Top 10 Most Shocking Betrayals on Reality Shows
#10: Lauren Conrad vs. Heidi Montag “The Hills (2006-10)
Young adults in the early 2000s were captivated by Lauren Conrad’s trials and tribulations. Her neverending feud with former bestie Heidi Montag can be summed up in five words: “you know what you did!” Things were fairly tense when rumors started to circulate that Lauren had a lewd tape floating around town. Heidi’s beau Spencer was alleged to be the main source of the gossip. Things didn’t officially blow up until Heidi passed Lauren an apology-less letter. That was the final straw for the latter cast member, and she let the insults fly. Their relationship was irreparably damaged from then on, and it doesn’t seem like things are any better now, even all these years later.
#9: Jeff Lewis Fires Jenni Pulos “Flipping Out” (2007-18)
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America’s favorite neurotic house-flipper Jeff Lewis spent eleven seasons entertaining audiences with his equally hilarious project manager Jenni Pulos. For a decade, we watched her manage his stress with real estate ventures and personal life. The two even became so close that he asked Jenni to be his child’s godmother. One day, what started as a friendly lunch between colleagues abruptly turned into a boss terminating his employee. Jeff framed his decision as allowing Jenni to pursue her promising acting career, but she was stunned nonetheless. The two have since traded barbs in the press over their failed friendship, with no clear hope for reconciliation. Maybe being pals with your boss isn’t the best idea.
#8: Jed Wyatt’s Girlfriend “The Bachelorette” (2003-)
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The premise is simple: a single woman dates a series of contestants in search of the perfect husband. The only qualifications for her suitors are that they’re easy on the eyes and single… right? Well, that wasn’t the case in season fifteen when Hannah Brown discovered that the man she had gotten engaged to was allegedly in a serious relationship with someone else. When People Magazine ran a story detailing Jedd Wyatt’s infidelity, Hannah broke things off without much hesitation as everyone cheered her on. It’s refreshing to see someone stand up for herself and take a firm stand on what she wants out of a relationship. Sorry, Jed, this girl values honesty.
#7: Stassi Schroeder vs. Kristen Doute “Vanderpump Rules” (2013-)
Tracing the romantic ties between the staff members of SUR is like assembling a loud, belligerent jigsaw puzzle. We don’t have much time, so let us lay it out simply. Stassi and Kristen were close friends. Stassi and Jax used to date. After they broke up, Kristen slept with Jax while her boyfriend Tom Sandoval, who was also his BFF, was home. She then proceeded to lie about it repeatedly. Stassi saw the whole offense as unforgivable. When she confronted Kristen in front of their coworkers, things got physical. Somehow, the two were able to patch things up over time. They’ve both since been let go from the cast though, so we’re not getting as many updates as before!
#6: Dan Gheesling Deceives Danielle Murphree “Big Brother” (2000-)
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Big Brother is an international phenomenon, with the franchise present in a slew of countries, racking up hundreds of seasons altogether. It’s a game of alliances and deception, but this entry stands above the rest. “BB” vet Dan entered the house as a coach and took Danielle under his wing. However, when he entered the game as a contestant, he started betraying her. He even convinced her to put her showmance partner Shane up for eviction, and proceeded to ax him from the competition. It ultimately became clear to Danielle that Dan was playing everyone in the house against each other for his own benefit. When you hear the outrage in her voice, it starts to become clear why some refer to him as “Judas.”
#5: Rob Mariano Betrays Lex van den Berghe on “All Stars” “Survivor” (2000-)
Outwit, outplay, and outlast – these three tenets are what guide the castaways as they compete for the $1 million cash prize. But this time, the gameplay ruined a good friendship. Boston Rob convinced Lex to vote out one of his closest allies to protect Amber. Even though Rob promised to keep Lex around, he voted him out at the next Tribal Council. This was a game-changing move that helped to ensure Rob and Amber would make it to the final two. While many fans agree that Rob was too cutthroat, maybe his actions were inspired by love? In the finale, Rob proposed to Amber. They subsequently tied the knot, and as of 2022, they have four kids. Hopefully, Rob sent Lex a gracious thank-you letter.
#4: Mama June Shannon Abandons Alana Thompson “Mama June: From Not to Hot” (2017-)
Formerly known as Honey Boo Boo, viewers have watched Alana grow a lot from her child pageant days. They’ve seen the ups and downs in her relationship with her mother, Mama June, who has struggled with sobriety. June has tried to make amends with her family, and we see a lot of that play out in this series. However, after returning from a trip one day, she shocked Alana with the news that she was leaving her at the airport to go to Alabama. Even when pressed for details, she wouldn’t give specifics at first, eventually revealing that she was going to help a guy friend. It was beyond heartbreaking to see the pain on Alana’s face. Even the producer was shocked.
#3: Who Leaked the Wedding Toast? “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” (2018-)
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If the anonymous letter scandal in the original series was any indication, Snooki and JWoww are masterful wordsmiths. The pair, along with Deena, were tasked to write a wedding toast for their castmate Angelina. In an attempt to be cheeky, they made a series of tasteless jokes at the bride’s, and Staten Island’s, expense. Prior to the episode airing, audio from the speech emerged online and the three were viciously harassed online. It didn’t take long before allegations surfaced that Angelina was the leaker, the conflict moved to Twitter where everyone expressed their hurt feelings. Whoever the responsible party was, it’s safe to say they pulled a wild stunt that had far-reaching consequences.
#2: Sumit Singh Catfishes Jenny Slatten “90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way” (2019-)
Avid viewers of this dating show are no strangers to witnessing shocking twists and turns as they follow the starry-eyed participants' search for love. When Jenny started flirting with a man named Michael via Facebook, it began to look like a classic romance. But he was actually someone in India named Sumit. While most would be turned off by the fact that their crush is a catfish, Jenny was determined to make it work. Despite her loved ones’ concerns, she moved to India to be with Sumit. Their relationship was under constant scrutiny, as his family didn’t approve. Plus, she had to adjust to the new culture around her. Nevertheless, their relationship persevered and they even tied the knot.
#1: Brooks Ayers’ Diagnosis “The Real Housewives of Orange County” (2006-)
Beyond the hilarious arguments and campy feuds, true betrayal is somewhat of a rarity in the Housewives universe. During season 10, Vicki Gunvalson started living with her longtime boyfriend Brooks. The other housewives didn’t exactly trust Brooks’ intentions, and their suspicions were confirmed when a psychic implied that he wasn’t being honest about his cancer diagnosis. This became a hot topic throughout the season, as Vicki defended Brooks against his detractors. She even compared herself to Jesus. At the reunion, she admitted to being duped. In an interview with E!, Brooks produced cancer documents that were later proven to be falsified. He justified this by claiming that he too could “manufacture gossip,” which doesn’t help his case one bit.