We Need To Talk with Paul C. Brunson - The Story Behind Reality TV's Biggest Villain: Did Spencer Pratt Regret His Actions?

Episode Date: January 27, 2026

What really happened to Spencer Pratt after The Hills - and why has so much of the story never been told? Known as one of reality TV’s most controversial figures, Spencer opens up about the real story behind The Hills, his relationship with Heidi Montag, and the hidden cost of Hollywood. He reflects on how "playing the villain" became personal, and shares the truth about their nearly 20-year relationship, surviving the pressure of fame, paparazzi, and public hatred. Spencer also discusses losing his home, confronting his identity, and how fame nearly destroyed him. This is the unfiltered conversation you've never heard before.Spencer Pratt, We Need To Talk (00:00) Intro (02:55) Spencer’s Upbringing in Los Angeles (04:37) Spencer’s Soccer Career as a Teenager (06:55) Famous Classmates and Life on Film Sets (11:38) How Spencer’s Soccer Career Came to an End (13:34) Spencer’s Sense of Purpose (15:03) How Spencer Joined The Hills (19:52) The Legacy of The Hills and Its Influence on Reality TV (24:35) Spencer’s Fame at the Height of The Hills (30:46) How and Why The Hills Came to an End (33:50) Spencer’s Role in the Kardashians’ Success (36:07) Life After The Hills Ended (42:08) Does Spencer Have Any Regrets About The Hills? (47:32) Shopify Ad (48:44) Spencer Describes His Relationship With Heidi (53:32) Did Spencer Want to Be a Father? (56:25) What Changed Spencer’s View on Fatherhood (58:29) Reflecting on the LA Fires One Year After Losing His Home (01:00:01) The Day Spencer’s House Burned Down (01:11:39) How the Fire Impacted Spencer and His Family (01:14:15) How the Fires Led to Spencer’s LA Mayoral Campaign (01:24:28) Spencer’s First Day as LA Mayor (01:26:37) Spencer’s Response to His Detractors (01:27:25) Who Spencer Voted for in the Last Presidential Election (01:33:14) What Readers Will Learn From Spencer’s Autobiography (01:35:15) Most Memorable Conversation (01:36:17) Is Spencer Proud of Himself Today? (01:38:54) Paul’s Takeaways Follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/needtotalk  https://www.tiktok.com/@weneedtotalkpod Follow Spencer here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencerpratt/?hl=en The Guy You Love To Hate: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guy-You-Loved-Hate-Confessions/dp/1668211769 Sponsored by: Shopify: www.shopify.co.uk/needtotalk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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seen and helps reach people with the right skills, certifications, and more. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Listeners of this show will get a $75-sponsored job credit at Indeed.com slash podcast. That's Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need a hiring hero? This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. This fire starts coming now closer. I'm like, do I die? Do I stay? Now I'm watching my actual house burn to the ground on the security can. Growing up around just A-list movie stars,

I wanted to be rich Jonah Hill. It was in my class with Kate Hudson's, the Jack Blacks. How in the world do you then get on the hills? Oh my God, really? You're making me cry right now. You're making yourself cry. I thought I was the puppet master, but I was just full puppet. I remember once the car goes by and girls are screaming.

Yeah, flicking, I was like, oh wow. But at the time I was like, dang, I'm so famous. It's like, you know, like, can we talk about your relationship with Heidi? I wouldn't be married if it was not Heidi. I was going to be a player. I was the plan. But at the same time, I know somebody reached out, wanted to, like, give Heidi and I our own show, and I sabotaged that. It was January 7th.

I see the fire so far away up in the mountains. I'm like, oh, we are so good. They're going to come with the planes and the water, but I don't realize nobody's coming. This is what has inspired you to run for mayor. 100%. I am winning mayor of L.A. Before we begin, I just want to say, if you enjoy this conversation, be sure to like it. Be sure to comment about what you appreciated.

And be sure to subscribe. It helps us to bring more guests that you want to see. Thank you. Spencer Pratt, we need to talk. What a great title. I'm super excited to talk to you. I'm, you know, super excited. I'm excited to talk.

All right. I know you are. I know you are. And tell me this, though, is that, so I watched when you announced your running for mayor of L.A. Have you had a sit down full-length conversation since that announcement? Well, legally, I wasn't able to because of the book. So, which is so funny, you know, the first time of my life, planet Earth is reaching out for all these interviews. I'm like, oh, I can't talk.

Like, what? It almost feels like I planned it, but I didn't. I do love talking. Then would this be your first interview since announcing? Yes. Yes. Okay. Okay.

All right. So this is good. So I want to go back and understand Spencer Pratt as a young boy. You were born in California. You're California boy, right? How would you describe growing up? What was that like for you? Paint the picture for us.

Like a movie. Like it was that good. And, you know, how hard my dad and mom worked to just provide me getting to be in such an incredible world. L.A., West Side, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, clubs in Hollywood, everything. So growing up was just literally perfect. It was perfect. So you said your parents were working. incredibly hard to provide.

Yeah, just like my dad's a dentist. He's still working to this day. And, you know, he put me in the private school with some of the, it was a school mainly for Hollywood kids, like directors, producers, actors. So growing up around just A-list movie stars and being on these insane sets with so young that I didn't even appreciate it. Now I look back, I'm like, oh my God, this is crazy.

and then when you're with a kid of these people, you're treated so different versus, so you never see them as who they are because they're so cool to you and you're part of the unit that come. They're bringing you there. So, yeah, I was just so privileged and blessed. It was just an awesome, like too good

because then you look back and like, those can't be the best years of my life. Exactly. Fair enough. And before you sat down, we were talking about soccer. I call it football. The UK and me, you're calling soccer, is I didn't realize how passionate you were about the sport. Oh, yeah, it was definitely my entire life.

I was always on three different teams at all times and traveling all around the U.S. for club soccer. But first off, this was a time when the only thing I could watch on soccer, I would go to off-site sports and they had a DVD, the 99 best goals of the World Cup. So I didn't have a dad that was, like, connected with satellites and we're watching games in Europe. So my brain of what soccer football could be is just the early stages of MLS, no money.

So as much as I loved it, I, for some reason, didn't connect. that I could be a rich global superstar if I put my life into this. So as much as I love sorry, I also wanted to be rich. So that's why, you know, I was trying to go to Wharton and be an investment banker or, you know, going to finance. And once that went sideways, you know, I was, oh, well, everybody I know is rich was in Hollywood. So let me figure out how to get into Hollywood. You know, so it was either, but never my brain if I had known, oh, I could be really rich, rich if I just catch a flight and just have my parents put me in one of these academies.

Right. What do you think it is? Because this is interesting is that when you said that, that really resonated with me. Because when I was maybe high school, for example, I wanted to be rich. Like that was the objective. It sounds like I didn't realize. So that was your... I mean, once you see rich people, you're like, why would you want to live life any differently?

I don't care what anybody. Like, if you're really around rich people and going on jets with people and landing in there, Martha's Vineyard, you know, just stupid rich, you see it. You're like, this is what I want to do. So you were doing that what, through the friends high school? In middle school. And middle school. Yeah. Really?

Yeah. They would take you to on the private jet? I went to Europe. I got to see all of Europe. like like villa just James Bond like stuff

what were so can you name any of the the more famous names that went to high school with you oh well there's people that yeah people were actually

became famous that are actual people and then there's the parents but the people that you know the most famous person that was in my class was Jonah Hill so good for him

because he he just made the other day I bumped into him at a hotel and it was like out of a movie scene he's like wife and kids she just had a baby and they're at the thing and I'm like

oh we're at the valet and this like blacked out escalade shows up and I'm like oh where you're going he's like oh to set I'm like oh that's cool he's like and he's like and like this kids whatever the driver's name is whatever but it's his driver and his set for his movie

He's starring in that he wrote and he's on the lot at Warner Brothers and he's got this. I'm like, this is like good for you. And I respectfully always thought he was annoying, you know. You know, like, you know, I'm obviously about, you know, when I say annoying, like he's always, you know, freestyle in and cracking. It all worked. You know, he was originally Timmy Chalamee. Like when you see what Timmy Shalamee is doing all that, like Jonah was doing that back in the day.

So, so Jonah, you know, obviously like the Kate Hudson's, the Jack Blacks. I don't know, though. The list is probably so long, but my friends, when I was young, like on set, like the first set I remember going to was with, and it is in the book, was going with Merrill Streep, who again, I don't know who she is. You know, like it's made. But how do you connect with Merrill Streep?

Because her, I'm best friends with her daughter, Mamie. And so we're going to death becomes her in this mansion in Beverly Hills with all this, like, you know, because in it, there's all this magic type. Their faces are changed. So it's all just, and it's all a night. And then my other close friend was this guy, Joe Abrams, who his dad was Jim Abrams, who did all the hot shots movies. So I'm with Charlie Sheen, and we're in that, I'll never forget going to the scene. where it's like a fake Muay Thai fight and Charlie Sheen's all ripped.

