Rachel Bilson has clarified what she meant when she described splitting from Bill Hader as "harder than childbirth".

The O.C. actress and Barry star dated between 2019 and mid-2020, having first met on the set of the 2013 movie The To Do List.

During a discussion on her Broad Ideas podcast in June, Rachel reflected on the breakup and revealed that she had a very difficult time in the aftermath.

"I had nothing else to do but sit in it, and deal with it and feel it. It was probably the hardest thing I've ever done?, harder than childbirth," she said.

But after fans questioned exactly what she meant by the statement, Rachel opened up about the topic in more detail as part of a chat for the Call Her Daddy podcast, which was published on Wednesday.

"I said it was during a time where you could not leave your house," she explained, referring to the Covid-19 lockdowns. "You had to sit in whatever it was that you were going through. So, I had to deal with this, I had to deal with being alone and taking care of my kid and everything else."

Rachel went on to note that she battled depression at the time.

"Being isolated and not being able to connect with any humans, not being able to help myself. Like all of these things - that time having to force facing all of your s**t. I said was harder than childbirth," the 41-year-old continued. "Is there anything more painful? F**k no. Maybe kidney stones - definitely a close second. But like, no, I didn't say that. All breakups are hard. Especially when you're in something that you're really into and things happen. You know, things change. There was a pandemic. There were so many things going on. So, it was a hard time."

However, Rachel conceded that the timing of the breakup may have been a "blessing in disguise".

"I was happy I was forced to sit in the pain or the hurt, you know," she added. "All the feelings that came along with it, because I got to get through it."

Rachel shares seven-year-old daughter Briar with ex-partner Hayden Christensen.

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