Details You Never Knew About The Women Of Selling Sunset
The women of "Selling Sunset" have sure made an impression with TV audiences as they have proven to have beauty as well as brains. But selling homes is only a part of what these career-driven ladies do. The female cast of "Selling Sunset" also have their own personal dramas that have made headlines. And lately the women of the popular Netflix show, which is about to head into its fifth season, have been through a lot of ups and downs. The charismatic stars that light up the real estate show — including Chrishell Stause, Christine Quinn, Emma Hernan, Heather Rae Young, Mary Fitzgerald, Davina Potratz, Maya Vander, Amanza Smith, and Vanessa Villela — have all had to face some pretty serious life-altering experiences that have shaped their lives, some for the better, some for the worse.
The multi-talented women seem to really have it all, including life hurdles. In the past few months, Chrishell has split from her boss Jason Oppenheim, as per People, Christine's Hollywood Hills mansion was nearly robbed (via Page Six), and Maya suffered a stillbirth (via Instagram). But there are happy events too that make their lives joyful, like splashy weddings and sweet new babies. Whatever life hands them, the home experts never get distracted for long as they continue to show up to open houses looking like a million bucks year after year. Here is a look at the highs and lows they have experienced in the past year.
Emma Hernan and Chrishell Stause are besties that lean on each other
These two entrepreneurs have become very close friends, so much so that when Stause was getting over her early December split from "Selling Sunset" co-star Jason Oppenheim, she took her pal to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for some New Year's fun, according to Us Weekly. The ladies could be seen having a blast on Instagram in their matching white string bikinis as they sipped exotic cocktails and worked on their golden tans at a luxury seaside resort. Stause said the experience was "magical" as Hernan called her friend a "bestie" on Instagram, proving these ladies are as close as can be. The reality TV stars also seemed to make some celebrity pals during their tropical escape, making the excursion even more exciting. To celebrate Hernan's 30th birthday, which fell on December 29, 2021, the women partied with the mother-daughter supermodel team, Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber. In an Instagram post from the outdoor bash, Hernan said she was "grateful" for the "new friendships" as she posed with the "Vogue" cover models.
Their friendship continued well past their Mexican vacation. And in February, Stause and Hernan posted Instagram photos together as they watched the Super Bowl from a suite at the new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Stause even called her pal Hernan "wifey" as she added two heart emojis to the post. Now that's a close friendship!
Christine Quinn worried about her new baby boy during a home invasion
Christine Quinn lives in a posh Hollywood Hills mansion far above the hustle and bustle of famed Sunset Boulevard with her husband of three years, Christian Richard, and their baby son, Christian Georges Dumontet, who is one year old. It seemed like a safe area to raise a family because it is not easy to get to. But the crime wave in Southern California has been so widespread it even touched this power couple. In early March 2021, they became burglary victims as armed robbers attempted to break into their massive home, as per TMZ.
Two men were seen on the couple's home security footage trying to smash a large window at their house, but luckily the glass would not break, and the would-be criminals left the property empty-handed. Quinn told TMZ that the window the men were trying to break was only four feet from her bedroom, where she had been sleeping with her spouse Richard and their baby boy close by. Quinn added that the experience was one of the scariest moments of her life, as she was a new mother who was worried about her child's safety.
Emma Hernan first worked in the food industry before she sold homes
This powerful salesperson did not start her career selling houses. Instead, Emma Hernan worked in an entirely different field when she hired the Oppenheim brothers — Jason and Owen of "Selling Sunset" fame — to help her buy a home, she shared with Women's Health. From a small seaside town in Massachusetts, she followed in her parents' footsteps after finishing school and went into the food industry. Her parents owned a seafood company, and she herself became successful in the industry. That's what eventually led her to cross paths with the Oppenheims.
"I used to go with Brett and Jason to open houses every Sunday because I was looking for a property," she told the publication. "I realized, 'Wow I love this,' and I was picking up on the lingo really fast. Brett and Jason were like, 'you have to get your license, you're too good at this.'" That is how she began working with the high-profile Oppenheim brothers. Next came her starring role in "Selling Sunset." Emma told Nylon that she was "not hesitant" to do the reality TV show because she felt selling hot properties was "very second nature to me." And the star sure seems motivated as she also told the publication, "I love working. I love making money. I love inspiring people."
Heather Rae Young had to get vocal surgery and not talk for two weeks
It is not the most fun thing to get surgery after tying the knot with the love of your life and enjoying a honeymoon in a tropical paradise, but that is what Heather Rae Young did. She shared on Instagram that she had to go through surgery for "vocal stress" in March 2021 after marrying "Flip or Flop" star Tarek El Moussa in October. And she added the recovery was "not ideal" as she could not talk for two weeks post-operation. Young described herself as "very social," so it was hard for her not to converse with her friends, but she added that it was necessary.
