Selling Sunset is a Netflix sensation that fuses glitzy, sun-soaked glamour with the dizzying highs and lows of the luxury real estate game, and over eight juicy and diverting seasons, there have been scandals galore. When the series began, it electrified viewers, taking them inside the homes of wealthy Los Angeles relatives. Amid gorgeous views of the Hollywood Hills, exceptional architecture and plush furnishings, the Oppenheim Group realtors of Selling Sunset jockey for position. Sometimes, there’s backstabbing. Over the years, scandals have raged like wildfire, and here are ten of the most shocking and dramatic feuds.
Selling Sunset season 8 has been a roller-coaster ride. During the latest installment, Emma Hernan was accused of having an affair with a married man. Chelsea Lazkani was told that her husband was cheating on her – she crumbled emotionally but kept working. Alanna Gold, the newbie, embarrassed herself by claiming to own Pioneertown when she actually doesn’t. Nicole Young stirred up trouble whenever she could. It was a very watchable season, and it’s time to unpack the fiercest scandals from season 1 to now.
8 Alanna Gold’s Pioneertown Scam Was So Cringe
The Townspeople Are Irate
Pioneertown is a charming and unique place, and it’s been in existence for 78 years. The townspeople are very proud of what they’ve created – it’s situated in San Bernadino, California, and Pioneertown has tons of rustic cowboy charm. It’s a beautiful place that makes visitors feel like they’ve stepped back in time. When Alanna strongly implied that she was the owner of Pioneertown onscreen in season 8, she angered a lot of people.
Alanna had a bit of an ego about owning real estate in the town, saying that she was dedicated to:
restoring the town
This was a bit over the top. People have been maintaining the town’s character for decades. For that reason, and simply because she doesn’t own the town, these statements triggered local residents. They metaphorically gathered with pitchforks at the Pioneertown Gazette Instagram page.
The baseless claims by
Selling Sunset
’s Alanna Gold that she ‘owns Pioneertown’ undermines 78 years of internationally celebrated film, arts and cultural history. These claims belittle generations of artists, neighbors, nature lovers, community members, musicians, small business owners and otherwise magnificent people of Pioneertown.
Alanna apologized for giving the wrong impression, but since she’s so new to the show, she didn’t do herself any favors. She should have thought about how her Pioneertown comments would be received before she uttered them aloud. It was a cringe gaffe that’s getting a lot of attention, and the former model from Canada really hurt her reputation.
7 Emma Hernan Was Subjected To An Affair Rumor
She Denies Any Wrongdoing
Emma has achieved a lot at a young age. She sells empanadas (quite successfully), and also pre-qualified for Team USA’s Olympic swimming squad – however, she wasn’t ultimately selected to compete. She’s got so much going for her, but recent rumors threaten to tarnish the reputation that she worked so hard to build. On the show, Nicole, who never really minds her own business, revealed some sketchy “facts” about Emma’s alleged affair with a married man.
Emma denied it all, and via an E Online interview, compared the gossipy Nicole to a:
snake
Chrishell added that she has “receipts” that prove the allegation’s false. However, Nicole is adamant that there’s an issue. She said the best friend of the man’s wife confronted Nicole onscreen – it was filmed for the show. It’s possible that Emma didn’t have this affair. She’s not known for being confrontational or shady, and her friends say she’s very selective about who she dates.
So, maybe the wife misunderstood, believing something was wrong and telling her friend about it. This was none of Nicole’s business, and Emma and her pals turned on her. Chrishell doesn’t think their reputation is repairable. Spreading gossip like that without proof can do a lot of damage. Chrishell doesn’t want to film with Nicole anymore, and that’s one of the reasons why there’s no Selling Sunset season 8 reunion.
6 Bre Tiesi Clashed With Chelsea Lazkani
Bre Was Mom-Shamed By Chelsea
Chelsea lashed out at Bre for no good reason, shaming the gorgeous brunette. Bre is a loving mother to her baby Legendary Love Cannon, whose father is Nick Cannon. However, that wasn’t good enough for Chelsea, who decided to share her outmoded views on broken families. She felt that Nick and Bre were irresponsible when they brought a baby into a broken home. The issue is that Nick has babies with tons of women. He isn’t Bre’s full-time partner. However, she’s okay with that.
