Mischa Barton Admits to Romance

Mischa Barton revealed on Wednesday’s (February 21st) episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast that she and Ben McKenzie dated in real life while starring on The OC. The pair played each other’s love interests on the show in the early aughts.

“I went into that a virgin, a kid, really, feeling like I needed to grow up quickly,” she said. Barton explained that her costars were older than her and she felt the need to “catch up.” She added, “I was always a really late bloomer in school and I hadn’t really dated.”

The Sixth Sense actor shared that she and McKenzie got involved early on in filming. “It definitely was tricky that it happened like right out of the gate and that I felt overwhelmed and not ready for any of that,” she said. “I remember they were like, ‘Mischa’s disappeared with Ben and she’s only 17 and a half, 18,’ and the producers went to my parents and were like… it was kind of a whole ordeal.” McKenzie was 25 at the time.

Barton shared that she eventually ended the relationship because it felt “overwhelming and too close to home.”