If you watched The Suite Life of Zack & Cody growing up, then you know Kim Rhodes played Carey Martin, aka Dylan and Cole Sprouse’s badass onscreen mom.
On Tuesday, Kim appeared on Christy Carlson Romano’s podcast, Vulnerable, to chat about the ups and downs of working on the show.
And one moment that stood out in particular was when Kim recalled a time where “someone with significant power” body shamed Dylan for having a different body type than his brother Cole.
Kim told Christy, “I’m wondering if this is gonna get me in trouble… I think it’ll be okay. I just won’t name names. Someone of significant power came down to the craft service, which is where they have all the tasty food, for those of you who don’t know. And screamed at the number of donuts, and said, ‘No more junk food until he looks like him again.'”
“Because Dylan and Cole had different body types, and in front of everyone, Dylan was body shamed,” she continued.
Furious about the situation, Kim took matters into her own hands. “And I lit into them, I was like, ‘You don’t have the right to say that to a child. You don’t have the right to be writing for children if that is your attitude. Never again do you speak like that. Never.'”
She went on to explain that she doesn’t “know how to advocate,” or even “stick up for [herself] that way,” but in the moment, she knew she was upset.
Several listeners of the pod commented to show their support for Kim:
Earlier this month, Kim appeared on the Back to the Best podcast and also spoke about a time where Dylan refused to make a fat joke that was written about her.
Kim, who was pregnant at the time, recalled “it was in the middle of a chunk of dialogue, so he kept skipping this laugh line and skipping it, and skipping it, and skipping it. Finally, we get in front of the studio audience, and he skips it, and the executive producer screams: ‘Cut!’ He goes: ‘Dylan, say the line.’ [Dylan] goes: ‘I would not disrespect any woman that way, let alone this woman. You write something funny, and I’ll say it.'”
And honestly, as someone who grew up watching this show, it makes my heart so warm to know that they stood up for each other like that. :’)))
You can listen to the full episode here.
