‘Mad Men’ Star January Jones’ Biggest Fear For Her Character Betty Draper Almost Came True

In 2007, the AMC show Mad Men captivated fans with its gripping storyline and intense characters like Jon Hamm’s Don Draper. While fans quickly fell in love with the questionable character, there were some others that viewers were not extremely fond of. One of those was January Jones’ Betty Draper. Although she was a stunning and dotting housewife, the character came with her own set of problems.

January Jones as Betty Draper in Mad Men | Credits: AMC

In fact, even the actress, Jones, was skeptical about how audiences would view the elegant yet troubled housewife. After all, with her battles with depression, strained relationships, and eventually a terminal illness, the star’s biggest concern almost became a reality.

January Jones reveals her biggest fear for Betty Draper

Betty Draper, played by January Jones in Mad Men, is a complex character who embodies the struggles of the 1960s suburban housewife. Although at first glance, she seems like the perfect image of grace and beauty, living in a picture-perfect home. However, just beneath her polished exterior, the character grapples with a lot of emotional turmoil. To some fans, her character has come off as cold, detached, and emotionally unfulfilled, which caused the actress some concern, according to The New York Times.

January Jones in Mad Men | Credits: AMC

That was the fear for me, that we’d be in the third season, and you’d hate the character.

Jones gave some insight into her character, stating, “She is really searching for something, but doesn’t know herself well enough to know what might make her happy.” Betty Draper did not get the same hate as Anna Gunn’s Skyler White or even Lena Headey’s Cersei Lannister. However, a few select moments from the show left fans not liking the actress’ character or the things she did.

After all, right from the first season of the show, Jones’ character had some questionable moments that left fans scratching their heads.

Betty Draper’s questionable behavior

The television series, Mad Men, was filled to the brim with some rather scandalous behavior. With Don Draper’s numerous affairs and hidden past, fans expected the lead to be the worst of the lot. However, that was far from the actual case. In fact, it was January Jones’ Betty Draper that ended up being the most controversial.

January Jones in Mad Men | Credits: AMC

After all, with the character fat-shaming her young daughter, Sally, and cutting off a lock of her hair for a 9-year-old boy, she came off a little unhinged. While all of that happened in just the first season, her behavior only got more out of pocket as the seasons progressed. In fact, Betty’s treatment of her children, like locking Sally in a closet and letting her daughter smoke, ended up being a major problem for many viewers.

Some even went so far as to call the character irresponsible, immature, and even childish. However, things took a darker turn once Don and Betty had officially split up. Apart from physically abusing her daughter, Jones’ character went out of her way to try and ruin her ex-husband’s second marriage to Megan, played by Jessica Paré. Unfortunately for her, her plan never came to fruition.

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