And, you know, I walked on the actual Armageddon comet at 20th Century Fox with my friends were like hanging out on the comet. I mean, it just goes forever. I was sitting front row at the Grammys before I even knew what the Grammys were with the president of CBS's daughter. And again, this is all pre-Instagram.

So I wouldn't have been so, like, dumb, you know, Like these kids now, they search, they chat, and you know, this, you know, I'm sitting next to, I'll never forget, I'm sitting next to Russell Crow at the Gladiator premiere. He is drinking beers, offering me a, offering me a beer. I'm like, I think I'm like 15 or whatever.

I'm like, so, I can't even do the list because it's so. So much. It's just. So much. So that you're, the picture that you're painting, I'm now getting it more, right?

Because you would say that your family was well off. but it sounds like what you're talking about is another. A whole other tier. You know, like my dad probably bought our house for $400,000, you know, in the Palisades. Before the Palisades had movie stars and these big mansions that just now came to it. It was just a really suburbia. Anybody could have lived there. Teachers, dentists.

That was the town. Like, you go out of Palisades and that's where the. big monies in Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Homely Hills. So that's where you go to the parties for the other private schools and you go in these. But yeah, no, I had a great life, but I was, you know, I never, my dad's never even been on a jet. You know, my dad won't fly first class on a plane. I don't know if he ever even has. So.

Interesting. I think that's something that people, some people, could be surprised about you. I think the thought is that you come from an extraordinarily wealthy family. Most of people are so confused. The average person is like, thinks I was from Laguna Beach. And they think I'm like one of the OC, like Orange County Laguna Beach people are like, the amount of you were like, I loved you. I'm like, I'm not from like.

Yeah, you then ended up going to you. Was it USC? And that's when soccer stopped. I had a crazy ending in my soccer career and like a, a. in a playoff game that had a dramatic and I ended up getting kicked off the team as the captain. So I was already just like, what I'm done was this, you know, done with this. So you were kicked off the team as the captain. It seems like you were confident and convicted, like in your voice.

Because a lot of people in high school wouldn't go to someone in an authoritative figure and say anything to them. I was in the book. you'll see I'm real hyped up on a, now it's illegal, but I was hyped up on a fedron. So that, you know, I was taking rip fuel that was, you could buy it at the GNC, the little strawberry packets, putting in my drink. So I was just like, like on one. So, you know, there's that factor of maybe I would have been,

that's why I didn't get kicked out when they find out that like, oh, he, you're taking this before the game, it was like three packets actually before that one. Okay, okay. So, you know, but that's also senior year. I had gone through so many trials and tribulations from, you know, in ninth grade, there was some miscommunication with a girl

that I hooked up with that told me that she was no longer dating the senior. And I wanted to, you know, be truthful and honest, which is one of the crazier things I've done in my life. So I call this senior and I'm like, hey, just a heads up, like, this happened. And so then for my whole freshman year, I have the whole seniors just trying to get me

at every parking lot, at every sporting event. So that already kicked off a whole new frequency. So this is the type of stuff that I'm already... You're already in? I'm in deep, you know, at a young age dealing with... I see it. How do you think all of those things shape you? Oh, I mean, that's why where I'm at today, life, I go back to, like, I believe God did let my house burn down and my parents' house burned down because he knows I've been training for this, my entire life at such different state.

Like, my life has been designed for what I'm now up against. So it's, it continues to be like, oh, okay, this is making more sense. like a purpose, like destiny type situation. Because before, you know, when I, before anything happened with our house and our town and everything, I would look at Heidi and I'd be like, it didn't add up. Like, I did all this. And then, you know, I'm not Kim Kardashian. And I, and Heidi and I were so pivotal in all the pathways for these people that did just, you know, blow up and have all success.

even just the same game plan that we did and we paved the way and it just didn't make sense. And now I get, oh, that wasn't what I was supposed to do. I wasn't just supposed to be rich. I'm supposed to make like serious changes, which is like so much heavier. I see it. That's very heavy, man. Very. How in the world do you then get on the hills?

How does that start? No, I would have to like look at dates, but I see. my mom and her best friend are watching. I stop by the house. I see them watching this show with all these younger women. I'm like, what are you guys watching? And my mom's best friend, Lucy's X-Sex-Sitzer, you should marry

that girl, swear to God. And she's pointing at Heidi. I'm like, who is this? What is this? So it ended up, the universe is crazy again. So we're out in the club, and it's in between season one of the hills and I can new and season two. And Heidi comes up to

Kristen and I hook me up with a guy. know, guys, what's up with the guys? She's like, oh, let me introduce you to Spencer. So we start. Your first time meeting, huh? Yeah, but I don't even connect, you know. It's the club dark. I'm not, I'm just seeing good dancing, blonde hair. I'm not like, oh, I remember you.

My mom's friend said to marry you, you know. Again, the show wasn't a hit. I'm not like meeting, you know, the Paris Hilton or Nicole Rich. This is not, the Hill season one was not on any radar. So it's not like I would have known who this. who this was. So we're dancing, we're hitting off, and then we're seeing each other,

and then she tells Kristen, whatever she tells Kristen, and Kristen's like, oh, heard you're obsessed with Heidi. I'm like, I'm not obsessed with anybody. You know, like, this is peak, like, I'm in the game. You know, I did really,

Heidi was a lot of fun, but she will tell you to this. I was obviously obsessed with her. She'll say that. I didn't feel that way, and I definitely didn't, like, that was being marketed. Okay, I see. You know, that was not, that was way too quick to be branded obsessed. So I said, oh, okay.

So the next time we're out in the club, I see some acquaintances that are also good dancers. Okay. And, you know, at the time I had a move called the Cabo that I mastered in Cabo, obviously, where I very Valentin from Dancing the Stars, where I would scoop my female partner into the air, and I would, from hand to hand, it was very, I mean, I could have been a ball. That's epic.

That's epic. And I, so I, the Cabo was used a couple of times in front of Heidi with a few different things, but we weren't even a, you know, she also, we weren't even a relationship. So, but she was like, oh, okay. So she changes her number on me. this is back in the day when that's a that's not like doing it on the app this is like you went to a team mobile and they gave you a new phone so okay so that was I was like dang I can't even

play just ice so months go by and we're at Chateau Marmont in Hollywood and I meet the talent producer of the hills and she's like oh my gosh like you can't believe Heidi and you I guess She told me not to talk to you. I was like, oh, whatever. I was like, who else is on the show? What's up with these other women? And she's like, well, Adriena, do you want her to come here? She was kind of come here.

I was like, who's Adrina? It's like, oh, she's on the show. And her and Heidi aren't getting along because Adrenna was talking to Jason after L.C. broke up with Jason. So Heidi's and L.C. aren't talking to Adriena. I was like, ooh, she will definitely play the game. That was your way in.

And so Adrina comes. I'm like, oh, her, what's up? you should bring me to the club tonight because they're filming season two. Wow. So I say, you pull up on me, you're going to get the scene of the season. Yes. And so we go up and Heidi have some, you know, I think I say, you know, oh, hey, please lead us to our table.

And she says, like, with her clipboard, I only work with VIP, you know, just some killer line or whatever. But that was now I'm in. That's how you had it. You finessed your way in. I mean, I told them I was to do it. Yeah. And so I learned the hard way.

Second year on camera, you sign and you're not getting paid ever. So once they started, they'd be like, oh, you send this remark. I want to sign that release. So I just kept showing up and drama would happen. And they'd be like, you need something. I don't need to sign anything. Like edit me out. Don't put me on the footage.

So I just did that until it was like, became. you like you just became cemented. It's almost like they needed you. You couldn't do the show at this point. Yeah. And I didn't sign. Just looking at the show. When I look at the show,

I look back and I look at it as it was different than all of the other reality shows that had come out previously. And how I view it as different is I feel like the hills blurred this line between, is it real? Is it, it's like it ushered in what we call now structured reality, right?

I think it was like the first prominent show to do that. So what I'm wondering is, is that when you were going into a scene, how structured was the scene? How produced was the scene? So we got to give technically Laguna Beach. The Hills stole the Laguna Beach look. Okay. So Laguna Beach was the first show that did the, you know, they called, it was the first time, from my knowledge, a reality show put everything on stilts or whatever, you know, tripod, sticks, whatever.

So all the shots they tried to have shot like a movie versus the shaky, real world style. So they took that Gary Aubruck and, forget who the other guy, the Laguna Beach people took that. And I think they took that idea from the O.C. with Misha Barton, which was a scripted show. And they were like, let's make Laguna Beach the real OC. So they literally were like,

this is the big hit scripted show. Let's make it in a high school in Laguna Beach. So by the time it gets to the hills, they've mastered the aesthetic. Okay. And Heidi, her first season, she was as real as can be no struck doing,

you know, maybe they structured her job and put her in the school that she couldn't have. even though they had LC, they paid for LC's, and then it made it so Heidi couldn't afford it, so she had to drop out. And kind of without Heidi knowing,

they were structuring being, you know, so she wasn't in play on it. I mean, this is a blow in my mind, because even you getting into the show, you orchestrated that. Oh, there's so many people that you could go right now and go have dinner with them witnesses, with the whole plan.