That was extremely rude – there is really no way to justify Chelsea making these comments about another woman’s choices. Chelsea’s personality can be too aggressive – she needs to slow down, tap into her empathy and give people love instead of shade. She’s lacking maturity if she’s sharing “insights” onscreen without thinking about how they might make other people feel.
Bre was right to judge Chelsea for saying that. Bre’s baby is just fine, and how Chelsea chooses to live her romantic life isn’t anyone else’s business. Chelsea’s ego’s been out of control for a long time, and here, it was very ugly. She owes Bre an apology. Lately, Chelsea says she’s humble, thanks to life experiences that changed her. Hopefully, she will think about other peoples’ feelings more in the future – no woman is an island.
5 Christine Quinn Left The Show After Explosive Drama
She Was A Charismatic Villain
Christine blew into Selling Sunset like the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz. She was all about snarky comments, edgy high fashion, and “I love myself” energy. This boss babe seemed to rule the roost, but her stint on the show wasn’t destined to last. She tangled with a lot of people and the drama got out of hand. While she’s probably the most entertaining villain the show has ever seen, she couldn’t sustain the relationships that would keep her at the “O Group.”
Christine joined the show in season 1 and was instantly iconic. She wasn’t afraid to be bad and that makes for good TV. Decked out in skintight pencil skirts, formfitting bustiers and sky-high heels, she was practically “Villain Barbie.” But what exactly did she do that was so heinous?
Christine isn’t a fan favorite. While some people might appreciate a good “baddie,” one Redditor eviscerated the icy blonde. Entropykat wrote:
S4: Christine is just the worst. She’s such a liar and then she thinks she’s so good at playing the victim. Her idiot husband may have fallen for it but it’s so obvious who she is even without the context of the past stuff she was discussing. She’s done it on the show where she’s outright lied
This Selling Sunset fan thinks that Christine’s dishonest, and that she tricked her husband by “playing the victim.” However, her extremely wealthy spouse, Christian Richard, whom she’s now estranged from (he was accused of domestic abuse), wasn’t born yesterday. He didn’t make all that money because he didn’t know how to read people.
While he may be a bad man, he probably understood Christine quite well. She’s a villain and that’s what he wanted, at least, for a while.
Christine used to feud with Chrishell, who seems like a pretty nice person. That is one reason why Chrishell got slapped with the villain label in the first place. Chrishell grew up poor and has risen up, achieving so much. She’s sensitive and intelligent. She can get along with anyone who’s a decent person. She could not get along with Christine. Christine alienated her coworker Christine when she said that Jason Oppnheim was giving her special treatment.
Christine always spoke out, just like Chelsea did – that kind of candor is just too much sometimes. This type of unfiltered negativity can and does offend. Oversharing is tactless, and it often backfires – however, without oversharing, reality TV wouldn’t be much fun.
4 Jason Oppenheim Dated Coworkers
He’s A Ladies’ Man
On Behind The Velvet Rope, Mary Fitzgerald, who used to date Oppenheim Group co-founder Jason, talked about finding out that he was dating another coworker, Chrishell. She apparently knew about the then-secret relationship before other people did, as shown in the clip above. Mary and Jason are exes that get along well – they enjoy each other’s company – they’ve transitioned to a truly platonic vibe.
However, that doesn’t mean that Jason should be dating coworkers. He gets so much shade for this. It seems like he’s putting a bunch of gorgeous women in his agency to create some sort of Charlie’s Angels vibe, and he is “Charlie.” In the day and age, the fact that he hires them and dates them doesn’t seem like the height of political correctness. Of course, he’s smart enough to understand why he’s getting criticized. He just doesn’t care.
Jason is brilliant, but maybe he’s got a little dose of Peter Pan syndrome. The new Ferrari supercar, the Louis Vuitton sweaters, the cool bachelor pad… they are signs of success, but Jason is reluctant to go all in with a woman. He’s not interested in being a father. That’s why Chrishell left him.
