Jenny McCarthy is hitting back against rumors that she told her cousin Melissa McCarthy that she'd have to lose weight in order to be a successful actress.
In an interview with People magazine over the weekend, the 41-year-old co-host of "The View" dispelled reports of a family feud between herself and her 43-year-old Oscar-nominated cousin.
"There is a crazy story going around that I once told my cousin, Melissa, that she would have to lose weight in order to get into show business," Jenny McCarthy told the magazine. "Nothing could be further from the truth."
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In fact, it was Jenny McCarthy who helped Melissa McCarthy get her start.
"When she was starting out, I was fortunate enough to be in a position to get her a job on a show I was doing, to learn the ropes and get some experience on a TV set in front of the camera and behind the scenes," the former Playmate said.
The rumors of a family feud were
reignited by a recent National Enquirer story.
"Jenny feels she helped Melissa get a leg up in the business, but now that Melissa's career is skyrocketing, Jenny feels [Melissa] doesn't have time for her," a source told the tabloid.
The Enquirer source also made mention of the alleged weight comment.
"That really hurt Melissa, and now she's having the last laugh," the source said. "She's proving you don't need to be a size two with fake boobs to make it."
Jenny McCarthy announced earlier this month that she will be leaving "The View" at the end of the current season along with fellow co-host Sherri Shepherd. McCarthy had previously complained on Howard Stern's radio show that she felt she could not be herself on the ABC program.
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