Courteney Cox knows about her appearance in Prince Harry‘s memoir, Spare.
The 58-year-old actress, who is mentioned in the book, spoke about the Duke of Sussex’s book for the first time in a new interview with Variety, published Monday. Cox confirmed that Harry, 38, spontaneously stayed at her home when he visited Los Angeles a few years ago, adding that she “definitely” wasn’t distributing the magic mushrooms Harry said he took during a party at her place.
“He did stay here for a couple of days — probably two or three. He’s a really nice person,” Cox told Variety. The Scream star also said she recently saw Prince Harry at a birthday party but didn’t get the chance to say hello.
Cox admitted that while she hasn’t yet read Spare, she’s heard about Harry’s recollection of taking psychedelics at her house.
“I haven’t read the book. I do want to hear it, because I’ve heard it’s really entertaining. But yes, it’s gotten back to me about it,” she said, referencing the much-discussed passage. “I’m not saying there were mushrooms! I definitely wasn’t passing them out.”
In his bestselling book, published Jan. 10, Prince Harry revealed that he is a “Friends fanatic” and took comfort in the hit NBC sitcom while navigating panic attacks after completing his second tour of Afghanistan a decade ago. Harry wrote in Spare that he became anxious around crowds and cameras after returning to London, so he started staying home.
“Day after day, night after night, I sat around eating takeaway, watching 24. Or Friends. I think I might’ve watched every episode of Friends in 2013. I decided I was a Chandler,” he said.
While visiting the U.S. two years later, the Duke of Sussex said it was surreal not only to attend a party at Cox’s home but also to meet the Friends star herself. Prince Harry and two friends traveled to L.A. in January 2016, where they spent a few days party-hopping — and spent time at Cox’s house.
“We went from the home of [my friend] Thomas’ girlfriend to the home of Courteney Cox. She was a friend of Thomas’ girlfriend, and had more room. Also, she was traveling, on a job, and didn’t mind if we crashed at her place,” Harry wrote. “No complaints from me. As a Friends fanatic, the idea of crashing at Monica’s was highly appealing. And amusing. But then… Courteney turned up. I was very confused. Was her job canceled? I didn’t think it was my place to ask. More: Does this mean we have to leave?”
“She smiled. Of course not Harry. Plenty of room,” he recalled. “Great. But I was still confused because… she was Monica. And I was a Chandler. I wondered if I’d ever work up the courage to tell her. Was there enough tequila in California to get me that brave?”
According to Harry, Cox invited a few more people over, and another party began. King Charles III’s son said he was delighted to meet the actor from the “Batman LEGO movie” — alluding to Will Arnett — who indulged his request to do “the voice,” which cracked him up.
“Then, maybe to get rid of us, he led my mate and me to the fridge, from which he extracted a soft drink. While the door was open, we spotted a huge box of black diamond mushroom chocolates,” Harry wrote. “Somebody behind me said they were for everybody. Help yourself, boys. My mate and I grabbed several, gobbled them, washed them down with tequila.”
Prince Harry and his friend then went outside to sit by a fire pit, where the mushrooms kicked in. Returning indoors a short while later to use the bathroom, Harry said he was spooked when he started seeing monsters.
“Beside the toilet was a round silver bin, the kind with a foot pedal to open the lid. I started at the bin. It started back. What — staring? I stepped on the pedal. A huge open grin,” he wrote. “Now the loo became a head too. The bowl was its gaping me, the hinges of the seat were its piercing silver eyes. It said: Aaah.”
Harry said he left the restroom “giggling,” where he bumped into his pal who he took the mushrooms with. Later, the friend would confide in Harry that he had a similar trip in the bathroom, where his puffer jacket transformed into a “dragon” and freaked him out.
“My delightful trip had been his hell,” Harry wrote in Spare. “How delightful. How interesting. I led him outside gently, and told him it would all be OK.”
Prince Harry and Cox crossed paths again just a few weeks ago. Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Cox were among the guests who witnessed Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi‘s surprise vow renewal on Jan. 31.
The intimate event at DeGeneres and de Rossi’s home was thought to be a 50th birthday party for de Rossi — however, the celebration was actually a vow renewal for the couple, who tied the knot in August 2008. The ceremony was officiated by Kris Jenner, and other guests included Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Carol Burnett, Melissa Etheridge, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom.
ORDER A COPY OF ROB’S NEW BEST SELLING BOOK! Called “America’s Number ONE Gossip Columnist” by The National Enquirer. Rob ‘Naughty But Nice’ Shuter breaks celebrity news every day on his website NaughtyGossip.com where he delivers all the dish about the stars we love in his naughty but nice signature style. You can also catch him co-hosting and breaking celebrity news on Good Day New York, The Today Show, The Talk, Wendy Williams Show, CNN, Extra and Z100’s ‘Elvis Duran.’ Previously, Rob was the Huffington Post’s only celebrity columnist and the former executive editor of OK! Magazine. Rob has also hosted his own Saturday night talk show on Mark Cuban’s channel and his own daily morning show, ‘The Gossip Table,’ on VH1! Breaking some of the biggest entertainment stories, including Jamie Lynn Spears’s pregnancy news, Britney’s first post-meltdown interview, Eva Longoria’s wedding, and baby exclusives for Jessica Alba, Tori Spelling and Mathew McConaughey’s tots, Rob always knows where to find the best scoop. Before Rob was one of the world’s most successful entertainment reporters, he was a publicist working for Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, P. Diddy, Jessica Simpson and Jon Bon Jovi! Now he is bringing all this experience to his new show on I HEART MEDIA in his unique cheeky way, that is always a pinch and never a punch!