The high-profile gathering arrived on the heels of a playful public back-and-forth sparked by Greenfield. During a July appearance on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, the actor claimed that a series revival was underway and that he had read amazing scripts written by show creator Liz Meriwether. Meriwether quickly refuted the claims on Instagram, stating that no such scripts existed and jokingly listing outlandish script changes requested by the cast, while Variety later confirmed with the creator that no revival is currently in development as she focuses on other projects, including adapting Britney Spears’ memoir.
A Charitable Night Out and Good-Natured Ribbing
At the Chrysalis event, where Greenfield served as the evening’s host, the actor’s viral misstep became the central running joke among the cast. Accepting the award alongside his co-stars, Deschanel quipped, “We especially would like to thank Max, who while organizing this announced that an actual New Girl reunion was happening and he made our lives so very annoying.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, Greenfield admitted on the red carpet that he had organized the group’s appearance via their text chat and simply misread an email subject line that read “New Girl reunion.”
“Now is probably not the most appropriate time to apologize for this, but yes, that’s something that happened and I am sorry,” Greenfield told the audience during the gala. “It did, however, bring a lot of attention to Chrysalis and what we are doing here tonight, accidentally.” The annual Butterfly Ball supports Chrysalis, a Southern California nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals overcome employment barriers and secure meaningful work.
Behind the Viral Mix-Up
Johnson leaned into the humor during interviews at the gala, noting that he and Morris frequently engage in playful banter in the media. According to Variety, Johnson explained that Greenfield simply misread the situation, joking that his co-star might have confused the project with Meriwether’s newer series Furious. Despite the lack of an actual television comeback, the impromptu cast reunion underscored the lasting camaraderie among the ensemble seven years after the Fox comedy concluded its seven-season run in 2018.
The evening also recognized broader philanthropic efforts in the Los Angeles community. Banc of California chairman and CEO Jared Wolff was honored with the Corporate Trailblazer Award, while former Chrysalis participant and current Caltrans employee Guadalupe Rios received the John Dillon Award, highlighting the organization’s ongoing impact across Southern California.
Reporting source: hollywoodreporter.com.