Rachel Bilson reveals Rami Malek reached out after throwback photo drama: 'We’re all good'

She revealed in March that she was "super-bummed" when Rami Malek asked her to take down a photo of him from social media, but Rachel Bilson has confirmed the former high-school friends are now "all good".

The OC actress, who studied at California's Notre Dame High School alongside the Oscar winner, said there is no bad blood between the pair, revealing Malek reached out after the story made headlines.

"Rami and I actually have talked since that came out. He connected with me, and we're all good," Bilson, 39, told the LadyGang podcast on Tuesday.

"He was so sweet and we're totally fine now and we talked about it and we're good."

The incident stems back to 2019, though only became public knowledge last month, after Bilson recounted the situation on Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert.

The actress revealed she had posted a photo of the pair, taken during a school trip to Broadway in New York City, as Malek was on his historic Best Actor winning spree for his role in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Malek, Bilson said, then messaged her privately and asked her to delete the photo.

"I wrote to him a really nice message, like, 'I'm so sorry. Go get the Oscar, you're doing amazing.' And I never hear anything back," she said.

“We were good friends, and I'm a big fan of not taking yourself seriously, especially at that level of fame and talent. But look, he wants to be super-respected, it's his thing, so I respected it."

US-born Malek, whose parents are Egyptian immigrants, made history that year, becoming the first actor of Arab descent to win a Best Actor Oscar.

While the actor has not responded to the incident publicly, Bilson told the LadyGang podcast he was "really gracious" when he reached out after the story went viral.

"I totally understood where he was coming from and he understood me. And I was just so happy we were able to squash it and, like, move on," she said.

The actress added that she was "mortified" the story had gained traction.

"I had to go to therapy that day, and I was like, ‘I am having anxiety. I did not want this to resurface in this way. I feel so bad. Oh my god, Rami is going to think I'm doing this again," she said.

"It actually turned out to be a good thing for a reason, because Malek and I were able to reconnect and, like, make it better and everything is great."

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

SPECS

Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

Polarised public

31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all

Source: YouGov

What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS

Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.

Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.

Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.