"In the long run, it is the best thing for me," she said on social media. Her voice problems had become noticeable on "Selling Sunset," as she often had a scratchy throat during her scenes. Making the experience easier was her husband, El Moussa, who stayed by her side to wait on her hand and foot, whether holding her hand or bringing her food. "He was amazing," the newlywed shared in her post. And she added that she has learned from the experience that "what feels like a challenge is actually an opportunity to learn, grow, and become a better version of me!"
Mary Fitzgerald is 12 years older than her husband
Some girls have the best luck in the world! Mary Fitzgerald is 40-years-old and one of the more senior ladies on the hit show, as well as one of the more experienced real estate agents, giving her an edge over the other employees. But she is married to one of the younger men on "Selling Sunset": 28-year-old Romain Bonnet, a model from France who is now a project manager for the Oppenheim Group, as per People.
This power couple met and fell in love in 2017, and then he got down on one knee to propose with a sparkling diamond ring in 2018. They tied the knot in style in the fall of 2019 in front of their TV co-stars in Los Angeles. This is Mary's third marriage, and she has a 24-year-old son named Austin (via Life & Style). But the two hope to add to their family, as Romain still wants to be a father. Mary shared she will be freezing her eggs and trying for a child "in the very near future," after traveling together in Europe and accomplishing the goals they have set for themselves in their respective careers.
Davina Potratz worked on a Jennifer Lopez movie
Davina Potratz is one of the more impressive real estate agents on "Selling Sunset." Not only is she a charismatic salesperson who has a gift for making clients happy, but she also has certain star quality. So it is not hard to understand why in her younger years this native of Hamburg, Germany, had her eyes on Hollywood with hopes of securing a successful acting career, as per Twenty2. She did not have a major career, but she did have a minor success 17 years ago that she should be proud of. Potratz appeared uncredited in a small role opposite iconic movie actor Jennifer Lopez and legend Jane Fonda in the 2005 smash-hit romantic comedy, "Monster-In-Law." The movie is about a woman who has to learn how to deal with a nasty in-law, as per IMDb.
She played a woman known only as "Kevin's friend. Kevin was Dr. Kevin Fields, played by Michael Vartan, who Lopez's character falls for. Potratz was seen flirting with Kevin, making J.Lo's girl-next-door type jealous. (It didn't help that her mother-in -aw made her feel like she was not good enough for Kevin.) Though Potratz had a small role, it was a big film, and certainly something she should add to her already impressive resume.
Maya Vander had a heartbreaking personal loss
Maya Vander has experienced one of the worst losses anyone can go through in their lifetime. She lost her baby –- a son she was going to name Mason — in a stillbirth at 38 weeks in 2021. "The doctors were shocked. I felt like I was in a bad dream," she said to Women's Health. She said her pregnancy felt fine until she was at 37 weeks (a full-term pregnancy is about 40 weeks.) The baby started to move less in her belly, which concerned her. Vander then had a "bad feeling" about the pregnancy, so she went to her doctor for an ultrasound and learned the crushing news that the baby was stillborn.
She had to deliver Mason, which was painful for her but a necessary part of the process. However, it was comforting to hold him in her arms for a while before saying her final, tearful goodbye. It was a shock as she had already decorated Mason's nursery and had bought him clothing and diapers. And she had documented her baby bump growth on Instagram. These days Vander tries to stay strong for her two kids, Aiden, who is two years old, and Elle, who is one, that she has with husband David Miller, she told USA Today.
Christine Quinn's glam costs $1,000 a day
Christine Quinn loves to be as glam as she can be every time she walks out the door. The star often wears couture dresses, sky-high heels, designer purses, and diamond jewelry, as seen on Instagram. She works with a glam team and clothing stylist to look her very best. The price tag is hefty, however. It costs about $1,000 a day to look cover girl ready, she told Vogue. But this has helped turn the powerful real estate agent into a style influencer, part-time model, and even designer, which are excellent ways to add extra income streams.
In April 2022, the spring collection she helped design with ShoeDazzle debuted, and she served as her very own model on social media (via Galore). Pushing a glam image has also helped her land many magazine covers, like Galore, in which she looked like a Hollywood star as she modeled pink dresses and stilettos. She told the publication that she is proud of herself for coming so far without even a high school education: "I had to carve my own path — one that I could walk along in open-toed slingbacks." And splurging on her glam was one of the ways she has managed to stand out, which makes it all worth it in the end.
Amanza Smith says her ex-husband went missing
Amanza Smith's ex-husband Ralph Brown was a top football player who was with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, among others, as per Today. They met in 2010 but divorced in 2012 and shared split custody of their two children: daughter Noah, now 13, and son Braker, now 12. But in August 2019, when she was filming the second season of "Selling Sunset," the former athlete went missing. A month later, he emailed his ex-wife, saying his financial situation was dire and it was not safe for his kids to be with him, per E! News. Brown has also said in the past that concussions from playing football had given him migraines which have led to depression. She mentioned she thinks her former husband may have CTE, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which football players sometimes suffer from due to the impact of the game.
