Emma Kenney Says 'Shameless' Set Became 'More of a Positive Place' After Emmy Rossum Left

'Shameless' Emma Kenney Says Emmy Rossum's Departure Made Set Fe…

'Sister Wives': Robyn 'Struggles' With Living Monogamously With …

'90 Day Fiancé’: Michael Reveals Affair With Another American Wo…

'Seeking Brother Husband' Showcases Women Seeking Multiple Male …

Inside the ‘NCIS’ Crossover Event With OG, 'Hawaiʻi’ and ‘Los An…

'MILF Manor': First Look at TLC's New Dating Series (Exclusive)

Golden Globes: Why Jamie Lee Curtis Called Out Paul Walter Hause…

Mischa Barton and Rachel Bilson Tear Up Watching Marissa's Death…

Jessica Betts ‘So Proud of’ and ‘Constantly in Awe’ of Wife Niec…

Brad Pitt Reveals Surprising Hobby He Shares With Daughter Shiloh

Steven Spielberg Shares Surprising Secret Behind Ke Huy Quan's C…

'Golden Globes': Janelle James on Sitting Near Brad Pitt and 'Ab…

'Sister Wives' Star Meri Brown Calls Out Media for Misinformatio…

'Abbott Elementary': Gregory's Dad Comes to Town (Exclusive)

Brad Pitt Was the Most Popular Actor at 2023 Golden Globe Awards

Christine Taylor and David Lascher Revisit Their Secret 'Hey Dud…

'The Last Of Us' Showrunner Craig Mazin on Plans After Season 1 …

Tatjana Patitz, Iconic '90s Supermodel, Dead at 56

Golden Globes 2023: All the Must-See Moments!
Emma Kenney doesn't always have the fondest memories or working with her on-screen sister, Emmy Rossum, on the Showtime series Shameless. The 22-year-old actress was a guest on the Call Her Daddy podcast, and got candid about playing Debbie Gallagher to Rossum's Fiona Gallagher.
When asked if she and Rossum had a sisterly relationship in real life, Kenney replied, "One hundred percent in good and bad ways, to be honest."
"We were both so young. I was obviously a lot younger," Kenney expanded on their 13-year age gap. "There were times where she would try to be a good influence and then there were times where she would be blatantly giving me not the best advice. Maybe she was struggling with her own inner problems and taking it out on other people."
Kenney added that she took stock of Rossum and others' actions while growing up on sets, saying it influenced "things I want to carry on in my life and things I do not want to carry on in my life."
The actress added that she "for sure" felt there was a dynamic of pitting Rossum against her.
"I never understood it because I was nine and she was over 10 years older than me. So I was like, 'Why is there a weird competition here when I'm not trying to compete?'" she said. "I don't know if it was other people on set trying to create that or if it was her creating it, but I know I wasn't creating it."
She called Rossum's early exit from the show in 2019 "bittersweet" adding, "It was weird at first, for sure, but the set [was] a little more of a positive place. I'm not going to lie. I remember pre-her leaving, I'd go to set some days and I'd be very anxious about having a scene with her because if she had a bad day, she made it a bad day for everybody."
Despite their differences, Kenney said she has "a lot of love for Emmy."
"I have known her for so long. We haven't spoken in years, but that's OK, I have a lot of love for her," she shared. "I hope she finds her happiness. I heard she had a baby, and that's beautiful. I'm sure she's going to be a lovely mother."
As for people in the cast that Kenney really bonded with, she named Shanola Hampton, who played Veronica Fisher.
"Shanola, she's like a second mom to me, big sister, second mom, whatever it is," she said. "She's always been there for me and was always giving me very good, sound advice."
ET has reached out to reps for Rossum and Showtime about Kenney's claims. Rossum has not publicly addressed her co-star's comments.
While they may have had their differences, in September 2018, Rossum shared a throwback photo with Kenney in honor of her birthday. "Happy birthday, little cupcake. This is one of the first pictures of us together. It’s been a privilege to know you for almost a decade," she wrote. "You are a talented classy strong badass Virgo woman! #virgoseason."
RELATED CONTENT:
Why Emmy Rossum Didn't Return for the Series Finale of 'Shameless'
'Shameless' Fans Say Farewell After Emmy Rossum's Final Episode -- See the Reactions!
'Shameless' Back for Season 10 Without Emmy Rossum, But Everyone Else (Including Cameron Monaghan)