‘Selling Sunset:’ Chrishell Stause on Possibly Quitting, Nicole Fight, Emma

​Chrishell’s friendship with Emma also was unexpectedly tested. Midway through Season 9, Emma introduces her boyfriend Blake Davis on the show, whom she’s been dating on and off since early 2024. Chrishell isn’t fond of Davis, which puts a wedge in their friendship. Over the summer, it became clear why: Chrishell had an online feud with Davis, where she publicly called him out for telling her that “pronouns are dumb” and “he likes using racial slurs.”

​And then there’s Bre Tiesi, who was sued in April 2024 by former domestic employees alleging she created a hostile work environment. Chrishell’s issues with Bre also stem from her allegedly using the term “transvestite” while referring to Chrishell’s nonbinary partner, G Flip, which she also publicly addressed online.

​Chrishell tells Variety in an interview this week, though, that the tension with her castmates didn’t stop the good moments she experienced during the season. “I liked this season,” she says. “I don’t think I had a hard season. But she adds that she’s “excited to move on from this chapter.” And while Chrishell didn’t give a definitive answer about what her future with the show looks like — nor has Netflix renewed “Selling Sunset” yet — she says the reunion, which was filmed in August, was an eye-opener for her.

​“The reunion was so brutal,” she says. “In that moment, I realized I will be done here going forward. I wish everyone the best, but this isn’t the place for me. It felt a little bit like a dog pile.”

​Below, Chrishell opens up about ending her friendship with Emma, her reaction to Nicole bringing up her deceased parents at Amanza Smith’s Girlsgiving dinner, filming with Bre amid her lawsuit and more.

“Selling Sunset” is now in its ninth season. What felt different about filming this one compared to past seasons?

It felt like I was in a good place with everyone — I felt happy and strong about the real estate aspect. This tends to happen with this show. When you think you’re going to have a pretty easy season, without fail, those are the ones that end up being the hardest. I liked this season; I don’t think I had a hard season. It’s just the way it culminates with the reunion, and how everything landed. It’s interesting that I went into the season thinking everything was going to be easy. Never say those famous last words.

It was surprising to see the tension between you and Emma about her relationship with Blake. What made you have reservations about whether he was the right match for her?

Although you do eventually get some context while watching the show, a lot of it is left out. When I met him, there were so many red flags that happened in one short meeting. Sometimes you meet someone and you may not like the way they dress, or they may rub you the wrong way because they’re a little awkward. I found real things to be dangerous with his personality. He recently posted about how he was going to sue my dick off. This isn’t a normal person. Anybody who meets this man is not going to want their friend to date him. Of course, he wasn’t like that on camera. He acted one way to me. Then, he came on camera and flipped the script.

In what ways was he treating you differently off camera?

In the beginning, he was nice to me. He just would say these extremely problematic things. I have a deep core issue with people who think that way, so it was upsetting. Even though he was being nice, he compared people being nonbinary to mental illness. That’s my partner, whom I love dearly. It goes so much more than what you’re able to see on a show that they’re trying as hard as they can to keep it light and upbeat. I get stuck between a rock and a hard place of trying to give context without also taking us to a dark place that I was unfortunately dealing with.

When you expressed your concerns to Emma, what was it like watching her go back to him?

It was frustrating. For a long time, I tried to have a lot of sympathy for her and be there for her. I tried to do all the things as a friend. She would call and tell me how scared she was of this, or when they would break up, she would tell me the worst things that he would do. Like any friend, I’m there for her and helped her through it. Then she goes right back to him. She’s posting from his yacht and not answering my call. The whole situation makes me sad. I wish that I had a more positive outlook on it. At first, I put all of it on him. She was kind of innocent in it. Over time, I had to understand that they are aligned, and that is her choice. But it’s not something that I want in my life.

How did Emma’s relationship with him impact the dynamics of your friendship?

We were best friends — me, her and Chelsea, who she also doesn’t speak to anymore. It’s a sad situation.

There were reports that Emma broke up with Blake after you publicly claimed that he said pronouns were “dumb” and used racial slurs. However, from Blake’s social media, it seems that they’re back together. What are your thoughts about that?

At this point, they deserve each other. I wish them the best.

Let’s talk about the moment Emma told you about his proposal. What was going through your mind?

Knowing the things that he had done up until that point,  it didn’t surprise me. This is the playbook. Somebody does something terrible and messes it up. They are afraid they’re going to lose the girl. So what do they do? They have to do something big. They propose.

It’s a tried and true scenario. When she told me at the end of the season that they really broke up this time, I did believe it. As you see and will see at the reunion, they got right back together.

Do you think your friendship with Emma could ever be the same?

Never. I don’t want to be friends with her anymore. She’s made it very clear what her morals are, and we do not align.

Before Season 9 came out, you publicly called out Bre for promoting a MAGA jewelry brand and making controversial comments about your partner, which aren’t brought up in the season. Why is it important for you to speak out about certain situations that don’t air?

That’s the context that’s missing behind why I don’t like someone. If you know me, I’m not somebody who just decides one day not to like someone. That’s not who I am, especially not somebody that I’ve already allowed in. I’m always a little slow to let people in. Once you’re in, you’re in. I’ve seen it with some shows when they go to a dark a place, and it’s hard to come back from that. I understand the show not wanting to necessarily cover certain things, but it is hard to then explain to the audience why I no longer like someone. When Chelsea and Emma were against Bre, I was holding out. I needed to hear it from Bre. I needed to talk to her, and now we’ve done this 180. 

I was shown and put in touch with people who could speak to private conversations that Bre had about me and my partner. I got to see text messages. I’ve also been around her and seen her go off on waitresses and the crew members. It’s not like it was out of the realm of possibility. But the slurs and making fun of someone who’s the most important person in my life were surprising.

