Everyone who watched The Hills in the early 2000s has strong opinions on who the cast villain was, but now it may have been Lauren Conrad, not Heidi Montag. The two reality TV stars used to be as thick as thieves until the day they weren't. Their friendship failure was one of the driving storylines that kept the show's followers glued to their screens.
The Hills was very popular among teens and young adults during its heyday. The MTV series followed the Los Angeles lives of the young women who once lived in a privileged OC community. Lauren was the leader of the group, with Heidi, Whitney Port, and Audrina Patridge always close by. All the girls lived a semi-charmed lifestyle, and even though some worked, watching the sunset at the beach never seemed to be that taxing. Once Lauren decided to give up her spot on the show, Kristin Cavallari took over as the main girl in the group.
Related: The Hills Cast: Where Are They Now?
10 Lauren Made Heidi Choose Between Her Or Spencer
The Hills season 2 showed the once close friends essentially arguing over a boy, and not just any boy, Spencer Pratt. During this time was when Heidi started to seriously date Spencer, who was dubbed the villain of the series. Spencer didn't make a great first impression with Lauren. Even though it's normal for a girl to sometimes ditch their friends for a new love interest, Lauren felt shoved to the side and discarded. During the season, Lauren made it clear that Heidi would have to choose between her friendship and Spencer. Sadly, ultimatums rarely work out, and Lauren was pushed out for good.
9 The Jen Bunney/Brody Jenner Hook-Up Drama Was Blown Of Out Proportion
Lauren and Brody were never exclusive while on The Hills. The laid-back surfer joined the series during The Hills season 2, and it seemed he and Lauren had a lot of chemistry. However, both always claimed there was nothing between them but a friendly vibe. However, the episode in question showed the crew celebrating Jen Bunney's twenty-first birthday with a storyline that evolved around her making a pass for Brody.
Heidi and Spencer encouraged the flirting, with all four leaving to go to a club where it was alleged that Jen and Brody hooked up. Lauren became furious, and by the end of the episode, she wasn't talking to Jen. While it was understandable she was unhappy with the shady move, Lauren's anger seemed to be misplaced. Lauren cutting friends out of her life seems to be a pattern for her.
8 Lauren Didn't Stick Up For Audrina
Sadly, Lauren always seems to have a best friend she eventually falls out with. At the end of The Hills season 3, Lauren, Lo Bosworth, and Audrina decided to move in together. Lauren and Lo took the master bedroom, as they were childhood best friends, leaving Audrina to have the backyard guest house. Sadly the room choice created an outsider scenario. Lauren could have made a better attempt to include Audrina. Instead, she allowed Lo to be rude to Audrina, never sticking up for her. Lauren failed to take her advice as she often said people should own up for their bad behavior.
7 She Didn't Support Audrina's Relationship With "Justin Bobby"
While Justin Bobby was definitely a zero, Lauren dated a pretty big loser herself (Jason Wahler), so she didn't really have a leg to stand on. However, Lauren often made it her mission to shame Audrina for her choice in men. The Hills cameras often caught Lauren being outright rude to Justin, even mocking him for his views at one point. While it's usually okay to tell your close friend when you think they are making a bad choice, Lauren doesn't seem to realize she couldn't force someone to break up with someone if they didn't want to.
Related:
6 Lauren's Hatred For Spencer Ruined Her Friendship With Heidi
Spencer was a difficult character to like. Between his trying to control Heidi and his rude attitude, he was no peach. Lauren hated Spencer (and rightfully so), but he was dating her best friend, who was in love with him, yet Lauren just couldn't let her friend be happy. Similar to how she shamed Audrina, Lauren would also talk smack about Spencer consistently enough that it drove Heidi into his arms. Lauren wanted to be right so bad that it cost her a friendship.
5 Lauren Wanted To Forget Heidi
Without a doubt, one of the meanest lines to leave Lauren's mouth was during The Hills season 3 when she and Heidi came face to face after the "You know what you did." Lauren was frustrated about Heidi covering up for Spencer and spreading rumors about a sex tape. The two MTV stars couldn't find a common ground, which led to Lauren telling Heidi, "I want to forgive you and I want to forget you."
4 Lauren's Resting Bit*h Toward Kristin
The moment Lauren and Kristin locked eyes, it was apparent that there was going to be a battle for the top spot. Even though Lauren was leaving The Hills, she didn't exactly greet her former Laguna Beach co-star warmly. The stank face came during The Hills season 5 when Kristen strolled into the church wearing the same shade of blue dress Lauren had on. Needless to say, there was no love lost between the two.
3 Lauren Lacked Communication Skills
During The Hills season 1, there were times when Lauren was super judgmental, especially towards her former best friend. Heidi often came off as a little ditzy without any drive, but Lauren often couldn't' help herself when it came to making snide comments. A great example was when Heidi tried to crash a party Lauren was working at. While Heidi should have known better, Lauren's passive-aggressive answers hurt the situation.
Related: Laguna Beach Season 2's Most Anticipated Moments To Revisit On The Podcast
2 Lauren Came Across As A Bully
After the fallout between Lauren and Heidi, it was revealed Lauren refused to film with Heidi. Heidi once told Buzzfeed that she would try to interact with her co-star only to have Lauren "run away." The mother of two often found herself bowing down to the lead of the show; however, Heidi started to stand up for herself more.
1 The Hills Was Fake
The Hills was heavily scripted. Along with the co-star's storylines, Lauren also played a part in acting out dramatic scenes. While some of the friendships may have been real, all were not. Lauren once shared that sometimes production didn't share the genuine story and joked about how "fake" all her internships were via The Daily Beast.
Sources: Buzzfeed, The Daily Beast