3 Christine Spouted Off About Chrishell’s Divorce
Chrishell Said Chrisell Wasn’t Really “Blindsided” By Justin Hartley
When someone’s going through a divorce or looking back on one, that’s such a sensitive topic. What people say can really hurt. That’s why Christine should have remained silent over Chrishell’s divorce drama with the This Is Us star, Justin Hartley. Chrishell was clearly traumatized by the split – she planned to spend the rest of her life with him. He seemed to be the one who wanted out.
As if all that wasn’t painful enough, Christine had to pour salt in her wounds. The Selling Sunset diva decided to let the world know that Chrishell wasn’t really “blindsided” by her ex. Christine believes that Chrishell saw the red flags waving in the breeze and then pretended that she didn’t. If this is true, is it Christine’s business? No, but that’s never stopped a reality “baddie” from weighing in.
If it’s not true, Christine sparked more emotional turmoil in a woman who was already dealing with intense heartbreak. Not for nothing is Christine considered evil by some. However, there’s always the chance that some of her misdeeds are campy attempts to stay in the spotlight. As with Chrishell, she went too far, burning bridges. Christine didn’t live in fear, clearly believing that there was life beyond Selling Sunset (of course, there is).
2 Davina Potratz Mocked Mary’s Fake Diamond Engagement Ring
Romain Bonnet Was Offended
Mary had more money than pretty boy Romain when they got engaged, and that’s probably why he bought her a Moissanite engagement ring. Yes, it was pretty, looking like most diamond engagement rings, but Davina had to go low, pointing out the fact that it wasn’t a real diamond. Love is supposed to be deeper than what a ring is worth, but in Davina’s shallow world, a Moissanite ring is like a cheap offering, rather than a love token.
Davina clearly doubted Romain or she wouldn’t have said this stuff. She’s probably not the only who did. The thing is, Romain’s proven himself over the years, surprising those who assumed he was gold digging. He seems to be intent on building his own career (he renovates homes), rather than destroying Mary’s life. If he was really on the make, he probably would have been caught cheating by now. Instead, he leans into his construction job and defends Mary.
Romain may not be a dirtbag. He is always by Mary’s side and wants to have kids with her. It’s been interesting getting to know the handsome Frenchman better during the seasons. Possibly, he was judged because he looked good. People assumed he was up to no good, and maybe that’s why Davina pounced. She should never have criticized the ring.
1 Chelsea’s Husband Allegedly Cheated On Her
Jeff Lazkani Ruined Their Marriage
Chelsea loved Jeff, but he wasn’t on the level. She met him on a dating app, got to know him and married him. They wed the same year they started dating. Then, they welcomed kids. Now, they’re done. During season 8, Chelsea was told that her partner was cheating on her in Los Angeles, right out in public. Chelsea seemed so despondent, so shell-shocked. She needed a little time to think things over – eventually, she filed for divorce.
Now, she’s saying that she orchestrated the entire reveal, perhaps to shame her ex before she ended things. Why else would she come up with that sort of plan? She even criticized the person who revealed the cheating rumors on the show. Bre was blasted for seeming like a bottom feeder… someone who glories in the misfortunes of others. However, Bre seemed quite compassionate when she told Chelsea about the rumors.
Bre’s had romantic ups and downs herself – she’s not an evil person. She was married to NFL star Johnny Manziel and he was out of control. Their marriage was very short because of his antics but they’re still friends. Bre doesn’t necessarily hold grudges forever. She can get over things. So, she might have told Bre to make sure she was aware, and not out of spite.
If Chelsea set up the reveal and then blamed Bre for sharing the story, that’s pretty sketchy. That’s Christine-level villain stuff. Selling Sunset drama’s out of control right now. The season was riveting and it’s so easy to want more.
Fans can watch Selling Sunset seasons, including season 8, on the Netflix streaming platform.
Sources: Pioneertown Gazette/Instagram, E Online, Behind The Velvet Rope