And it went too far, obviously, because as you get deeper, you, you, You're like, you know, you've got to keep pushing the envelope of making TV and as a real person You're now sabotaging your existence. You know, that's why I never You know, even though when I lost the plot, I didn't lose the plot because I It was the same Path. I always planned to go down You got to be the Simon Cowell and I didn't watch whatever Simon Cowell was

I'm like, who's Simon Cowell? Everybody hates him was like that's easy. I should have known, but I was dumb the Simon Cowell can be be that because he's telling people that suck at something, the truth. And sometimes the truth comes off, but he's still telling you, don't quit your day job because he knows you got no chance. So I didn't have that grounding for my behavior, so it didn't let the audience be like, oh, he's just doing that because people believe the show was real. So when you said it was the first to be like, is it real? I never experienced anybody to this day. People are finally now like, oh, real.

But at the time, nobody thought it was fake. Right. Yeah, yeah. No, no, I'm with you. Oh, okay. It was like, I remember when I used to watch wrestling when I was a little boy, I was like, oh, this is real. Like, you know, WWF, like, I was like, this is real.

It wasn't until much later. I was like, oh, my God, they're staging all this. I think it was the same way with the Hills. It was. Yeah. People took it way too. Also, my biggest mistake or not, I never watched one episode until two years ago when I was making some TikTok series where I was showing all the frank imbiting how, if you don't know what frank inviting is, it's where right now you can film the back of my head talking to you and then I'll go do a voiceover and we put a whole new sentence to what I was saying to you in post. or I call Heidi right now,

but then they have somebody else on the other end in the footage. So I'm saying all this stuff, oh, Heidi, I love you, so beautiful. And they put some other woman in the edit, and she's like, oh, you shouldn't be saying. So that's the type of stuff. So years later, I was like, I'm going to make a TikTok series, but I didn't even know how bad it was, you know, what they were really doing. I thought I was the puppet master, but I was just full puppet. You were full.

I was getting played. So that was the joke on me. Yeah. And at what moment do you first realize from the public's reaction of how they're seeing you show up, like your character show up? I remember once we were sitting at my favorite, now burned down, but Cafe Vita in the Palisades early on. And we were sitting eating some breakfast cassidias wherever and a car goes by and all these green girls are screaming, yeah, I was like, oh wow.

But at the time I was like, dang, I'm so famous. Like, you know, like, because it was still that type of, that's when you, when people are yelling at you at a window, you were like, you did it. You did it. It's the first thing I framed in my room in my childhood room was Star Magazine. It was called the Yucco meter and it had a meter and it's a yucco. And it like, it was like a cartoon and had my face and I like had it like all max yuck. and I framed it on the wall.

I made it. That was you. That was you. So you were proud of that. Oh, do you know how hard it was to get into a tabloid back then? That's what people forget. Tabloids were for movie stars. Okay.

Period. Okay. Parasone broke in as a socialite, just looking like a straight billionaire, eras, you know, skinny little dresses looking. That's how she got in. But nobody was on a show just being Joe Schmo, no pun, intended there was a show Joe Schmo. Joe Schmoe. But yeah, Joe Schmo wasn't

in Tablays. So for both the plan on real life. So I was like I just hacked in the whole matrix. You made it. You made it. Now you said previously you just said, like I lost the plot but I didn't. Walk me through that. Yeah, I mean

just I didn't understand because this is an era where TV aired once and if you didn't buy the DVD You're never seen that again. So my brain and formula never saw streaming, Twitter, TikTok, reels, all these things. My brain never saw that. So I was like, I can do anything every Monday or Tuesday night.

You know, this is going to go away. People, I'll be lucky if people remember what happened on this show in that version of entertainment. So my plan went very sideways, realizing now there's this permanent record of this, which, you know, I would have made it out like a bank robber, you know, if the new media platforms didn't exist. Okay. But at that time, 2006 to 2010, so we're talking what, like, YouTube is just coming into. Yeah, nobody's. No one's on any socials? No.

I mean, I'm sure if somebody would be like, YouTube so big, but I didn't have a YouTube account, and I'm a TV star, famous. Right. You know. Right. Right. How did it feel for you when you were going around L.A. or traveling the reaction that you were getting?

I mean, I was so famous that people, when they, I always said that. People can say anything behind it, but when they meet you and you got the, now they say it, the aura or whatever, that fame, power, which was so much more magnified then. because of the power of media in the traditional sense because now it's so fragmented and it's all over there's so many people get there

if you're into this little niche you're in this little pocket but this was forced on you you didn't even you had to see my face you had to see clip you had no choice now you can choose

and so with that power of fame that energy out in public it's like You know, that's why my ego was my ego. You couldn't be more famous. I couldn't have been. Right.

And people- They're putting our portraits next to Obama in the fanciest restaurant in Beverly Hills. You know, Brad Pitt, Obama. Like, so I'm, I don't care what they're airing on the show. Right. So you just, what, because you like that feeling, you then feed into what's happening on the show even more. Oh, well, I like the feeling of money more.

the feeling of money more. And without that feeling, that was your goal. Yeah. And so the more of that feeling, the more money that comes. This makes sense. So it's like, and then it goes dark when you find out, oh, the more money, oh, now they're going to cut it off because they don't actually want to pay more money to get that anymore. They can get it cheaper with Jersey Shore.

Oh, I see. I see. So I remember I was once, I was listening to some media scholars, and they were talking about a term called meta-villenies. Have you ever heard about this? And you know what? You know who they referenced in it? You. I love it.

And they said, okay, that you were one of the first people ever on television to not only play the role of the villain within the show, but then to manipulate the system outside of the show. Well, there was more money actually outside of the show for doing these like interviews and, you know, comments and the magazines and so they sell your photos. So maybe not more, but a lot of money. So then you're doing it outside of, you know, in a perfect world, you know, I would have been making so much on the show that I would have no media. And then in that managing or manipulation or whatever of the system, that involves like calling the paparazzi.

You called your, like before the paparazzi was showing up themselves, but it's a sounds like you were calling the point. Well, we made a partnership with them, 50-50. Did you? Yeah. So we worked every photo almost from the second Heidi and I met. We were 50-50 with every photos sold and licensed. So I want to say like legit millions were made in paparazzi photos.

Just paparazzi photos. Of things that we staged with them. And we'll go get the props and go rent a boat and like do the Titanic shot on the front the boat and then open the box to shoes and then, you know, may sell it, you know. Yeah. Wow. You were running it. I mean, that's why I was, that's why I kept going, you know, and then just.

So that how did you, so how, at what moment did you feel like you lost the plot? Jersey Shore. I mean, it's that simple. Once I knew, once I saw Jersey Shore come, I was like, game over. And why? Because they were unbelievable. You know, you cannot. I was the only one with Heidi that cared about trying to make the show good.

Everyone else, it was the early, now it's called image crafting. They were all professional image crafters. They were like, we don't want to be like Heidi and Spencer. They did their best to like keep it where then you see the Jersey Shore. You got a whole cast that doesn't even need to make it up like Heidi and Spencer. They're just like a tornado. The writing's on the wall. Really?

Game over. Wow. So what do you start thinking then at that point when you realize this is over? We're effed. And that's when I also started realizing the power of fame is without the platform, you're nothing. So that's why the Kardashians were so successful and are. It's because the conglomerate Comcast never dropped them. They kept them going when the ratings were, I think they canceled the hills at like 2.5 million viewers or something.

And you can Google later or somebody. I don't want to throw out a number. But I want to say there was times where the Kardashians was doing 300,000, 400,000 viewers never got canceled. They just were like, this is our thing and we're going to run it all the way until they make the new deal with Hulu. So in my ego, I thought, oh, we're still at 2 million, you know, but I didn't get MTV's not in that business model or Viacom. Once it gets too expensive, margins, let's put in the new fresh horse, the cheaper race horse

and get them out. So if Viacom had saw Jersey Shore and they're like, okay, we'll bring Jersey Shore, but we're going to get in Heidi and Spencer business and we're going to give them a redemption arc. And maybe they tried, and I sabotaged it because in the book, the president of VH1,

which was still real big at the time, reached out, wanted to give Heidi and I our own show, and I sabotage that. Why? You're going to have to read the book. That's so good. It's so good. It's so good.

So maybe that was that. So I can't say, because it was right after, boom, and that could have been, you know, a few more seasons. Who knows? You know, so or not. But I think it, you know, the more I think about it, That was one of those. I had a couple of those moments in my life.

Yeah. And then also, though, do you feel like you, you and Heidi and the Hills launched a whole realm of other reality? Because did, I mean, you played a role in the Kardashians coming about. Well, I inspired them because they got to see, they literally come out to Prince of Malbu, see their stepbrother with a Fox crew. This is big budget.

