explained that Lafferty had agreed to do an exclusive interview with her for the September issue of Modern Vintage News, which has already shipped to subscribers. Though it’s a print interview, the newspaper’s Instagram account explained that those who subscribe by “September 8 at 6PM” will be emailed an immediate link to the full video of their interview.

While some fans were pleased with any kind of reunion between Lenz and Lafferty, the majority were up in arms after waiting hours for her second bit of news, fully expecting the actress would announce her official involvement in the “One Tree Hill” reboot, which Bush and Burton are already committed to starring in. The backlash from fans was quick, including multiple people who called Lenz’s video “cruel.”

One disappointed fan wrote, “See now I feel played with and I don’t appreciate it” while another lamented, “This is not the news I was waiting 6 hours (and 20 years for) 😭😭💔”

“i get it 100% if the reboot isn’t something you want to do or want to be a part of,” someone else commented. “But these kind of games and jerking people around who have been fans of you for 20+ years just isn’t cool. 😔”

“I was almost screaming,” another fan wrote, “until you said Naley is back for AN INTERVIEW😅😭😂💔”

Lenz has not addressed the backlash, but some fans stuck up for her, saying they were happy for any kind of “Naley” reunion, including one who wrote, “Aww thank you so much, Joy. This was such a nice surprise. It has made my Naley heart so happy. It’s great that after all these you still get to share your passion projects with each other and us fans. 💜❤️‍🔥👩🏼‍🦱🧔🏻‍♂️”

Fans Also Urged Bethany Joy Lenz to Make Hallmark Movie With James Lafferty

The “One Tree Hill” reboot was first reported by Deadline and confirmed by Variety on August 30, with Bush and Burton set to star in and executive produce the project for Netflix. Danneel Ackles, who was on the show from 2005 to 2009 and will likely reprise her role, per Deadline, is also executive producing with her husband, actor Jensen Ackles.

In separate social media posts later that day, Bush and Burton shared the same message for fans, writing, “What if you really can go back home? If there’s an opportunity to team with brilliant creatives and build a space where all our friends can show off their talents? Own our history? Reclaim our turf? Honor our fans? Sign us up.”

The news put “One Tree Hill” fans in a frenzy, clamoring for details on which other cast members will return for the reboot, with Lenz frequently mentioned as a must-get. Deadline reported that alum Chad Michael Murray has already nixed the project, but many others have expressed interest — including Hallmark actors Robert Buckley and Bryan Greenberg.

Multiple fans responding to Lenz’s videos also requested that she and Lafferty, who currently stars on  reunite in a Hallmark movie, an idea she first mentioned to TV Insider in June.

“I think me and James doing a movie would probably be a super winner, but we’d have to find exactly the right one because that’s a big deal,” she told the outlet. “It’s got to be a really good one. He’s doing so well. He’s got his show, ‘Everyone Is Doing Great,’ and it’s brilliant. He’s just doing so well that I think it would be fun all these years later to do something together. We’ll see.”