Liza Minnelli Reportedly Had A Nervous Breakdown Before Filming Throat Drop Commercial

Liza Minnelli might be Hollywood royalty, but does that make her a diva?

Page Six reports that Minnelli was signed to do the Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops ad that aired during the Golden Globes, but that producers had to call on Martha Stewart instead when Minnelli refused to show up for filming.

Rider McDowell, who owns Pine Brothers with his wife, told Business Insider, “We reached out to Martha ... after our first actress had a nervous breakdown the morning of the shoot,” but he declined to say the name of the originally signed actress.

A source tells Page Six that on the morning of the shoot, Minnelli refused to leave her apartment, which was only a few blocks away from the filming location, claiming that the commercial was "too much pressure."

The New York Post also reports that Minnelli had made an extensive list of demands for the commercial set, which included black Egyptian cotton towels, silver trays and $400 coffee service. Minnelli's rep Scott Gorenstein disputed these claims, saying that Minnelli never asks for more than a Coca-Cola and Gatorade when on set. He says that while Minnelli had been in discussions with Pine Brothers over the commercial, they could not agree on a script and parted ways at an early stage in its development.

Business Insider reports that Stewart was Pine Brothers' first choice to be their sponsor, but they did not initially approach her, thinking she would not want to endorse a product that was not attached to her name.