MTV's Laguna Beach and its spin-off The Hills were among a handful of hit reality shows from the early aughts that ended up defining the format and some of culture as a result. The relationship dynamics, career choices and intense personalities were (and continue to be) juicy, borderline-soap opera television. But, for Lo Bosworth, one of the shows’ original stars, this reality TV legacy is still “uncomfortable” for her to think about nowadays.
Lo Bosworth wasn't as controversial as some of her former castmates, like Kristin Cavallari, or Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag. She was on Laguna Beach from 2004 to 2005 and then on The Hills from 2007 to 2010, but for the most part, she maintained the good girl next door role who simply gossiped with and advised her close friends. Yet many still associate her name with being Lauren Conrad's best friend on MTV. Bosworth recently discussed why she wishes that wasn't the case on the Unzipped podcast:
I would be totally happy and content if nobody on this earth knew who I was and I could just do what I wanted every day and was just successful that way. All of this stuff, still to this day, makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Probably it comes back to just being young, being on television for the first time, being at college, kids making fun of you. I think that initial trauma has like never really left and I'm like oh, I would prefer to just be an anonymous person that's doing all these things. But I opened Pandora's box. I can never close it again.
The Laguna Beach producers asked Lo Bosworth when she was just 17 years old to be on the MTV show. So, it's understandable that reflecting back on that time is kind of uncomfortable for her. (Personally, I couldn’t imagine having to relive even just one of my high school dramas on such a huge public scale.) It’s even more awkward because, apparently, the storylines were mostly fake. It did end up proving beneficial for Bosworth in the long run, as she was able to parlay her fanbase into her successful Love Wellness brand.
However, Lo Bosworth left The Hills more than 10 years ago and seemingly never looked back (she has never been on a show, reality or otherwise, since then). She said she feels “more fulfillment” by living her life on her “own terms.” When asked about her old co-stars returning for The Hills: New Beginnings revival, which is airing Season 2 currently, Bosworth had a little reality TV shade still left in her. She said,
It's interesting to me to see the people who have chosen to continue to participate in The Hills. I'm like, wow, you guys are really leaning in! You're really leaning into your TV persona for whatever reason, for a paycheck, for attention, fame, whatever it is that you need that fulfills you.
The comment seems rather pointed at a few choice individuals, perhaps one who is still rehashing her Lauren Conrad friendship demise. As for Lo Bosworth, she said she was “not interested” in being edited into a storyline again, and that the whole concept is “so weird.”
The Hills revival still has the old magic touch of drama. Who knows if they will get a third season, but fans shouldn't hold their breath for a Lo Bosworth appearance, it seems.
