Hurt by it, Christy Carlson Romano claims Mandy Moore mirrored her Princess Diaries bully

At a Malibu wrap party for The Princess Diaries back in 2000, Christy Carlson Romano says an already awkward hello turned into a full-on cringe. Romano recalls she tagged along after her Even Stevens co-star Ty Hodges invited her to celebrate their friend Erik von Detten, who was in the movie.

Spotting Heather Matarazzo (Lilly in the film ), Romano says she walked up and mentioned they’d worked together on an MTV project in New York before Matarazzo’s breakout. According to Romano, Matarazzo told her she didn’t remember—an ice-cold reply that stung and set the tone.

Then, Romano says, Mandy Moore joined the conversation. Moore, who played queen bee Lana Thomas on screen, allegedly responded with a condescending laugh that left Romano feeling like she’d crashed the wrong party.

“I was so hurt by it. I was like, ‘Mandy’s a mean girl!’ I didn’t know what to make of it, but I did crash that party, man,”

Romano shared the story in an October 2026 appearance on Page Six Radio while promoting her memoir Once Upon a Trainwreck. The encounter, as she tells it, turned a quick re-introduction into a confidence-shaker amid the film’s cast.

Back to Genovia

Separate from the old party drama, Disney said in April 2025 that The Princess Diaries 3 is moving forward, with Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians co-writer, Joy Ride director ) set to direct from a screenplay by Lim and franchise veteran Gina Wendkos.

• Anne Hathaway — returning as Queen Mia Thermopolis
• Hector Elizondo — back as Joe
• Julie Andrews — participation not confirmed; Hathaway has said she pushed hard to get Andrews involved

Plot specifics are under wraps, but Lim has hinted at themes of generational handoff and female leadership that test Mia’s reign. There’s no production start date on the books; industry chatter points to possible filming in 2027 for a potential theatrical release in 2028 or 2029.