Lucy Hale has explained why she recreated a moment from Pretty Little Liars with her former costar Ian Harding. Their reunion sparked criticism over the controversial on-screen romance between their characters, Aria and Ezra.
However, the actress clarified that the video was meant to celebrate their nearly 20-year friendship. She also acknowledged the scrutiny surrounding Aria and Ezra’s relationship, which depicted a romance between a teenager and her high school teacher.
Lucy Hale addresses Aria and Ezra’s controversial Pretty Little Liars romance after Ian Harding reunion
On Saturday, October 24, Hale shared an Instagram video in which she and Harding recreated a familiar pose from Pretty Little Liars. She captioned it, “A little older and wiser but the same two idiots!” while promoting their upcoming holiday film, The Twelve Dates of Christmas.
However, the post drew criticism because Ezra was Aria’s high school English teacher when they met. The fictional couple’s romance has faced criticism for romanticizing an inappropriate teacher-student relationship, including after the series ended in 2017.
Addressing the backlash in an Instagram video on Sunday, October 25, Hale acknowledged the criticism while explaining her intentions. “It’s very obvious that Aria and Ezra is problematic and it did not age well,” she said. “It can also be true that Ian and I were teenagers when we were doing that show and we were quick friends and we have known each other, like, almost 20 years.”
She added that the reunion was about their friendship, “not glamorizing anything.”
Hale previously discussed the storyline during a June 2025 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She admitted that the romance might not be portrayed the same way if the show were made today. Although she expressed no regrets about portraying the fictional romance, she acknowledged that her perspective had changed over time. She explained that she now considers the broader messages conveyed by the roles she accepts.
Harding also acknowledged the relationship’s problematic nature, describing it as “wildly inappropriate” during his interview with the publication. However, he defended the creative distinction between depicting a relationship and endorsing it.
Harding said, “Just because you depict something on TV doesn’t mean you condone the behavior.” He described the romance as “purposely taboo” and added that he did not deeply regret the storyline. He emphasized that the relationship was fictional and part of a thriller that explored both romance and darker themes.