Considering what happened with Bre, what was your experience filming with her this season?

I try to steer clear of her as much as possible. If I can’t have a real conversation, then I don’t want to have a fake one. I felt a little stifled. I wanted to keep it as short and sweet as possible. But she was very aware of my issues and didn’t want to speak about them. It’s a lawsuit, so she can’t really talk until it’s closed. It was to her advantage that she could use that as an excuse.

How would you want production to handle situations when sensitive topics and issues come up while filming?

There have been times when we could have had the conversations. But there was a lot of fear of it going into a storyline of racism or homophobia. These are heavy topics in a time when people just want to watch the show and be entertained.

One of the most intense moments this season is your argument with Nicole during Amanza’s Girlsgiving. What were you thinking when Nicole brought up your parents at that moment?

I was a little stunned by it. I can’t think of a situation in which that would be OK unless it’s coming from a friendship point of view. I don’t understand how her brain works. I’m sure, to play devil’s advocate, she’d probably say the same thing about me and things I’ve said. I can see how I could have reacted better. In the moment, it is hard because these are my parents. That’s a topic that seems off-limits. She brings out the worst in me. Whoever can sink to bring up someone’s deceased parents, it’s pretty unforgivable.

What made you decide to walk away instead of engaging with her anymore?

I could have stayed there and continued the conversation. I just didn’t see the point. She’d made such a big ass of herself in that moment that I didn’t need to do anything. She said everything that she needed to say to show who she is.

Jason and Brett Oppenheim cut ties with Nicole. Were you surprised by their decision?

I’m a little torn. I’m sure Jason is also pushed by production because they want to make the show light, and she keeps bringing it down to a dark place. I wasn’t that surprised, because I knew how production felt. They all checked in with me after, and promised me we weren’t going to have a negative season. Then that was the very first dinner we had. I wasn’t that surprised because I already knew what the goal of the season was. You add her to the mix and all it does is bring out a negative, heavy energy.

What was your initial reaction to finding that out?

I was excited. I’m not going to lie. I was happy.

Nicole moves to Nashville after being fired from the Oppenheim Group. But her social media shows that she’s still living in Los Angeles and working at the brokerage.  Can you please help me understand if Nicole is still working at the Oppenheim Group?

She got fired from the show. They had her do interviews and at the reunion, but she was no longer at the group dinners or open houses. She’s not on the sheet anymore. Technically, she’s an independent contractor, so she can still carry her license and do real estate. As far as her moving and then not moving, you’d have to ask her. I have no idea what happens under that crazy wig.

So is she still at the Oppenheim Group?

I haven’t seen her. I don’t know, to be honest with you. 

At the end of last season, you made a post saying you wouldn’t work on a show with her again. What made you come back for Season 9, knowing Nicole was still a part of the cast? 

I was incentivized. It was incentivized like, “Let’s try it. We’re going to have a dinner. We’re going to do one, and if it isn’t better and positive, we’re going to try and keep it positive.” I was giving it a fair shot. Also, it was appropriate to let her speak on it in front of Emma because that was the one cowardly thing she never did. She talked all of that behind the scenes and then never addressed it to the person. I agreed to a dinner, and then the dinner went the way that it did. So I ended up not having to film with her again. That was the only time.

Fans also meet Sandra Vergara later this season, and she seems to single you out for not being as open to getting to know her. Why do you think she felt that way?

I am going to be so open and honest about the fact that I am not here to make friends with you if you get cast on the show. I don’t want you to have that in your head, because I can’t win. If I’m a bitch to you, you’re going to go around telling everyone I’m a bitch to you. I try to be nice to you, you’re going to do what she did. At the end of the day, while we were filming the season, she didn’t even have a license yet. I don’t know if that’s changed. I know she was gonna try to have it in time. 

Let’s put this in a real-world scenario. You’re the person who’s been at the company, one of the longest. You have someone here who isn’t even qualified, doesn’t even have the bare minimum, which is a license to be here. Now you’re being nice to her, helping her out and showing her things. Then you find out that no matter what you did, she was still talking shit about you behind your back and wanted to have a sitdown because you weren’t nice enough to her.  I’m checked out of that scenario. I’m the villain to some people when they watch the show. I can’t change that. The good thing is, I’m in a place where I don’t care anymore. I’m mad at myself that I was as nice to her as I was, because I shouldn’t have been. She didn’t have a license.

If I did that when I came to the office and acted like that to the people who were higher up, I would have been barbecued. I’m sitting here trying as much as I can to be nice, but it’s like, we’re not friends. So no, I’m not calling you to check in. That’s fake to me. I’d rather our friendship start slow.

When you confronted her about the incident with your assistant’s car, how were you expecting that conversation to go?

I was waiting to clock her initial reaction because that was going to give me the info. She was surprised. The person who told me was somebody who worked for me that ended up stealing, so I can’t fully trust them either. But I was curious, because she was very adamant about the fact that this had happened. It was in the back of my mind. She had a genuine reaction, so I believed her.

How would you describe your relationship with Sandra today?

It would have been fine, but I didn’t appreciate the reunion. We will not have a friendship.

Is there anything you left wishing you’d said or wanted clarified that wasn’t at the reunion?

Instead of letting Bre control the narrative so that she could fix her image, it would have been nice if I had been able to speak from a place of truth, receipts and things that are already in public knowledge that you can find on the internet. It would have been nice if I had that wherewithal to have a conversation with her because we had not been able to have one all season. I wish that I had had that. Instead, I was so withdrawn at that moment that she got to say the narrative she wanted to say. If I had it all to do over again, I would not have rolled over on that topic.

When will you start filming again?

I don’t know when they will start filming. I hope they never tell me.

This interview has been edited and condensed.