Chrishell Stause Reveals How Much Of Selling Sunset Is Real

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Chrishell Stause is getting real about how much of "Selling Sunset" is actually real.

In a Tuesday interview with W Magazine, Stause that the boundary is a "slippery slope," in that she would handle drama differently in real life than she does on the show.

“In real life, you would do a better job of avoiding people you didn’t get along with. But there’s no show if everyone only hangs out with the people they get along with,” Stause said.

"Selling Sunset," which follows the agents of L.A.'s luxury real estate brokerage the Oppenheim Group, premiered in 2018. In the first season, Stause joined the group following a career acting in soap operas. The "new girl" of the group, Stause immediate encounters tension with agent Christine Quinn, which continues through the most recent fifth season.

But she said, "for the most part," the cast has become "a family—as dysfunctional as I know that may seem."

"There’s a lot of excitement about being able to do this with your friends. Sometimes I can’t believe this is our actual job. With that comes the downside. You have to mix in different personalities …people aren’t getting along … and turn up the heat to put us in more dramatic situations," she said.

Stause in an episode of
Stause in an episode of

Stause also addressed another point of curiosity regarding "Selling Sunset": How real is the real estate?

Speaking to W Magazine, Stause said she has done seven deals so far this year, she clarified on Twitter. She gravitates toward jobs that are part of the fabric of the show's plot.

"I obviously could be doing a lot more if that were my sole focus, but it isn’t. I try to only take the jobs that are going to be filming on the show, or involve people I’ve worked with in the past," she said.

If Stause did want to take on more listings, she said she might find it hard to get work done in the Oppenheim Group's L.A. office. The show's popularity has rendered the office into a tourist attraction.

“It’s harder to get work done in the office now, because people are constantly in there, trying to get pictures and knocking on the door,” Stause said. “It’s very sweet, but you can’t get work done.”

“So when I actually have work to do, I’m normally doing it at home. You have to go in knowing that you’re going to be shaking hands and kissing babies, because we are now part of the star tour that goes around,” Stause continued.

When she's not working or in front of the cameras, the reality TV star said she watches reality TV to unwind, citing shows like “Love Is Blind,” “The Bachelor,” and “Big Brother” among her favorites.

She also wants to pursue some acting projects before Season Six of “Selling Sunset” airs on Netflix. Acting is "always going to be that first love for me," she said.

"I would never be good at a nine-to-five, anyway," the "Days of Our Live" alum added.

Emma Hernan and Chrishell Stause in
Emma Hernan and Chrishell Stause in

In June, Netflix announced that "Selling Sunset" was renewed for a sixth and seventh season. However, the streaming platform still has yet to announce the premiere date for Season Six.

When it arrives, Stause said audiences will be seeing her most authentic self. After five seasons in reality TV and many more watching it, said these shows only work when the stars are "real."

"But if you aren’t real, and if you don’t react in the moment, I personally don’t think the show works," Stause continued. "At this point, the audience is smart, and you have to keep evolving the show because of that. In this position, you have to learn how to sink or swim."

Part of that, Stause said, is also addressing "the narrative" of the show off-cameras.

"All the details of what happens on the show are already out there. If there’s a way to give something a little bit more respect when I know it’s going to be taken out of context, I do want to be part of the narrative," she said.

For example, Stause was candid about the reason for her breakup with Oppenheim Group co-owner Jason Oppenheim in Dec. 2021: They had differing desires for starting a family. The relationship plays out in Season Five, months after they for the break-up on Instagram.addressed the reasoning for the breakup on Instagram.

Then, during the show's Season Five reunion i nMay, Stause confirmed her relationship with the nonbinary Australian musician G-Flip. Since then, she has spoken about her sexuality.

For Stause, sharing her life between seasons is her way of "embracing" her role as a public figure.

"I’m just living my life out loud. I know that opens me up to a lot of criticism because I’m the first person to say: I don’t have it figured out," she said.