Audrina Patridgebecame a household name thanks to her role on “The Hills.”
What really went on?"
That’s how it started.
I was like, “Well, I have all of these other things that people want to know.
I had a ghostwriter who was amazing, Jen Schuster.
It was very therapeutic.
This isn’t something I want to expose.
Let’s leave that out.”
You have to touch base on this."
So I went for it.
You get into some really personal anecdotes and stories in this book.
What do you hope people take away from it?
I hope that people find some inspiration or motivation in their life from it and don’t feel alone.
They don’t feel ashamed.
Don’t give up.
I wanted to help or give something back in some way.
When someone opens up and is really personal, it does help [other people].
Yes, it does.
A divorce is it’s almost like mourning a death.
It was the ups and downs and emotions of being in love and the what-ifs.
“Did I do everything I could possibly do?
Am I making the right decision?”
You touched on this a little bit, but is it difficult sharing those aspects of your life?
It is really hard, but at the same time, there’s not many secrets.
Then on the show, there’s these fights and there’s this and that.
It was really hard.
But [writing the book] forced me to feel it and go through it.
Also, I had to touch base on it because it’s already out there.
It’s not something I can hide.
That, again, is another subject that I had to talk about from my perspective.
I bit my tongue a lot and I didn’t ever say anything back.
I let people say and judge and think whatever they wanted about me.
What was that like, and what fun moments are fans going to enjoy reading about?
It’s almost like this bubble of people that you’re with that get it.
It’s hard for other people to understand what it’s like.
I feel like that was the best time to live in LA.
We were always with Paris [Hilton] or Lindsay [Lohan] … everybody was together.
And yeah, Leo I met him.
We were on a jet.
I wasn’t on a jet with Leo but met him at the party.
He did ask for my number; nothing ever came of it, but he was really nice.
It was a great night.
It was fun mingling and talking to everybody.
Looking back, it’s like, “Gosh, I almost took those moments for granted.”
I never was really present and absorbed [or] soaked it all up.
I just kept going and didn’t even think about it.
Were you disappointed when it got canceled?
Before COVID, we were filming and all of us were on fire.
We were ready, giving it our all.
It was so weird connecting; it was great.
Then COVID happened, and we didn’t see each other for eight or nine months.
We were all in each other’s backyards.
It was really weird and it changed everything.
Even the realness of what could have happened naturally and organically was kind of stopped.
You’re doing this, you’re doing that.
This is what’s happening."
But with COVID, it wasn’t like that.
If it wasn’t for COVID, we might have a third season.
So I get it.
We were talking off camera for a little bit.
On camera, it changes everything.
This isn’t a good look."
We picked up right where we left off.
It didn’t feel any different.
In Season 2, the show kept teasing [a romance between] you and Brody Jenner.
Was that a real thing, or was that just a storyline?
On “The Hills: New Beginnings,” you’re like, “Should we see what happens?
Should we not?”
It was a storyline and we played into it.
We had a talk.
We’ve been friends for so long; we respect each other.
We don’t want to ruin what we have.
It’s probably not the best to take it to that next level.
You didn’t want to ruin that?
I saw that you are doing a new podcast, “Was It Real?
The Hills Rewatch,” with Brody Jenner and Frankie Delgado.
What can you tell us about that?
It’s been so much fun.
We actually filmed three episodes yesterday … We started at Season 1 [of “The Hills”].
Frankie has a confessional at the end, which is really funny.
and why they did certain things the way they did.
For everybody that has all these questions, it’s going to answer everything in detail …
It’s a little cringey to watch for me.
I have not watched [“The Hills”] in 17 years.
It’s so weird.
I totally forgot about some of the dates I went on, so I’m reliving those again.
It’s like, “Oh, my gosh.”
Brody and Frankie, they’re like my brothers.
It’s constant teasing about everything.
Are you still close?
Do you still speak to Lauren Conrad at all?
I haven’t seen Heidi since we stopped filming, but we touch base here and there.
Hopefully, we’ll see.
But it’s hard.
They live in LA; I live in Orange County.
When we’re filming, we have set times, and it forces us to be together.
We’re all grown up now.
There’s no bad blood.
We’re all cordial.
We all have families.
We’re in such a different place than we used to be.
You’re all very busy by the sounds of it.
I’m a single mom.
You were also on “Dancing with the Stars,” and you also did some acting.
Could we see you heading back into either of those realms?
I’m open to it.
If the right thing came along, the right opportunity, I wouldn’t be opposed to it.
Acting was so much fun for me.
I haven’t really thought that much into it to start auditioning again.
But I did love hosting.
I would love to do both.
Audrina Patridge has done pretty much everything
You’ve had such an interesting career so far.
Is there anything you haven’t done that you would like to do?
I feel like at this point I’ve tapped into everything that I’ve always wanted to.
It’s almost like that book “The Secret.”
I’ve done a little bit of acting, modeling, hosting, reality [shows].
I had my swim line.
We showed our line at Miami Swim Week.
I got to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week.
Now, my focus is my daughter.
If anything else comes along, I’ll do it.
Now [there’s] my book too.
I feel like I’ve checked everything off.
I’m very satisfied and at peace at where I’m at.
Oh my, thank you.
You know what’s crazy?
I went to this event last night and I ran into Hannah [Brown].
She’s one of the Bachelorettes, or she’s on “The Bachelor.”
She was like, “I used to watch you in middle school.
I was like, “Gosh, I should have started a makeup line a long time ago.”
But now everybody has one.
There’s no reason you couldn’t as well.
I said it out loud.
I’m going to go for that.
Is there anything else you want people to know about your book before we wrap up?
I’ve really poured my heart into it.
It’s not a tell-all book.
It’s not exposing anyone or anything.
It’s about me and where I’ve been in my life and the choices I’ve made.
“Choices: To The Hills and Back Again” by Audrina Patridgeis available now.
This interview was edited for clarity.
