It’s been ten years since Lauren Conrad, the quintessential Southern California girl we first encountered on Laguna Beach, made her way to Los Angeles to pursue a career in fashion — finding lots and lots of drama along the way — while starring on The Hills.
The Hills was a pivotal show in reality television history, paving the way for Keeping Up with the Kardashians and the Real Housewives franchise. But beyond that, The Hills was ultimately a story about LC, the golden girl next door — her friendships, frenemies, loves and heartbreaks. Now, a decade later, MTV caught up with Conrad for an anniversary special, where she proceeded to spill some juicy behind-the-scenes secrets from the show.
Even Kim Kardashian wanted to be a part of The Hills: Kim Kardashian West might be the biggest reality star in the world, but at the height of the show’s popularity in 2007, she was just Brody Jenner’s stepsister. She even made an appearance at Spencer and Heidi’s housewarming party during Season 3, discussing jellyfish and the MTV Video Music Awards. Unfortunately, this riveting footage was left on the cutting-room floor.
The entire Brody-LC relationship was fabricated: Speaking of Brody Jenner, apparently their entire relationship was a lie. While Conrad admitted to having a crush on Jenner, she maintains, “He was my friend, but it always just felt forced” and even added that they “had zero chemistry.” In an unaired clip revealed last night, after Jenner and Conrad share a romantic moment, LC tells the camera, “Can we please be done? This is the most awkward thing ever.”
Lauren’s problems with Jason Wahler had less to do with emotional drama than substance abuse: Any true fan of the show knows that bad boy and fellow Laguna Beach vet Jason Wahler was the source of much of the early drama on the show (Case in point: he’s the reason why LC chooses to turn down going to Paris with Teen Vogue for the summer, leading to her subsequently being referred to as “the girl who didn’t go to Paris.”) In the special, Conrad reveals that their emotional post-breakup scene when she returns his golf clubs was less about actual heartbreak and more with the fact that Wahler was apparently drunk at 10 in the morning. The demise of their relationship was sparked in part by Wahler’s substance abuse issues and as Conrad notes, “what made it harder was that I could see he wasn’t sober.”
LC’s husband William Tell has never seen The Hills: Apparently, Lauren’s hubby William Tell has never watched a full episode of her career-launching reality TV show and they would both like to keep it that way.
The frenemy situation with Heidi Montag were actually real: LC and Heidi were the best of friends until Spencer Pratt came into their lives, bringing with him the drama (and lifeblood) of the show. Conrad maintains that her tumultuous relationship with Heidi was one of the few true things on the show: “Heidi really was my best friend.” As for Heidi and Spencer, both had plenty to say about the special last night and didn’t hesitate to share.
In a live blog for Broadly, Heidi weighed in: “The end of our friendship was so sad. Lauren was my best friend. I would never try to hurt her. I loved her, and I always will. Unfortunately, it is what it is, and we both have to move on.” Spencer, however, was a little less diplomatic with his response about the special.
I would actually rather go buy something from Kohl's than watch #TheHills special
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) August 2, 2016
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