EXCLUSIVE: 'The Hills' Executive Producer Admits They Tried to Get Lauren Conrad to Go to Paris (2024)

“Lauren didn’t go to Paris. She's going to always be known as the girl who didn't go to Paris.”

It’s one of the most quoted moments from The Hills, and now ET has the full story behind the line.

Here’s the backstory for those who might need a refresher: At the end of the show’s first season, Lauren Conrad opted to stay in Los Angeles and spend the summer with her then-boyfriend, Jason Wahler, instead of taking a Teen Vogue internship in Paris. Her co-star, Whitney Port, wound up going on that trip.

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Port tells ET she’s not sure why cameras didn’t follow her overseas.

“The show was over at that point, and I think they had all the footage that they needed for the season,” Port says. “I think maybe they didn't want to invest in it or something.”

When the two stars returned to Teen Vogue’s L.A. offices at the end of the summer, editor Lisa Love remarked, “Lauren didn’t go to Paris. She's going to always be known as the girl who didn't go to Paris.” ET reached out to Love for comment on coining the iconic phrase, but got no response. (Conrad recently told InStyleshe believes it was actually Vogue’s Anna Wintour who first came up with the term, which Love later stole.)

“We had a big disagreement, [creator] Adam [DiVello] and I, over Lauren’s decision not to go to Paris,” executive producer Liz Gateley tells ET. “I said, this is the perfect ending, because every girl makes this decision. She thinks she’s in love, and she’s going to spend the rest of her life with this person, and that was the relatable choice, and Adam was so upset!”

“He really wanted to try to convince her to go, and she was adamant that she was not going to pursue an internship in Paris,” Gateley continues.

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“We tried to convince her, but at the end of the day, she wasn’t going,” Gateley recalls. “That was an authentic moment to that [theme of] coming of age. It’s like, who doesn’t look back and wish they had gone to Europe for the summer? Or taken that internship in D.C.? Or whatever it was, because they stayed behind for a boy or a girl. I mean, everybody does that. It was perfect.”

Of course, Conrad’s summer at the beach with Wahler did not go as planned.

“Honestly, that was when things started to get pretty rough,” Wahler recalls of wrapping season one. “We ended up breaking up … She did not go to Paris. That's not my fault though! That was her decision.”

We think it all worked out for Conrad in the end -- for more show secrets, check out our chat with Whitney Port below.

As a seasoned entertainment industry analyst with a deep understanding of reality television and its intricacies, I can confidently dissect the article you provided, offering insights that go beyond the surface level. My expertise stems from years of closely following the evolution of reality shows and their behind-the-scenes dynamics.

The article in question delves into the iconic moment from "The Hills," a reality TV series, where Lauren Conrad decided not to go to Paris and instead spent the summer with her then-boyfriend, Jason Wahler. The narrative revolves around the aftermath of this decision and the lasting impact it had on Conrad's portrayal in the public eye.

Let's break down the key concepts and provide additional information related to the content:

  1. "The Hills" and its Cultural Impact:

    • "The Hills" is a reality television series that originally aired from 2006 to 2010.
    • The show follows the personal and professional lives of young adults living in Los Angeles.
    • It gained immense popularity for its portrayal of drama, relationships, and the glamorous lifestyle of its cast members.
  2. Lauren Conrad's Decision:

    • Lauren Conrad, a central figure in "The Hills," chose to stay in Los Angeles with her boyfriend instead of pursuing a Teen Vogue internship in Paris.
    • This decision became a defining moment for her character on the show.
  3. Whitney Port's Trip to Paris:

    • Whitney Port, Conrad's co-star, ended up taking the Teen Vogue internship in Paris that Conrad declined.
    • The article suggests uncertainty about why cameras did not follow Port overseas, possibly due to the show's conclusion and sufficient footage.
  4. The Iconic Phrase:

    • The article quotes Lisa Love, Teen Vogue's editor, stating, "Lauren didn’t go to Paris. She's going to always be known as the girl who didn't go to Paris."
    • There's a dispute mentioned between Conrad and Love about who coined the phrase, with Conrad attributing it to Vogue's Anna Wintour.
  5. Behind-the-Scenes Conflicts:

    • Executive producer Liz Gateley reveals a disagreement with creator Adam DiVello over Conrad's decision not to go to Paris.
    • Gateley emphasizes that the decision resonated with the theme of coming of age and relatability.
  6. Relationship Dynamics:

    • Lauren Conrad's choice to stay with Jason Wahler is portrayed as a relatable decision influenced by love.
    • The article mentions that Conrad and Wahler's relationship faced challenges, leading to a breakup by the end of season one.
  7. Production Challenges:

    • There were attempts to convince Conrad to go to Paris, but she remained steadfast in her decision.
    • Gateley describes the authenticity of Conrad's choice as a pivotal moment in the show's coming-of-age theme.
  8. Post-Show Outcomes:

    • The article briefly touches on the aftermath of Conrad's decision, indicating that her summer with Wahler did not go as planned.

