Actress Mischa Barton claims she faced bullying on the set of the popular show "The O.C".

"It's a bit complicated. It started pretty early on because it had a lot to do with them adding Rachel (Bilson) in last minute as, after the first season, a series regular and evening out everybody's pay -- and sort of general bullying from some of the men on set," Barton said, according to a report in femalefirst.co.uk.

She added: "But, you know, I also loved the show and had to build up my own walls and ways of getting around dealing with that and the fame that was thrust specifically at me. Just dealing with like the amount of invasion I was having in my personal life, I just felt very unprotected, I guess is the best way to put it."

Barton felt "ashamed" before now about talking about what happened.

"I've always felt ashamed in a way to really talk about what went on behind the scenes because I've always been a very private person and very aware of people's feelings," she said.

The actress added while speaking to E! News: "Now that we're living in this era where we do speak out about our experiences and women do come clean about what was really going on behind the scenes and how they were treated, it's a slightly different thing."

Mischa insists leaving the show after the third season was the "best thing" for her and her health.

She said: "I was getting offers from big films at the time and having to turn them down. I had always been supporting in The Sixth Sense and any of those things."

Barton said that her dream was to be offered those lead roles, so that's what happened.

"It just felt like it was the best thing for me and my health and just in terms of not really feeling protected by my cast and crew at that point," she added.