Its 4 p.m. when Chrishell Stause struts into The Oppenheim Group office in Hollywood in a hot pink minidress.
Good morning, she coos to her fellow Realtors, sitting at their desks in full glam.
This is the fifth time shes walked in the door.
A good morning, indeed.
Picture it with music that goes Work it, Im a boss!
the producer says, mimicking the series signaturerelentlessly upbeat soundtrack.
Are we doing a team meeting?
Emma asks the Brothers Oppenheim.
No, just bullshitting, one of the twins replies.
On another show, this would all be filler.
Laurens dad was dropping two palm trees in his backyard with a crane.
I remember standing there [thinking] I cant believe people live like this, DiVello says.
It didnt need to be craned in.
It was a much smaller palm tree, he concedes.
But I did text [Conrads dad] Jim and said, Jim, its gone full circle.
Im now putting in my own palm tree.
As a kid growing up outside of Philadelphia, DiVello had an eye for the aspirational.
[DiVello] stopped down and said, OK, lets switch the cars out.
Lets put the nicer car out in the driveway.
[He has] that kind of drive to make every detail work.
DiVellos love of advertising still powers his creative process.
People are choosing it over something else and spending their time with it over something else.
(Season 6 premieres May 19 on Netflix.)
Every fireplace in the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom Beverly Hills home listed for $12.9 million is burning brightly.
Its the kind of place where youd happily watch nothing happen.
But it is the job of producers like DiVello to check that something always happens.
But we also ask you to trust us.
Were going to tell your side of the story.
Were going to tell the other side of the story.
Youre always going to be represented fairly.
But on our show, there will be.
Were going to exaggerate how youre feeling, and for that, we cant apologize.
Thats really what they sign up for.
OnSelling Sunset, the interviews are back, but the scripted feeling remains.
I know that everyone thinks that we do.
He repeats an analogy he got from DiVello to explain his tricks of the trade.
Its like building a pinball machine.
DiVello says that producers and cast come to an agreement about how much of their life theyll share.
We have a show to make.
You have a life to live.
We cant make our show unless you let us have your life and vice versa.
Its give and take.
But the camera has a way of pushing people to share more than they planned.
I think they surprise themselves, he says.
I think sometimes we might spark more of a conversation than they would normally have.
I have a new house because of it.
I was a nervous wreck, to be honest, Jason Oppenheim recalls of filming Season 1.
I was difficult; I overthought everything.
Opening up his business and personal life to cameras and editors ran counter to every instinct.
I dont even cede control to my lawyers and my accountants.
Im involved in everything, making every decision in my life, he says.
Oppenheims fears werent exactly unfounded.
Others allege thatproducers manipulated themorpreyed on their insecuritiesto tell a story, with sometimesdevastating effectson theirmental health.
DiVellos shows are no exception, particularly when it comes to those who get the dreaded villain edit.
Montag and Pratt,The Hillsiconic troublemakers, have spent the ensuing decade spillingalleged production secrets.
(Reps for Cavallari and Quinn declined to comment for this story.)
When I ask DiVello about these criticisms, he becomes visibly uncomfortable.
I dont focus on them, to be honest with you.
He looks away from the table and out toward the street.
I think at the time, we were all enjoying the process.
Everybodys moved on with their careers, and I hope everybodys happy.
I cant control what happens outside the camera.
Most make their peace with the bargain of appearing on reality television.
(No one really worked for me, she says now.)
It was golden ticket land, and they were great.
Of course, theyre going to push sometimes when youre tired and you dont give a fuck.
But thats their job.
If anything, Cutrone says, being produced is like bungee jumping without the cord.
Reality TV is a gladiator sport, she says.
The risk is you become chum for carnivorous consumers everywhere.
You have to roll the dice.
Theres no guarantee you’re going to get through it.
… Youre on TV because somebody finds you entertaining, and that doesnt always mean fun.
And arent the painful moments what make the show a success?
These are all things that we maneuver in life, Gateley says.
Ports own relationship to the shows that made her famous is more complicated.
(The rumors were later revealed to be false.)
So by me bringing it up, I was making it real.
I didnt like that position.
These interactions were often complicated by the fact that Port had gotten genuinely close with producers on both shows.
My talent producer is still one of my best friends, she says.
How much do I really want to share here?
I would do the show a million times over; I have no regrets.
It was such an amazing experience for me, she says.
Other Angelenos stand nonchalantly at the bus stop directly in front of the office.
This article was originally published onMay 10, 2023