He is not considered a "missing person" because of the email he sent to his ex, saying it was his decision to stay away. In 2021, Amanza filed for full custody of her children as a way to begin healing. "I'm relieved that this long process is over. It's been incredibly hard on me and especially the children," she told People. "We will never be 'over' the absence of their father, but hopefully, we can move forward in a more positive way now that we are unhindered by the legal obstacles that prevented me from making the decisions that are best for us as a family of three." Still, it must be very hard on the reality TV star and her children.
Vanessa Villela was a big TV star in Mexico
Vanessa Villela can wheel and deal with the rest of the "Selling Sunset" cast. So it is hard to tell that once upon a time she was a popular dramatic actor making hit telenovelas (akin to soap operas in the United States) in her native Mexico. According to Newsweek, she has starred on many shows such as "Romántica Obsesión," "Un nuevo amor," "El Cuerpo del Deseo," and "Amores de Mercado." The talented thespian studied acting at the Centro de Education Artistica de Televisa in Mexico before she began her long TV career, and even went on to become an award-winning performer.
Her last acting role was in the 2017 series "Milagros de Navidad," about immigrants experiencing Christmas in the United States, according to IMDb. Hopefully, she can make the transition to U.S. TV dramas one day, if that is still her dream.
Mary Fitzegerald got married in one of her listings
Mary Fitzgerald was knee-deep in intense wedding planning for her big dream day when she realized she needed an eye-popping location to say "I do" to her fiancé, model turned "Selling Sunset" star, Romain Bonnet. And then she had a clever idea to make it all come together: After she fell in love with one of her very own listings, she asked the new buyers if they wouldn't mind hosting her wedding in their new digs, per People. The new homeowners said yes, which resulted in grand nuptials in front of their 80 closest family and friends, including their twin bosses, Brett and Jason Oppenheim.
The impressive property included a large mansion and lush gardens filled with mature trees, grassy open spaces, and rose bushes. Footage from the romantic wedding aired on "Selling Sunset" and was considered one of the most dreamy nuptials in the show's history. Fitzgerald told People it was an unusual move to get married in a client's new home, but she thinks it was the "right move."
Chrishell Stause grew up poor and her parents were in a cult
Chrishell Stause is the epitome of glamour these days with her designer dresses, splashy vacations, and fancy home. But when she was young growing up in rural Draffenville, Kentucky, she suffered a lot thanks to poverty. The agent had a tough childhood with little money, always having to watch her pennies and wear hand-me-downs to get by. Her family even experienced moments of homelessness, as per People.
Her mother and father also had unconventional ideas about parenting. "My parents got into the cult when I was about ten years old," she shared in her book, "Under Construction: Because Living My Best Life Took a Little Work." "Reader, if you go to a church and you have a 'leader,' instead of a pastor or rabbi or minister, that's your first clue that this might be a cult." Stause pulled through and eventually attended college at Murray State University, graduating with a BA in 2003. That led to a career as a soap opera actor on the soap "All My Children" and a spot to compete in "Dancing with the Stars." She certainly has come a long way.
Christine Quinn posts the most on Instagram
Social media is a powerful tool when climbing the fame ladder, something that the stars of "Selling Sunset" seem to know very well. Glamor gal Christine Quinn is one of the most active "Selling Sunset" cast members on Instagram, with an impressive 2.7 million followers. The star posts almost every day, often in cute string bikinis on the beach, Chanel suits while in Beverly Hills, and couture gowns before going out to star-studded red carpet events. Quinn even has more Instagram followers than Chrishell Stause (3.1 million,) who gained a following with "All My Children" and "Dancing with the Stars." She also has more followers than popular newcomer Emma Hernan (2.1 million) as well as longtime favorite Mary Fitzgerald (1.8 million).
The star told Glamour UK she has so much ambition because "every time I was told no, it made me push harder and harder. So over the years, my confidence was something that I learned to get a handle on." And her strong Instagram followers no doubt help fuel that confidence even more, making her ready to tackle even bigger challenges.
Maya Vander is the most worldly star
Maya Vander had an "amazing childhood" growing up in Eilat, Israel, she told Naluda Magazine. Her mother was from Israel but her father hailed from the Netherlands, meaning two languages were spoken in her cozy household. That allowed her to become bilingual — she is fluent in both Dutch and Hebrew. But she did not stay put in Israel for long as she had the travel bug. She moved to the Netherlands at 20 years old to become a model and moved to Los Angeles two years after that (via The Jewish Chronicle).
After meeting her husband, David Miller, at a bar in Santa Monica, California, she spent time with him in Miami, then moved to Los Angeles. And according to her Linkedin page, she has also hung up her hat in the Netherlands, Spain, and Singapore over the decades. But these days, she is happy to stay home in Los Angeles with her children, she told Elle, as she loves to play with them in the backyard and cook them dinner before tucking them in at night.