But you know, you can't comprehend what a 2000, what is that, 2003 or whenever the Princess was. But what a Fox television show with the budget, like we had our own moon. Like you can't, people can't, we're talking a moon, a light so big, a big old floating in the sky movie level budget that would never exist now. It's not all that Hollywood doesn't exist. So if you're Kim Kay and Courtney, you pull up to your. stepbrothers reality show over the hill from the valley and they got thrown on moon there they see their

futures really so later when uh chris jenner reaches out to us like hey want to talk about doing like with bruce and you know my head first off i'm a hater on the valley at the time because i'm mad with palis valley was not popping like it is now thinking who wants to watch the valley i've had a good many years thinking about this as I read all the two billion on skims and da-da-da-da-da you know yeah I can imagine I can imagine um wow all right so so now 2010 the hills ends you see you saw the writing on the wall though yeah I was so close with the president of MTV Tony Sand at that time he had already given me the heads up so that final season where I looked the craziest.

I was telling, they're editing me out, but I'm yelling at the cast. He's like, we're getting canceled. And their egos, they were like, they'll never cancel. I'm like, he's literally telling me, like, we're done. Yeah, you knew it. So I knew it. So, like, I have that desperation energy mixed with all the family drama going on with my family, with Heidi's family, because TV and families and drama is just the worst thing you could ever do.

Was that, when you think back to low points prior to the last year, when you think back to low points, was that the lowest point for you professionally? No, it was years later even, you know, because then you realized, what did I do? You know, like when I went back to college and I'm like, how was I gaining all this money? I was so famous and I just sabotaged at all.

So that's, I would say, you know, I feel like, you know, I'm emotional. I started eating pies. I want to say I gained at least 50 pounds off of like fudge brownie pie, apple pie, chocolate brownie pie, just like eating my feelings. I did it again after my house burned down. I'm currently trying to undo, but it wasn't pies this time. It was burritos.

Okay. And margaritas. We're supposed to be skinny, but there's no such thing as skinny margaritas. Let me tell you. No, no, there's not at all. Not at all. Toll made up word. But Spencer, why do you keep saying that you sabotaged it?

Choice, choices, you know, I could have set myself up, you know, I'm responsible for what I can control. And I look back and, you know, there's different routes you can always take in life. So, you know, you can blame all these factors or you can think if you want to just like start making sure you don't make, you know, again, I did it yesterday. I know not to like, I've learned not to post when I'm emotional or safe. things and yesterday I was so angry I did a video and I'm still glad I did the video because I it was therapeutic but it wasn't worth it and I created just energy I didn't need to put into the universe so it's like again I need to keep making sure right that I'm sharp right right and just so we understand as much of this that you want to disclose is you were incredibly

well you were wealthy you were well should I say you were making a lot lots of money. Yeah, the problem here's with that. To be, look the most famous possible, when you're competing against, in my head and on the list, I'm competing with Tom Cruise, Angela Jolie, literally Obama and Michelle, like these are the people who were popping at the time,

whether you say, like, is he insane? This is the list. It's like, you know, it was Tomcat, Spidey, brandalina. There was a USA thing, top three most famous couples in the world. Oh, we're. We were there. So not like...

You and Heidi were... Yeah. Right there. So the difference is they're real rich. We're like hustler, check to check, fake it until you make it rich, playing way out of our... You know, yes, we're making so much money, but not in Hollywood. Okay. Like for what security costs, travel, hair, make...

So look at all the girls' women on Euphoria. Cindy Sweeney, Zenda. that stylists are paid for, hair and makeup are paid for, all the stars on Gossip Girl that Heidi was competing at that era. Stylists are paid for, hair and makeup are paying, securities paid for. Guess what we're paying for on the hills of the time? Everything. So you make a lot of money.

You have an agent, you have a manager, you have taxes in California, you have a business manager, you have security, stylist, hair makeup. A lot of money becomes check to check. so quick. I see it. I see it. So then to make money once the Hills ends, what do you do? Thank God we had created enough. So we did a show almost every single year now since the Hills ended.

So right after the Hills, when it got really scary for like a quick minute, Heidi got a huge check because I think VH1, we did with that show they wanted to give us, had a development deal. And since we didn't go through with that, They had to put her on to, they paid a big check for that project. So instead they put her on the show called Famous Food, which was one season where they like opened a restaurant with some very entertaining characters.

Clips are now going viral on TikTok like two weeks ago. Nobody had ever seen it since, you know? So that was like close to a million dollars right there. Boom. Oh, we're breathing again. I see it. You know, then it was wife swap. Then it was our biggest check celebrity.

Big Brother in the England. Shout out Richard Desmond for life. I love him forever when he owned Channel 5. And then they brought us back for another huge check for the All-Stars. Yes. And then marriage boot camp. Heidi did a mother-daughter experiment. We guys a great chat.

You know, so we brought down the costs of our lives. Now we're not trying to compete against these people. And this is an incredible career if you're just making food at home. Yes, yes. So I see how you were able to decrease the lifestyle, the cost of the lifestyle. What about ego? I mean, I got humbled. The ego was murdered in 2010.

Like, you know, once you've, like, you know, what I've learned about just fame and everything. Like, right now, like, My whole life I wanted to be on the cover of Us Weekly. I was on so many with Heidi. But in my book, I told everyone in summer school at Call Me QML with lots of witnesses to this day. I said, I'm going to be on the cover of Us Weekly. It took 20, this yesterday, Wednesday, I'm on the full cover of Us Weekly. Yes.

Congratulations. Thank you. And it took 20. I don't even know the math. But right now is the peak of technically what I wanted to achieve of fame. With that being said, where you said, were you saying? stand right now when you reflect back on the hills, just specifically that period, do you have any regrets?

Oh, no. I would have gone harder. I would have made it so the Jersey Shore never even showed up. They wouldn't even have taken the pilot. I'd have been like, we got the Tasmanian devil over here. Like, you know, I got. This man, five more. Yeah, I got too cozy.

You know, I like, start phoning it in. You know, even though I look great, like, I would have, I should have hired my own writers. I should, you know. writes my ideas, bringing some ringers in my click. You know, I was like, just like getting whoever to film with me, I should have been, you know, like I had the arc. I should have loaded it. You should have gone.

Yeah. I did not think you would say that. Yeah, yeah. How do you, when you look at reality TV now, what I notice, especially with the shows that I do is I feel like every, not everyone, but there's always multiple people who want to be the villain. Well, now it's like a spot, you know. Let me tell you, I'd advise them, be careful what you wish for.

You know, here's what the problem with being the villain is. The villain, when you're part of the, like a franchise works. If you're just doing a one-off, you're going to get those hits, you're going to get those views. You are going to not get followers. Because a lot of people do this, get followers. People, when it really comes down to it, people don't follow people they don't like. there's people that'll follow to hate and just be like send you know the ghosts follow you to like troll and be like but the goal of fame is for people to genuinely like you to want to be

connected to you to want to live through you through experiences so if you go on a show you're going to go on a dating show you're going to get that boom little pop everyone's like oh I saw you in the show if you want to keep being connected to fame and attention there's not a you know and I learned the hard way. If you are a villain, but it's from like, like heart, like back to Simon Cal. Right. He was a villain. Good example. But it had heart behind it. So like if I could go back to being a villain, I would have been way more cautious. Like, you know who did it great as a villain is like a Scott Dissick. Yes. People just, he just said what he was thinking. A lot of times it was the truth. You know, he also didn't have them editing against him. It's harder if there's an agenda

to like literally like there was a deal in place with LC to make Heidi and Spencer the worst human beings are to keep LC going. Oh really? Oh so that's hard to you know combat even if you're strategic so there's only so much you know but if you don't have that type of situation because that's very rare like if you're just going on a one off what you just said I'm literally going to clip and send because I see it all the time what you just said is the guy. gospel is that when you see a lot of these contributors go on these one-off shows, they want to be the villain because they want the A storyline. But to your point, no one follows. No one likes that. There's no merchandise or commercial deals that come as a result of that. So why play that?

But it's so rampant now that I was talking to a producer not long ago, and he said that there are people who teach you to be a villain on reality TV shows. Like there's literally training. for it. You know, again, I'll go for it. I'm also not saying don't do it. Like, if you're fine with, you just want to work that angle and, you know, you can't worry you and then go to the bad girls franchise. You know, Zeus will take you or whatever. You know, there is, there's a space, there's somewhere, but I'm just saying if you, if you're not a villain, it's a, you know, some people that want to be villain are, our villains. Like, you know, you're probably a bad guy. If you want to be a that guy. You know, I wanted to be rich, and I didn't get the choice to be the hero. They were like,

you're not coming on. You know, this show's done. Like, I was like, oh, this is what I'm going to do. And I saw long-term possibility. Also, my plan worked. I'm going to go on this show, make it so good, they're going to give us our own show, Brody. And what did MTV do? They gave us our own pilot. But we were so good. My, again, dumb ass was like, no, we're good. We don't want the show that you're giving us on our own, let's stay on the hills because there was more money now in the hills, but I should have been like, bye, go do my own thing with Brody, build up and get the, you know. Yeah. Can I ask if you can't, how much were you making on the hills?

Once it got to like peak, I think it was like 120,000 episode. 120th episode, not bad. You know, within 120,000 did a lot more in 2008 than what 120,000 does right now. Yeah, not bad. You know, I was just on my own war path. I see it. You know, I would have been, I would have played the game. Kim K, another expert at that.

And Kim coming up, seven days a week, meetings, you know, like, look at, everybody who's super successful that I've watched, they work with every, I was just like, shh. Tunnel, yeah. Yeah, and it's like, fair enough. We need to talk about how much noise there is in the new year. Reset, reinvent, rebuild. And what I've found usually goes hand in hand with that is pressure. But this year, how about flipping that pressure into permission to finally try the thing you've been thinking about for months?

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Best Network based on root metrics, best overall mobile network performance U.S. Second Half 2025. All rights reserved. It must provide a recent consumer mobile bill. My name of the person, regained me the deal. Additional terms, conditions, and restrictions apply. Can we talk about your relationship with Heidi? I mean, it's so funny.

People always will be like, oh, what's the... Hold on to. The secret to, like, a great relationship. You know, I'm always like, you know, marry an angel. You know, I wouldn't be married if it was not Heidi. I was going to be a play. a player. I was the plan.

So it's not, if your significant, if you find true love, you'll know it because there won't be another choice. Like, I didn't want to be in love. Like, I wasn't seeking out,

like, I didn't want to get married and have kids. That was not the plan. So when people were like, oh, what are the secrets? I'm like, it's very simple.

Like, make sure you, you find an angel. It's so sweet and has, like, faith. And I was always positive.

and when you're so, like, down, they uplift you and I want to work. You know, so I always put it back on Heidi because she makes my job as a partner in life's very easy. So I can't take any credit for, like, a long lasting relationship because she creates a frequency that's just like, this is, this is it. Yes. You know, so, you know, there's no hack. Like, people always be like, what are the relationship tips? Like, find the right one. And, you know, then, you know.

Do you know why do you think it is that people ask you so much about that? Well, because it's very rare in Hollywood to make it like 20 years and go against everyone trying to tear you down from family to networks to shows to producers to different family parts. And, you know, we've been through so much that most people, I think it would be challenging. Yes. So what have you learned about being a husband friend? I would imagine, Heidi's your best friend as well. So best friend. What have you learned?

Because I think that, you know, I'm one foot in the industry, one foot out. but I see how, to your point, there's methodically, couples are torn apart, methodically. And I can't imagine how much pressure there's been on your marriage to take you two apart. So what have you learned about why and the importance of showing up and continue to show up and continuing to fight for your marriage? You know, we've always just tried to have fun. even though when everything, people always like, how did you get through? Like we were just going to Blockbuster,

ready movies, you know, eating cheese and crackers in bed. You know, when it was peak crazy, we were just together. So outside influences and that, it was just static and, you know, all the way through. And, you know, our communication were, I mean, there was, I want to say, it was at least 10 years.

I feel like we're rarely apart. Now we've had to do some shows separately and, you know, done work. But when you were together with somebody so much, you communicate. And you really don't like keep things. If something's bothering you, you know, you address things. And we also try to find humor a lot. Like when things are, you know, we're always trying to like, a lot of dark humor, just fairly, just.

I could imagine. You know, so it's like you got to laugh. It's just like, oh, how could this get worse, you know, type. But that's why I never even try to do the relationship. Because I don't have the formula for anyone I just know for us. It has never been. And obviously, parenting was the most challenging. Yes.

That's it. Yes. You know, that's the only time where, you know, it's so hard. You're, you know, right now it's like peak hard in our life. So the hardest it's ever been because our three-year-old is acting like the year old to like so none we're just trying to keep them from not smashing their heads in anything you know like the stakes are just real like you don't want your kids you know getting injured even though you're like trying to break these two so that's just that pressure where it's not

us but it's like we're exhausted it's your turn or you get up and you know that type of stuff like yes yeah that was up to this or why it was it you know so it doesn't happen so you said that you never planned to be a husband. The plan was to be a player. Did you ever plan to be a father? No. Because for some reason, my own dad, who's like the best father ever, I don't know if he was just always trying to, you know, make sure I didn't, like, do it too soon. But like my whole life, he was always like, oh, don't get married and have kids. Like, so maybe he just wanted me to, like, see out dreams that he felt with his job and his career, it's like, boom, right after college, he never left the dental office

and was just like in the matrix in a way forever like plugged in and maybe that was his way of like see the world do all these things like don't tie yourself down you know so I also had my own dad who was a great husband and a father always telling like don't get married enough kids

so that was always a weird imprint on me and I was like I'm gonna listen to this guy really so so your thought was well initially was your plan wasn't to be a father but then when did that change and then it really didn't want to be a father

once like I felt like a failure because I was like you know what am my kids gonna like this is what I've achieved in life you know it's made up you know nothing you know like I as a

you know when you dream if you dream about being a father you want to be like this role model or something great for them to look up to So when I got to the place where I was like, in those down times of where Heidi was started being like, I was like, no, I guess not. I wouldn't, I didn't want to do that to a kid. Like, oh, you're going to be Spencer Pratt's kid. Like, I just didn't.

It's like, I don't want to add that. I didn't want them to start negative is the way I saw it. That's interesting. I didn't realize you got to a point where you were, were you ashamed? Oh, I mean, well, I, not ashamed, like, not proud. I mean, it's not like a win, you know. Nobody looks at what it takes to be hated, you know, when it's strategic, you know. Yeah.

It's a lot easier when it's not strategic and then it, you're just hated. Yeah. But, but you were so disappointed in you that you didn't even want to bring children into this. Yeah, you know, what my expectations of my, how hard I worked growing up for everything, school, sport, everything. like what I imagine my achievement. Like I, if you had asked me from a very young age to a very, till it was too, like, there was no doubt in my mind I wasn't going to be a billionaire. Like, not even a maybe.

So to not be a millionaire was like, whoa, I did life wrong. Okay, okay. How did that then change? And at what point do you realize you, you, you wanted to be a father. Well, Heidi's, you know, it became like more Heidi's like this happening. So I feel like that, you know, I don't think. And then it became more of it's not about me.

And one thing I have read and I've noticed like some of the biggest superstars kids have the hardest time because they're in the shadow of this greatness. So maybe I actually set them up to be the Pratt. that like you're going to be the one now because and then I really started thinking you know what I do have to pass to my I didn't know it was to be sons but to my sons was what not to do in life and my dad is a great dad he never gave me any advice what not to do he was like I might as well you know he was so supportive and let me just you know he's also just busy just like he worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., like grinding, no pun intended teeth.

So I wasn't like I got a game plan now. I know so much about like humans and how. Now it's gone to a whole new tier, but on a whole other scale. But so that to me is actually it started becoming, I flipped it. I'm going to show you the path that you need to go because I can, tell you what not to do as an expert. Right, right. And you said it went to a whole other tier.

I would imagine that's the last year. Exactly. So this is really where I want to dig into because I think this has been the most transformational moment of your life or transformational year of your life this last year. So it's almost one year ago.

Yeah, last week it was one year. Last week it was one year. So last week, one year ago, your life changes. How so? Well, what's interesting, as I just saw like a fire victim the other night that I barely knew, but our kids were at elementary school together. And she said she's been in therapy or whatever. And she said, well, true trauma, it takes one year to process how you, like, really feel.

And they're like, don't make any big decisions until you've had one. one year to process like true trauma. So like this last week's been so much like extra heavy because I'm like, who, you know, there is no hope. You know, that's the like, that's the hard part. Because after it's been a year, you're like, oh, this is actually, this doesn't turn out good. There's not like a, there's not like an over the rainbow type,

like you get to it. So that's been like the hardest part is getting to this like, this, this like, you know, part of it that you're like, because when you're in it, you're like, oh, you know, but now when you look, it's been a year and it's actually going backwards. Yes. Things are getting actually worse.

There is more is coming out. That's more negative. There's, you know, so that's been the, the more challenging part to, like, to process. Are you open to walking us through the day? Yeah. And so it was January 7th. We'd actually just spent the last four nights up all night because our seven-year-old at the time had pneumonia.

So we had like 103 temperature. So we're doing that crazy parenting where we're doing shifts, who's up all night, trying to get the temperature down. We're going to the hospital. There's nothing the hospital can do. So, and we had like a nanny that was out of town because it was maybe an end of a, holiday break. So we had no backup at all. And so she finally was available. So she comes at 10 a.m. to take the two-year-old up our hiking trail that goes back up the street that we went on every day for like eight years where we live there. And I'm just trying to do my normal routine.

I'm making espresso about to turn on Taylor Swift and do my look what you made me do, dance that just like my little ritual. And I see her running down like holding the, two-year-old down from the window and she runs in and she's like the workman up the street say there's a fire and I'm like I'm not scared because you know there had been two fires in the palisades before you know the helicopters kind of put water on it you know I'd already done the whole evacuation thing where tidy takes the kids I actually stayed at the house to make sure and I wanted it you know both times so I was like in my head I'm like ah dang we're going to run this back you know so I go up the hiking trail to go see what

She's talking about I see the fire so far away up in the mountains. I'm like, oh, like in my head, I'm like, we are so good because I'm like, they're going to come with the planes and the water, drop it. So I call Heidi. I'm like, yeah, maybe, you know, pack an overnight bag with some diapers and go down to my parents' house because we're up on the hill. They're down at the bottom of the palisades. My parents' house is 128 years old, like an old Spanish house down by the, like on the

bluffs next to the ocean. So Heidi loads up, starts packing. You know, we're also not like watching the news because as she's packing, you know, our seven-year-olds like locked in on whatever, blippy or whatever to try to keep him happy, which if I could go back, I probably would have sherman on the news and see not knowing that the fire actually was coming two ways. So I sent Heidi down to my parents' house, not knowing that it's actually coming closer to my parents' house. So then my older sister calls, she said, what are you doing? What is Heidi doing at, you know, at our parents' house? I'm like, hunch, the fire's coming up by Temescal now. So that's closer to their house.

So I call Heidi. I'm like, pack up everything. You know, head up north to Santa Barbara. Like, just get out of here. I'm going to hang around and wait for the firefighters. And I, you know, because we also live next to right across street from the water reservoir. Do you? Okay.

not knowing that they drained the water reservoir. So I'm so confident, you know, literally to the point where I have a video where I'm watching these guys up by the water reservoir. And I think they're, because next to the water is one of those things where the helicopters dip into it. And I'm thinking, they dip into it.

They don't fly next to where I'm dropping the water. Also, I've lived there eight years. Firefighters are always on their street, on our street doing the drills. So I'm like, we're good. I don't hear any sirens throughout the day. I'm like, what's going on? I call.

So this fire starts coming now closer. And I'm like, oh, this is getting a little, it's getting weird. And there's no helicopter ever coming, and there's no firefighters ever coming. So now I call the direct line of my fire station. I was going to say 45 seconds from my house. Let's say, if you're slow down, the fire station is three minutes from my house. I called a direct number there. I got my phone.

I say, yeah, can you get a fire truck on this street? Because in my head, I'm like, well, here's the hillside. It comes down, like there's the reservoir that's all this cement. So all you got to do is get a fire truck right here to where it's all overgrown brush from the state park. Hit it with the water. It can't come and hit my whole block and take it. They say, I swear. Where to God.

I'm so glad how he told me to call because I would, I'd always have that thought, like, why didn't I call and tell them? Yes. And I call and they go, oh, there's no assets available. I'm thinking, there's only so many streets like ours that connect to the state park. So in my head, I'm like, this is exactly where you'd put assets.

And at this time, I still don't know that reservoir has no water in it. So I'm still hanging out there. And now it's the fire started like 10, 25 in the morning. It's elite. My dad's now left work. He's up there with me and we're just watching it on the hill, just watching the, you know, I'm dropping the water on it from the planes.

I'm thinking, okay, you know, we're staying positive. My dad is not aware that his house is in danger, you know. Okay. For some reason that he just, his brain can't process that. So we're on this hill watching it all the way until it starts wrapping around. So now I call again. I'm like, okay, nothing's coming. So you call a second time and what, what did they?

No, nobody's coming. They just said no one's coming. No one's coming. And so my dad gets the hose and he's like trying to hose things off. And then he tells me, just go. You know, I'll hang around here, go, you know, go be with your family, da, da, da, da. So, you know, I do the flip a coin thing all the time. Do I die?

Do I stay? Obviously, why flip a coin? You know, I do know people that stayed and save their houses, with buckets and hoses. I also know people that die with hoses in their hand. So you can play that, you know, what if I could go back in time, the thing that I didn't do that I know now you could have done.

At 10.30 in the morning when I went up and saw the fire, I get on Google and I search private firefighters water truck and you pay the 50 grand and I would have put one at my parents' house and one of my dad's house. But I was still in this naive, I'm a taxpayer. We have water in the reservoirs. We have firefighters.

They are coming. That's coming. People that are smart, hired firefighters, save blocks in the Huntington Palazades with one water truck, a whole entire parts of neighborhoods, one private firefighters with the water truck. And that costs 50,000.

I mean, that's what I, maybe less. You know, I just, you know, you know, we could check Google. We could be, I'm pretty sure I heard 50 grand. I know somebody that was 50 grand. So you decide in that moment, you know what? I'm going to go. I'm going to leave.

But your father stays. And I was watching him on my ring doorbell with like the little hose, like watching us across. It comes up from the state park just like, and he's just so just. So I'm calling him like. So I actually drive back when I see him on the ring and I'm like, get out of here. I like yell at him. I'm like, leave. So he leaves and then, like, I'm like, it's not worth it.

Like, leave. And I watch him on the ring. He comes back. So I'm like yelling through the ring. Like, get out of there. So finally he leaves. But I don't realize he goes to his house. So now his phone's dead.

It all worked out because as I'm watching my actual house burn to the ground on the security cameras, I'm more concerned about my dad burning alive that I can't reach. knowing he's trying to save his house down the hill. And so I can't get a hold of him. I've now left where I can't get back in. They blocked the town. And so I call 911 now. Okay.

And I say, I can't reach my dad. This is the address. Please send emergency personnel to go, you know, he could have had smoke inhalation. He could have a heart attack. He could have fainted. And I've been trying to get this 911 call for a year just so people can hear it. and they say, no emergency personnel is going to that area. As I'm telling them, my dad, it was 75, 76, could be dead or dying.

They tell me on 911, no one's going to that area. Your home burned down completely. Your parents' home burned down completely. And what I didn't realize is that you were able to watch it happened in real time through the ring camera. No, through the whole camera system. Through the whole camera system. Oh, yeah, your security system.

What's going through your mind as you're watching that? Like I said, thank God I thought my dad was burning alive. So I was like it felt like less important. You know, it was like it was surreal, but I really thought my dad was because he, the last I talked to him, he sounded like loopy, and he was like, and he was like, you should see the, like, he sounded crazy. And he's like, you should see these flames and these embers.

They're like, golf balls. I'm like, dad, you're going to, like, you're going to die. And he's like, no, I'll jump in the pool and a hold my breath. And he sounded so crazy because he knew my house just burned to the ground. And now his house, you know, so he lost it, you know. To the point that next day, he hiked in, which I wouldn't do that hike into the Palisades from Santa Monica on a good day, let alone

when the fires are still going on the 8th, when so many things are still burning, he hiked into sea of his house and made it, just like at a hope. Like that's how nuts out he'd gotten. When you come back to witness where your home was, What's the first thought that comes over your mind? I wasn't as like, you know, obviously I made like silly videos and I was trying to say positive because I was probably having like a nervous break.

You know, I don't know the like science medical term, but I was probably gone. I probably compartment like I was on. Typically at first it's denial. Yeah, like this is like so I was playing in the ashes to the point where, you know, a year later I have all these skin things from the toxic. debris that I was like digging out crystals and looking at my espresso machine. And also I thought I had insurance because I did for eight years. I had farmers. But when they dropped everybody, you got stuck with California Fair Plan. And I did so much to get on California Fair Plan by cutting back all these trees and sending him photos and all this that I thought I had all this coverage.

I didn't get. This was like nothing. So I was on there's like, okay, everything's replaceable. I'm probably still in my head, you know, they're just possession, you know, I'm going to rebuild with the insurance, not knowing I don't have enough insurance money to now, because of the new zonings and permits, put the casons that are required that cost a million to, which is more than my insurance gave me to put the cement before I can start building a house. When something like this happens, how does it impact your family, your boys, your wife? How does that impact how you show up in this world as a family? I mean, I just went right into, like, trying to promote Heidi's music because the timing was so weird because it was the 15-year anniversary of her album, superficial. So I had been working for a year to, like, have all these remixes and have this, album come out on the 10th and our house burned down on the 7th so whenever people are like oh how do you

think it was like it was all already set up so once that I was like oh my god we need so much money and I really had this false hope from what the music business was that if I could get Heidi's music number one we'd make enough money to rebuild once I know we didn't I didn't get that going number one on all these charts and top billboard we'd get 150,000 which is again a miracle blessing but 100 you know to rebuild to be clear our house was 2400 square feet to rebuild that we need four million dollars four million it's a 2400 square foot house you and Heidi had no other income right we put all of our money into that house that was our thing we were giving to our kids every detail was upgraded every toilet every pipe was copper every AC was head

the filter like little you know eight years of okay every dish every table we custom built with stones also don't forget every pretty much dollar I ever spent was on museum grade crystals that all went up in value that was not like a bad investment right that was my inheritance for my kids all gone all gone all gone so what the value of what you lost and I don't know it's hard this is there's millions Millions. Millions. At least two million and just crystals.

