Stephen Colletti, 36, has been unabashed when it comes to the so-called “love triangle” that forms a major storyline for his popular MTV reality series Laguna Beach. In the latest episode of the Back to the Beach with Kristen and Stephen podcast, the former duo reflects on how the network portrayed his then-girlfriend Kristin Cavallari (35) and co-star Lauren Conrad ( 36 years old). 
“I have a big problem with that because look, obviously they created the show around this love triangle and there are times when you and I broke up and they learned that Lauren and I hooked up and became really good friends,” He recalls the podcast, via People.
“And, you know, obviously, things happen at some point. But whenever we’re together, you know, I’m never going to get ahead of you in this way. They really paint [it like] That’s what I do throughout the show – I have a big problem with that.”
Stephen did admit that he had to give it to the producers because he called it “the genius of [the show’s] editors. You have to give it to them, and they really did it in a way that I think gets the audience really engaged. Make that storyline.” He also said that the dynamic way the show is played, often orchestrated by producers to elicit a certain reaction, got him “a little bit of a bloodbath.”
Christine agrees with his assessment. “It’s like they decided to put us in a box and they’re not going to stray from that all season,” explained the recently divorced reality icon. “Like, they decided, ‘Okay, this is what we’re going to make Stephen look like. I don’t care what’s going on in his life, we’re going to keep hammering that home and keep going back to the same storyline.
Lauren eventually came out of the 2004-2006 drama and married William Tell in 2014, while Kristen has since married and divorced Jay Cutler.
