“MTV f**ked with me so hard”: Kristin Cavallari recalls her experience at MTV’s ‘Laguna Beach,’ claiming she was “mad” at the show for years 

Reality TV star Kristin Cavallari recently appeared on the Dumb Blonde podcast, where she spoke candidly about various aspects of her life. In the August 8 episode of Bunnie Xo’s show, she also reflected on her experience on MTV’s Laguna Beach, which aired from 2004 to 2006. The host remarked that viewers appreciated her “strong personality” on the show.

On the contrary, Cavallari said that many actually “hated” her during the show, adding that it took nearly 20 years for people to reconsider and see that she “wasn’t the villain.” Bunnie then asked whether Cavallari felt that her “fierce” on-screen demeanor had prevented people from truly understanding her.

Kristin Cavallari replied that Laguna Beach portrayed only one facet of her personality, noting that she also has a “soft side.” She explained that while she has matured and evolved over the years, the show highlighted only a single aspect of her character, a realization she came to while hosting a rewatch podcast of the MTV show.

"I actually did a Back to the Beach podcast. So, it was a rewatch podcast, and we went back, and it was the first time I had seen it since it aired. And at the time, I remember being like, MTV f**ked with me so hard, and I thought it was unfair," Cavallari said.

She claimed that after rewatching the show and discussing it with others, she realized the production had manipulated portrayals of all cast members. She alleged that the same treatment was given to Lauren Conrad and Stephen Colletti.

"Like they did what they did to me, they did to every single cast member. Even you know, Lauren, they only showed one side of her personality, too. Stephen, the same thing... It was a nice way to kind of like wrap that up and be like, it wasn't just me. I wasn't the victim in that situation. Like it happened to us all," Cavallari added.

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What more did Kristin Cavallari talk about on Laguna Beach?

Kristin Cavallari on Dumb Blonde podcast (Image via YouTube/ Bunnie Xo)

Kristin Cavallari told the Dumb Blonde podcast host that she was only 17 when she joined the show, noting that it was “one of the first” reality series and she had little understanding of what she was agreeing to. She claimed that producers would record “wild lines” and "splice" them as they wished.

The reality TV star reflected on how this editing shaped public perception of her and said:

"It was hard to deal with at that age just because it's hard enough being a teenager, you know, and then having your life being manipulated when it's your real boyfriend, your real friend. It just gets really messy."

Further in the episode, Bunnie asked her how real the show was, questioning if contestants were provided with plots.

"Lagouna Beach was more putting us in situations and then kind of see what happens, knowing that a particular situation is going to probably press my buttons or, you know, this is not the group of people I would normally hang out with, kind of a thing... I don't think any show is 100% real," Kristin Cavallari replied.

Elsewhere in the podcast, The Hills alum shared that her mother had reservations about her joining the show. However, she noted that she was not living with her mother at the time, and her father was fully supportive of the decision.

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Following Laguna Beach, Kristin Cavallari appeared on The Hills and later returned to television with Very Cavallari. Most recently, she concluded her project Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour. On the July 22 episode of her podcast Let’s Be Honest, she announced that she would no longer participate in reality television.