Tara Reid slurs speech in TV interview, cuts press tour short

It’s not Tara Reid’s role in the sixth Sharknado film that’s causing a stir online, it’s the way she appeared during a live appearance on the Australian talk show Today Extra. During the interview on Friday, August 17, the 42-year-old slurred her words and squinted at the camera.

Following the interview, the American Pie alum canceled her other scheduled media appearances She later posted Instagram videos from an airport as she prepared to leave New York City.

“She had to cut her press tour short due to back pain she’s been suffering from lately,” her rep tells Us Weekly.

Nevertheless, Twitter users called out the actress over the awkward interview. “You were out of it,” one wrote. “Please take care of yourself! Don’t be a statistic!”

“It was horrendous,” another Twitter user said of the interview. “Please take care of yourself, girl!”

Meanwhile, an Us Weekly source recalls seeing Reid “doubled over in pain because of her back” while backstage at The Wendy Williams Show a few years ago. “She was crying hysterically and standing in weird positions to try to alleviate the pain,” the source says. “It seemed like she took pain pills shortly after, as she calmed down and was able to go on with the interview. [Sharknado costar] Ian Ziering was also there and seemed like he had seen her behave like that before.”

The actress, who entered rehab for undisclosed reasons in 2008, is also known for her roles in the films The Big Lebowski and Josie and the Pussycats and for her appearances in the reality shows Celebrity Big Brother and Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars.