Sarah Jessica Parker on effect years of unsubstantiated rumours of feud with Kim Cattrall had on her

'I take very seriously my reputation. I work very hard and I treat people well and I have a work ethic that is very meaningful to me '

Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall have been dogged by rumours of a feud for years

Sarah Jessica Parker must take a deep breath ahead of every interview, steeling herself for the one question that is guaranteed to arise.

But after being asked about years of spurious rumours of in-fighting between her and Kim Cattrall yet again during a radio show this week, for once, she didn’t hold back.

Four female protagonists working in close quarters for an extended period of time on Sex and the City gave tabloids plenty of scope to churn out material. But the focus often fell on the relationship between Parker and Cattrall, morphing into rumours so persistent they continued to plague both years after the HBO series drew to a close in 2004.

After trying to manage unsubstantiated claims with dignified silences or curt responses, the actress relayed the overwhelming frustration they caused her during a recent appearance on the Howard Stern show.

“It used to really confound me and really upset me," she said. "We were part of a family of sopranos and no-one was questioning the relationships of the men on the show [or asking], did you hang out with each other at the weekend? Did you give each other Christmas presents?

Nixon (right) with (from left) Willie Garson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristian Davis and Kim Cattrall in the third season of HBO comedy ‘Sex and the City’ (Getty Images)

“These were my sisters. These were people that I grew to love and admire. And was every day perfect? Were people always desperately, hopelessly in love with each other? No, but this is a family of people who needed each other, relied on each other, and loved each other. And this sort of narrative, this ongoing cat fight, it really used to upset me for a very long time.”

The futility of trying to deny rumours of a rift between the co-stars was something that quickly became apparent. But instead of dismissing the column inches which continued to mount in gossip magazines, Parker said she became increasingly upset at how rumours would circulate more rapidly the more fiercely they denied them.

She was particularly affronted by the way these suggestions shaped the perception of her.

“I take very seriously my reputation. I work very hard and I treat people well and I have a work ethic that is very meaningful to me and it’s based on the affection I feel for the people I get to work with.

“To suggest that I’m behaving poorly or not treating someone well? It’s not even like it’s not me. It’s so anathema that it would drive me bananas.

“We were together so much and it just didn’t matter. Whoever was writing about it just didn’t want to believe it.”