Jennifer Love Hewitt Refuses Nudity for 'Client List,' Show's Ratings Soar
Jennifer Love Hewitt's new show, "The Client List" hosts some suggestive themes throughout the series, but the 33-year-old actress revealed that she would never participate in nude scenes for the show.
Jennifer Love Hewitt stars in Lifetime's controversial show "The Client List," a program about a mother working at a massage parlor to support her family. Although the business in the series supports lewd and frowned-upon actions, Hewitt told "Entertainment Tonight" that baring all was never an option.
"That's not something that I feel particularly comfortable with," she admitted. For Hewitt, nudity was never an option to boost ratings- in fact, she feels the lack of it would help to show gain ground.
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"I wouldn't have done nudity," she said. "I also think that it's sexier not to show everything. I feel like imaginations can do way more. So no, it probably would have been a different consideration for me."
Hewitt also had some help paring down the suggestive content in the show. Although her ad for "The Client List" is racy at best, editors managed to digitally alter aspects of Hewitt's body to elicit less negative responses.
"Somebody sent me a copy of the photograph and I was like, Ummm … what happened?'" she told "The Kevin & Bean Show" of Los Angeles' KROQ radio station.
Hewitt's body being toned down appears to be a successful tactic in terms of ratings. 2.8 million viewers tuned in for the show's premiere April 8- second only to the 2007 launch of Lifetime's "Army Wives" show.
However, like many shows, commercials, and movies with overly suggestive content, "The Client List" has sparked controversy. Its crude depiction of massage parlors and day spas, caused a petition, which as of today has 2,753 signatures advocating for the pulling of the show.
The petition, started by Steve Valiquette, a licensed massage therapist, claims that the show "perpetuates the misconception that Massage Therapy includes inappropriate sexual contact" and that it is a "huge step backwards" for the profession.
Hewitt responded to the claims, saying that although she has the "utmost respect" for the profession, but that "it's the reality."
"There really are these places … We're just trying to tell a story and would never ever disrespect any profession intentionally," said the actress.
