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Nick Nolte Just Revealed the Cause of Bitter Feud With '90s Co-Star Julia Roberts

"I mean it was absurd what we went through," the actor said in a new interview.

Their movie didn't leave much of a legacy, but their feud sure did. In 1994, Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte starred in the panned romantic comedy I Love Trouble as rival newspaper reporters, who end up joining forces to investigate a story. Despite the leads being big stars at the time, the movie wasn't a success. And amid I Love Trouble premiering to negative reviews, there were reports of personal issues between Roberts and Nolte on set. The actors also exchanged harsh words in the press, leading to a lot of discussion about what had gone so wrong between them.

Now, in a new interview, Nolte has commented on the feud nearly 30 years later. Read on to find out what he thinks caused it and who he believes bears the blame.

READ THIS NEXT: The Worst Julia Roberts Movie of All Time, According to Critics.

Roberts called Nolte "disgusting."

Julia Roberts at a press conference for "The Pelican Brief" n 1993
Jeffrey Markowitz/Sygma via Getty Images

In 1993, Roberts was interviewed by The New York Times during the filming of I Love Trouble. Her review of her male lead was mixed, to say the least.

"From the moment I met him we sort of gave each other a hard time, and naturally we get on each other's nerves," Robert said. She explained that Nolte could be "completely charming and very nice," but added, "He's also completely disgusting. He's going to hate me for saying this, but he seems to go out of his way to repel people. He's a kick."

Nolte shot back.

Nick Nolte at a screening of "Blue Chips" in 1994
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Nolte responded to Roberts' words in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "It's not nice to call someone 'disgusting,'" he said (via The Independent). "But she's not a nice person. Everyone knows that."

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They reportedly clashed on set, which didn't benefit their on-screen romance.

Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts in "I Love Trouble"
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Soon after I Love Trouble premiered, the Los Angeles Times reported that Nolte and Roberts' lack of chemistry in the film could be due to their dislike for one another in real life. This was apparently evident to people working on the movie.

According to the newspaper, sources claimed that "tempers flared early on [during filming], peppered with a few Roberts tantrums along the way." Reportedly, Roberts "wasn't thrilled with Nolte's machismo, so she would deride and insult her co-star." Meanwhile, "he became so annoyed with her attitude that he would do things to agitate her even more."

Nolte recently explained what he thinks happened between them.

Nick Nolte at the premiere of "Angel Has Fallen" in 2019
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock

In a new interview, Insider asked Nolte if he had thought of reaching out to Roberts to bury the hatchet at some point.

"No, I haven't," the 81-year-old actor responded. "Though it's buried. I mean it was absurd what we went through."

Nolte went on to address who deserves the blame for their feud, saying, ""It was partly my fault and a little bit of hers." He also said that Roberts' marriage to musician Lyle Lovett in June 1993 had something to do with the tension between them.

"Julia got married at the beginning of that film and it was one of those things where I just approached it all wrong," Nolte explained.

Lia Beck
Lia Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more. Read more
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