I wasn’t thrilled with what she said, but honestly, considering how mainstream she and Lifetime are, I’m glad it wasn’t even worse. This isn’t an indie film company with an edgy social/political agenda of any sort. I didn’t have especially high hopes for her having a super-enlightened or educated view of sex workers—at least she avoids saying anything explicitly insulting.

Is anyone else bothered by the way Jen Love Hewitt has been talking about sex work?
“Do you think this is a role you would have taken if it was on a cable network, like something like, “Secret Diary of a Call Girl”?
I mean, I can’t say, but I definitely would have been more nervous about it for sure. There would have had to be definite deeper conversations and more restrictions in regards to what I was willing to do and not do if it somewhere else, if it was a male-driven network or really any other place. But because it was Lifetime — and they’ve inspired and empowered females for so long and only want to continue to do that — I do feel like I’m doing this in the safest place possible.”
“The movie was based on some real events that took place in Texas, where you’re from. Had you known about them or do any research?
It’s sort of loosely based on a lot of different things that we sort of compiled together. So I didn’t really dig too deep into that. I kind of wanted to create my own thing. And research-wise, being from Texas and growing up in a house with a single Texas mom, who did everything for her children to make sure that we were happy and safe and taken care of, I’ve kind of been researching that for my whole life. And the other stuff I just didn’t really want to do research on. I was like, “Nah, that’s okay.” [Laughs.] Some things can just be acting.”