When it comes to reality television, viewers should probably expect some real and some staged moments. When it comes to MTV's The Hills, vet Audrina Partridge has been the latest cast member to pull back the curtain on the OG series. She has claimed the infamous confrontation between her and Kristin Cavallari over her former boyfriend Justin Brescia (a.k.a. Justin Bobby) wasn’t actually what viewers saw on TV. In fact, she shared shocking claims about how far producers went to stage drama between her and Cavallari.
The Hills vet spilled just how manufactured the popular MTV reality show was in her new memoir Choices: To the Hills and Back Again (via People). The television personality alleged that Brescia used the alleged fake relationship with the Very Cavallari star “to keep him in the public eye." Partridge said the moment was fake as she and her former boyfriend weren’t together and she was in a new relationship at the time.
Despite being in a new relationship off-camera, the reality star claimed the show’s producers forced her to continue her on-screen relationship with Brescia. She said that the golden reality moment happened as she prepared to leave a house party, and that she was pushed by The Hills producer to confront her former co-star about the new couple’s showmance. The Hills OG stated:
There really wasn't much for me to say to her. I was finished with Justin and I really didn't care if Kristin and Justin were hanging out — especially because I knew it was just for the show. Still, production was adamant that we get an explosive scene. So adamant, in fact, that they blocked in my car with production vans and wouldn't let me drive away until I fought with her. I was furious! This was way beyond anything they'd done in the past to get the scene they wanted. I literally couldn't leave.
The scenario went beyond the usual drama she was accustomed to, as the producers allegedly kept her from leaving the shooting set. Partridge had enough of the scene, and she reportedly called her lawyer and agent to consult them on how to manage the alleged standstill between her and the producers. While her lawyer spoke with producers, Cavallari reportedly came over to The Hills: New Beginnings alum to coax her into doing the scene so everyone could move on.
Kristin didn't want to wait around anymore, so she was there trying to calm me down enough to just film the scene and get it over with. We laughed about it off-camera, but on-camera, we yelled and glared and made it work. I just wanted to move on, and I felt like Justin was still creating drama for me just so he could remain relevant. It's not like he didn't have a thriving career outside of the show. He still did hair, and his clients included some very well-known names, including Adam Levine. The producers were egging him on and wanted to get that drama however possible. What we wanted really didn't matter.
Given the infamous ending of the original series, Partridge’s claims of a fake fight over a boyfriend wouldn’t be too farfetched. At the time, she was under contract and had an obligation to film the reality show whether she and Brescia were broken up or not. If The Hills vet’s recount is accurate to what happened, it seemed like her former boyfriend was working with the show’s producers while being manipulated by them at the same time. You can see the Partridge and Cavallari confrontation in the clip below.
This was only Partridge’s side of the story. It would be interesting to hear what both Cavallari and Brescia have to say about the infamous confrontation. Cavallari has dropped her own reveals recently, including the bafflingly low amount of money she was paid for Season 1.
Partridge and her memoir have been making headlines lately, as she revealed to E! News that she allegedly swapped numbers with Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio. She even spoke about her reported relationship with Star Trek’s Chris Pine, as reported by Buzzfeed. If you want to read more about Audrina Partridge’s life since The Hills, Choices: To the Hills and Back Again is currently available on bookshelves.
The MTV reality show is poised for another reboot with a new cast, but don't hold your breath for the full original cast to reunite anytime soon after former Hills star Spencer Pratt called his castmates "hot garbage." For her part, Lo Bosworth has said that she's "uncomfortable" about her years on the show, and Heidi Montag spoke out about Lauren Conrad and their feud. If Partridge's story made you want to relive the MTV reality show again, you can watch the entire series by subscribing to Paramount+. For some upcoming viewing options, be sure to check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule.