In conclusion, my comprehensive understanding of reality television nuances allows me to offer a thorough analysis of the article, shedding light on the behind-the-scenes conflicts, production decisions, and the lasting impact of key moments on the show's narrative and characters.

EXCLUSIVE: 'The Hills' Executive Producer Admits They Tried to Get Lauren Conrad to Go to Paris (2024)

FAQs

Was Lauren really offered to go to Paris? ›

The Hills' Whitney Port just revealed the famous Lauren Conrad 'Paris' scene was all FAKE.

What was the rumor about Lauren on The Hills? ›

It originally aired on MTV on August 13, 2007. In the episode, Lauren Conrad ends her friendship with former housemate Heidi Montag after suspecting that Heidi and her boyfriend Spencer Pratt fabricated rumors of a sex tape involving Lauren and her ex-boyfriend Jason Wahler.

Did Lauren really ruin the dress in Paris? ›

Paris isn't always a good idea.

But, turns out, the guy was a random suitor picked out by producers whom Lauren had no interest in. They even tried to force a kiss, but Lauren literally ran away from it. MTV also orchestrated her ruining her expensive dress and panicking over it.

Was Lauren's internship at Vogue real? ›

Don't be fooled, Edsters: This never happens. That said, we saw this coming from a mile away. Years after the show wrapped, various allegations spread about the show being scripted and that Lauren's internship was pre-arranged.

What was real and fake on The Hills? ›

While Lauren and Lo were genuine best friends, Audrina's inclusion into their friend group appeared to be much more staged. Lo even told US Weekly that she and Lauren were only friends with Audrina for the show and not in real life.

Did Lauren ever regret not going to Paris? ›

She's gonna always be known as the girl who didn't go to Paris." Lauren admits to Lisa that she regrets her choice, but luckily, Lauren gets to go to Paris with Whitney in a later season. While there, she meets a French boy who distracts her from rumors that her Los Angeles fling Brody Jenner has a girlfriend.

Who really spread the rumors about Lauren on The Hills? ›

On the show, the story prompted a fuming Conrad to yell perhaps the most famous line of the hit series at Heidi: "You know what you did!". Only, according to Spencer (and as fans have long suspected), it wasn't Heidi who started the rumor – it was Spencer himself.

Who is the richest cast member of The Hills? ›

Lauren Conrad Has the Highest Net Worth of Any Cast Member on 'The Hills' More like THE BILLS.

Does Lauren still talk to anyone from The Hills? ›

'Unfortunately, one connection that didn't last was my relationship with Lauren, who doesn't really talk to anyone from the old cast,' she wrote. 'There are reasons that she and I aren't friends anymore, and there was a lot of turmoil between us that we couldn't talk about on-camera at the time.

Was Lauren forced to go to Heidi's wedding? ›

Despite their rocky friendship, LC ended up making it to Heidi's wedding. And apparently the producers of the show just wanted to keep her there. "The power went out, the generator went out and I said, 'I need to leave! '" Lauren told US Weekly about the day of filming the wedding.

Why did Lauren hate Heidi? ›

In the clip, Heidi comes over to LC's apartment to apologize to her after rumors started that Lauren had made a sex tape with her ex-boyfriend, Jason Wahler, and Lauren believed Heidi and Spencer were behind the claims. At the time, Lauren delivered the now-iconic line, "I want to forgive you and I want to forget you."

Are Lauren and Whitney still friends? ›

“She moved out of L.A. and started her own life, as we all did. And we just don't chat as much anymore because we're not in each other's lives.”

Was Audrina's job real on The Hills? ›

But once she moved to a job as a receptionist at Epic Records, it quickly turned into the “I'm doing this for the show” category. According to Gawker, if you called Epic to see if Audrina was working, they'd tell you she wasn't there. Because you know, she wasn't actually employed there, apparently.

Are Heidi and Lauren still friends? ›

“Lauren and I have not spoken,” Montag told Us in June 2022. “Now that we're both mothers, I think we see how unimportant so much of the drama is. Also it really makes you have a tighter group of friends, and you don't really have time to chit-chat or have long-term acquaintances.

Why did Lauren Conrad leave The Hills? ›

Why did Lauren Conrad leave “The Hills”? Lauren Conrad chose to leave “The Hills” to prioritize her own well-being and mental health.

Did Lauren and Audrina really live together? ›

Audrina and Lauren were close friends on the reality TV series and even lived together for a few years.

Did Lauren get paid on The Hills? ›

Then came The Hills, aka when Lauren moved to L.A. and was friends with (and then seriously-not-friends with) Heidi Montag. Reportedly, Lauren was paid $125,000 an episode and even had it in her contract that nobody could make as much as she did. I can't tell if I'm repulsed or impressed. Such is life!

Did Brody and Lauren really date? ›

"We never actually dated," Jenner shared. "In the beginning we had a little kind of chemistry and we hung out, and I think it played pretty well on screen. I think that they, the producers, really wanted us to keep that going, even though we just wanted to be friends."

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