And just crystals. Everything Heidi had ever bought, designer clothes, every suit. People are like, oh, he's always in shorts. You think I can go buy all my designer clothes that I've bought all the way through being like on TV shows and think is you have to wear nice stuff to go on red carpets to do it.

It's part of the business. Like, you have to buy nice stuff. Right. And you keep it. And I, you know, like Heidi had all her shoes that were for her. You know, you can say like, oh, it's like, but that's part of her business, you know, so. Yeah.

That moment turns into you making a huge announcement this week. How so? Yeah. I mean, let's be clear. Last week's announcement never happens unless I don't find out for one year what led to my house burning down and the aftermath of the cover up. So I would be talking about Heidi's new album right now in my book. That announcement, like there's people like the mayor actually just said to ABC7 that I made that announcement to profiteer off my book.

I lost yesterday a $75,000 endorsement deal for three TikToks that was already all in play because I'm now into politics. This does not help. So if you want to go along with, oh, I did that to promote. promote my book, I'm now $75,000 in the whole negative in how many books I have to sell just off of what I had to announce. So the idea, I was going to host a dating show, the production company called Yesterday Also, because it's all this week. And they say they're concerned moving forward with the development on a big franchise because what if I were to win? and I go, why don't we cross that bridge?

You know, like, okay, God forbid if that's your problem, I win as mayor of L.A., which, you know, I don't know the, like this is a pretty, who knows, but Heidi's the host now. You get a lovely gentleman to co-host with her, and you have the mayor of L.A. as Executive Bruce Sir, but that, no, they're of all concerned. So that's a potential television, big host format project that we've been developing for almost two years from a big, big things that hit all over Europe. Now that's like, uh, on hold and $75,000 in one day. So they want to say that,

you know, I'm doing this for a promo. It's way easier to just promote a book. Now I have to go on all these interviews that they want to talk about that. They don't want to talk about the book. All the things lined up, there were my book tour, has now

changed to what the questions are. The publisher's not happy. Right. Right. I've had two zoos. where I could show you a screenshot right now. They don't want me to post about all the stuff I normally post for the last year for the next two weeks. I can't do that because now I am a voice for an audience of people that need, there's a journey

we're on. And I can't just go, oh, you know, two weeks, we're going to, tactical pause, guys, I got to sell my books. You know, so back to the announcement. Why? So what I find out Our town should have never You know

Never burn Right after it happens I'm like You know obviously everyone's like It's a land grab Everyone's like Maui And I'm like this is all conspiracy I'm not doing this

They're telling me It's 100 mile per hour Hurricane winds It's an unprecedented Fire storm blah blah You know I'm going along with all the propaganda Because I'm deep in

You know promoting Heidi's music. So I come to find out that the Palisades Fire, January 7th, did not start January 7th. January 1st on New Year's Eve, there was a, you know, alleged, he said, I got an arson case, but there's an individual who started a fire at Skull Rock. He says, his lawyer says, it was accidental. He did call 911, which even the Justice Department says 12 times from the second of ignition. So whether he was crazy and lit it and backed out or it was an accident and he's still crazy. Right. Does not matter. Firefighters come. They put it out. So that's what they say. Okay.

This is on the 1st of January. First of January. First and second, you know, they're checking on it. They still have hoses up there on the second. It was not out. It was so. smoldering visibly on the second. Multiple people sent called 911. They called the fire department. They were posting hiking videos of it, just straight up smoke coming out of the dead brush. Hiking videos.

We have a drone video that people can go watch. On the second, somebody from down the street, thank God there's hobbyists. This guy had a thermal drone just because people got, People got stuff. He flies his drone. You can see it in the thermal, the whole side. First off, the state park, which the state government is responsible for,

they're responsible to be checking that with a drone. They're responsible for walking up there, not hiker and seeing it smelling and be like, hey, bring the water back. So there's a known wind event that the city, the state, red flag, dry, conditions, they're tweeting about it for days. Also, in past fires in 2019, they left firefighters for days sleeping on the site. The last fire up there, they left the hoses up there for 18 months. They took the hoses down in a day and a half, pulled them all down. So then I start having whistleblower. I have a whistleblower fire, you know, the timelines, I'm just going to throw things.

I have a whistleblower firefighter to tell me it was visible. smoldering when we left. So I'm finding all this stuff out while I'm watching the fire department and the mayor with after action reports. You go back to the LA Times from like the 70s, the engineer that built and created from LADW built that reservoir, built it for firefighting purposes for that, the Palisades community. They argue that water was for drinking not to fight fires, even though the literal L.A. Times has the photo of the guy standing talking about why he.

He built it. Then they decide after they drain it, oh, we can't fill it back up. It's too dangerous. So they leave two reservoirs that the helicopters use. So they'll tell you that all the water in the world wouldn't have stopped this fire. So instead of going 30 seconds, water drop, water drop. They're flying all the way to Malibu to Pepperdine and all the way to Encino in the valley to get water. These helicopters spend 66% of their time in the air going to get water versus 66% of the time putting the water on the origin of fire.

They have secret maps of all the protected plants surrounding the Palisades that in their own manual from 2025, they say if there's a fire in the Palisades, in quotes, is why I wear usually wear the hat that says, let it burn. Gavin Newsom. Yes. In his State Park manual, it says let it burn. because they actually want it to burn if there is a fire because of growth of their plants that they're protecting.

So when those firefighters go to put out a fire in the state park, they're not allowed to clear firebreaks with dozers. So dozers are just bulldozers called dozers. They're not allowed to bring heavy equipment because they don't want to mess with the milk vetch, which is a plant I'd never even heard of. Guess what happened to all the milk vetch? gone.

25,000 acres are gone. Guess what happened to the lions, the lions, the bears, the lizards, the snakes, the birds, the humbreds, all dead.

And that's why there aren't proper fire breaks surrounding state parks. And this is going to happen in Bel Air. God forbid, you know, it's inevitable.

Okay. Belair, Hollywood Hills, Topanga on the other side that didn't burn. It's happening. And they're going to say it's unprecedented

again. But it's not. There's 10,000 victims suing to get 70% of what they lost back from the state. And Gavin Newsom called myself and these 10,000 victims, opportunistic plaintiffs. We're trying to get 70% back and we're opportunistic plaintiffs. You have the mayor calling me despicable, trying to profiteer on the anniversary because of my book. Right. Then you also had, I saw the LA Times called you a conspiracy theorist.

Yeah, for something, if it was a conspiracy, that 100 million that Newsom was going to build the affordable housing into the palisades and bring that. If it was a conspiracy, why when then I asked about it, did they pause it? Because if it was a conspiracy, they go, this guy, no, here's all, he's wrong, he's wrong, he's wrong. They paused that bill. Okay, okay. So. Okay. So this is what has inspired you to run for mayor?

100%. If Karen Bass had stepped down and resigned, or if somebody was the last year fighting all these people, like, in a political position and was going to, like, go after them, I would just stay in my lane. But nobody is. And we're going to get four more years. And this is what I keep going, because people will go, oh, but he only cares about the palisades. Well, the palace is gone. I don't know. I'll ever be able to rebuild at my trajectory, at the incomes I'm getting out, like I got in nine years ago before. Like, so I'm not actually fighting for myself in the palisades. I'm fighting for justice for what was done to the life. I actually can't get back. What I do have is no relationships, no favors, no 40 years of being an entrenched politician with deals and plans. I don't even want to do this.

I have to do this. It's a big difference. So all of the things that they say are, like my niggas, I look at as a positive. Like, I'm like, no, actually, you're, you're actually gassing me up. So on the first day, I think a question a lot of people have with regard to politicians is on their first day, what do you do? Oh, I mean.

What do you do on your first day if you become? I mean, the list is, is so long. But if you don't like ice, let me tell you, you're going to get three guaranteed more years of ice and way more ice in L.A. you keep Karen Basque, guaranteed. What I can do is first day of mayor, I can fly to Washington and make a deal similar to what the mayor in San Francisco made. Just to be clear, though, you want ICE out of L.A.

I want what L.A. wants. I'm fighting for L.A. and it's clear L.A. doesn't want, so that's where my politics stand. I want what my city wants. The choices, the city does not want people legally selling drugs on the street. everyone OD on fentanyl. That's not a political thing. Somebody use the word. I don't even know all this word.

Somebody call me a populace. I don't even know, but I hear them. I'm like, that's it. Then you'll take it. Yeah, like that sounds right. I'm in common sense. So if this is the case, are you going to subscribe to a particular political party? No, it's a nonpartisan race. There's no letter next to my name. So you're running as... I'm running as a Los Angeles native that wants his city back.

