Alyssa Milano, Debby Ryan defend ‘Insatiable’ against critics

Alyssa Milano and Debby Ryan attend Netflix's "Insatiable" Premiere And After Party on August 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Netflix)

Alyssa Milano and Debby Ryan aren’t afraid of some controversy. The actresses new Netflix show, "Insatiable," stirred up some controversy with its trailer, prompting some critics to accuse the series of fat shaming and cruelty.

ET’s Leanne Aguilera caught up with the co-stars at the Hollywood premiere of the new show, which follows Ryan’s character Patty, who was fat shamed in high school before losing a drastic amount of weight over one summer.

Both Ryan and Milano are standing behind the series, which premieres on Friday.

Debby Ryan attends Netflix's "Insatiable" Premiere And After Party on August 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Netflix)

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“I think we hear and see and acknowledge some of the backlash. I think for us, I know that the show that I signed on for -- and I’m very proud of what we’ve done -- and it makes me really happy that people are seeing it,” former Disney star Ryan, 25, tells ET.

Milano, 45, an outspoken activist, also defended the series, noting, “I think that people bring with them their own emotional history, and I think that's what makes art amazing and what makes TV entertaining. I'm completely aware that it's not a show for everybody, but we're really proud of what we did. And I think that people, at the very least, it will be a conversation starter. Thematically throughout the season people will look at it and be able to really pinpoint all of the issues that we deal with and have a conversation about them.”

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Ryan added that though there has been some backlash, she’s also noticed a widely positive response from early fans of the series.

“While I’m totally aware of it, there’s so much overwhelmingly positive excitement and people being like, ‘Literally me’ and relating and being so hyped and planning parities and themed things and making memes and it’s cool to see that,” she adds. “It’s already part of the culture and conversation.”

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