That's why I set the end of my seat. I want a camera ready for the Olympic. They can't have the Olympics in LA right now. I don't even know we're going to have the World Cup. Like, people don't even want to visit here. They can lie and say, oh, that's all the haters. I'm from here. I grew up here.

I know what L.A. is supposed to look like. I've driven around my whole life going to the Staples Center when it was Staples, not crypto, going to Dodge. I know what L.A. is supposed to look like. This is not like some new breaking idea I have. So that's why people try to put me in boxes. Oh, he's this. He's like, no, I'm not.

actually I'm straight common sense. I want with every tax paying person that can't afford to live in LA that even though they can't afford it, it's awful too. Like it looks horrible. You can't afford to live somewhere. It's horrible looking. And so for the people who say, I don't know if I can take him seriously. Like is he really, is he trying to promote a book? Is he trying to just make money?

What is your response to that? If you like what Karen Bass is done for L.A., then I don't take you seriously. you know, period. I also, do you know how many smart people from all over the planet when they saw me do this have reached out to be advisors, to consult? And then the other thing is, if you're going to say, like, I'm part of a political party, 70% of the palisades voted for Kamala Harris. People I've been fighting for a year are, if we're going to talk about,

are hardcore liberal Democrats. Right. So I already been fighting for the people of that party. So there's not, I don't have. You go to both. But can you disclose? Who did you vote for in the last presidential election? Well, it came out, which everyone went crazy, that I was a registered Republican.

But if you look, I've never talked to politics a day in my life, period. You know, if you really want to go down to why I was even registered Republican, and it's in my book, when I was fearing for my life, when there was threats against a life. I got a gun. Heidi got a gun. So I was just always a gun owner. And so my, if I hear anything with guns, I'm like, if Democrats had talked guns back then, I probably would have been a registered Democrat. So that was the only thing that ever connected with me politically because of so many years

of fearing for our situation and being a legal gun owner. So that's like. Which is fair. But who did you vote for in the last election? I did. I voted for Trump. Okay. Oh, because you're registered Republican?

Yeah. Okay. So do you think that that then impacts your run here in LA, not at all? No, because anybody that listens what I say, like, people will be like, oh, this or that, like, this Karen Bass? I don't know. Like, I have a trans employee on our, on our salary, monthly payment, trans employee. Heidi's whole crew is gay. I travel everywhere for last year with a gay crew.

Heidi has two songs with amazing trans art. Like, you can't box me up with other people's politics. Right. You know, I don't even do politics. I would never even want to do this. Again, the lawyers I even voted because it's like, oh, my gun rights. That's like, if Biden had been like, yo, I want you to keep your CCWs and cowl, who knows what happened. You know, but I didn't hear anything about.

So, like, I know not everyone loves guns, but once you have people death threats for many, many years, whether it's not, it's still the internet, but I had that for years. You go do the proper training, you do that. You also have law enforcement tell you you should probably do that. So that's been my only, you know, other people fight for all sorts of things, but that's like my,

I just like, you know. If you look back at your life, you know, isn't it interesting that if you were to go back and talk to Spencer at 18 or 17 and say, you know what, one day you're going to run for mayor of L.A., what would you have responded with at 18? I probably would have believed it. Oh, you would have?

Yeah, I mean, at the A who, like I was in La La Land then. Anything was possible, you know, like I was living like Willie Wonka, you know, like. Yes. I'm supposed to be a billionaire. So, you know. But, but, but, but, but perhaps that's not what you're supposed to do. No, I mean, that's, but my, in my mind, like what, what, when you think about how rare, being a billionaire, you're way more often, you're way more likely to be mayor of LA than a

billionaire. Yes. So I was way off like. This is true. Yeah. This is true. So you are officially running for. Oh my God.

It's like, it's all legal and everything. Yeah. This is it. I mean, can you even say that for us? Like you are. Yeah. I mean, I don't know. You may have to, I think I'm allowed to say whatever I want.

It's not on my own podcast. Which is so funny. Yeah, exactly. Because here you can. Yeah. You can. So this is, but yeah, you can say it. Yes, I am winning mayor of L.A. in May, because I can win outright in May, 51% of the vote.

She's just done. In these elections, what I see is that having the support from big entities or people go a long way, especially in a mayoral election, do you feel like you're going to get that support from your friends, from the many people that you know here in LA. I don't think so, but what I'm going to say to everybody is when you vote for Spencer Brad or Karen Bass, nobody's watching you. You can tell everybody at every dinner party, I can't believe I had to vote for Karen Bass, four more years of this nightmare, but you could have secretly voted for me.

You don't have to tell people you voted for Spencer Pratt. And I think that's going to be a lot of people that when they really see both of our names, they're going to be like, what has Karen Bass done for see? let's do this Hail Mary. I remember, I think it was more so the 2016 when Donald Trump came into office the first time. I felt like the exit polls were leaning towards Hillary Clinton, but yet Donald Trump won, right?

So people got in the booth, if you will, and selected Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, but left and said, oh, I voted for Hillary. You think it's going to be the same thing for you? Like, I know I'm winning. L.A. is that bad. They can go on the media, they can lie, all her people, you know, anyone who lives here,

the amount of like people you'd never think that would reach out to me that have come, like those people you're talking about, that aren't asking to do it publicly, but you would never think are offering to help. Do you need help writing speeches? Really? People that are, they won Hollywood back.

People that should be writing Obama speeches, you know, like, you know, so far I haven't needed, you know, I'm just yelling so far in IG. We haven't even started my campaign. So people also don't like, oh, he doesn't have any, all my policies, everything they're going to want. Like, I'm going to have all the expert policies. We're going to get everything what people want the plan on paper. So that's coming.

Like my kickoff at Don Antonio's, which is in my first date with Heidi on the Hills. Of course, we're bringing it back for my mayor kickoff is February 4th, the Don Antonio's. Let's just give one moment to the book. is that just in what we have talked about, I need to read the book. Because I haven't read the book, but just with the little bit that you gave us a lot, but just that is I feel like I need to.

But what do you think the reader gets from the book? They find out what in particular? Well, even though I usually always hate on the LA Times, the LA Times journalist that review my book when she called to like talk about it and I mean I have beef with them always so like yeah you do they get yeah yeah yeah always

there's always you know so and they take all my things that I break and then you know act like they got pollsters for all my scoops I post you know so it's not like my friends and they call and she said she could not put the book down for 48 hours straight and she said her exact quote is like this book is going to do gangbusters She's like, it's, you know, so I, you know, it's my life and I think it's pretty damn entertaining.

But to hear the ops, you know, hype it. I was like, okay, let's go. So I do, I am very confident in what's in the book because it's, it's the good. So James Franco, who already swore on his life that he has the rights to make the movie of the book and like write and direct it. So, like, that's how good he thinks the book is that he's fought. to take this book into Hollywood, you know? Yeah, I can't wait to read it, man. No, like, and I do read the audiobooks.

So if you're not a, you know, obviously I love for you to buy the hardcover, but if you're not a hardcover person, I spent two weeks since Heidi just worked with the best music people in the world, I brought in her vocal producer to comp. Nobody does this for an audio book. I have Kid Leroy's vocal producer

comping my audiobook, and then I said that to the post. They're like, wow. So, like, the audio book's going platinum, you know, like, is it... I've never heard of anyone. Nobody's done that for audio. Yeah, nobody's done. No, no. Oh, my God.

All right, so last question. Everyone gets it. Can't wait to get your answer. Is if you think back to all of the amazing conversations you've had throughout your life, which conversation is the most memorable? Who was it with? And what did you learn? I would say God, you know, because I don't know what I've learned yet, but...

Just be like God have a plan. You know what? When you announced when you were running, I saw the emotion through this conversation. I've seen the emotion. Are you proud of yourself today? No. I haven't accomplished anything.

They keep lying. They're going to get away with this. You know, that's why this is my only chance to, like, get justice. these people need to be fired. These people need to lose their jobs. If this was a private industry, this wouldn't even be a conversation.

So, no, I have not done anything. Like I said, like I told you, I'm at a year and I have less hope of like, like, no. Yeah. Well, I want to say this, is I didn't know what was going to happen in this conversation.

I didn't know who I was going to get. I was definitely excited to sit down and talk to you. I could see that we have lots of values, I think, that you and I share. There are certain aspects of our life that we don't share. But I tell you what, man, I'm proud of you. I am. I think that where I didn't realize is how much of a fighter you are. And what I feel like is throughout your life,

you didn't necessarily know what you were fighting for, but you have been placed in a position that perhaps for the first time, you know what you're fighting for, right? And I think that is something to be proud of. Well, I just got to deliver now. And you're like, because I'm like, I got to do this. Yes, yeah. But I know that you feel like you're going to be proud at the end.

at the destination, but be proud of the journey as well, man. Be proud of the fight, you know, find, give yourself grace in that. I've tried, you know, it's hard to, like, you know, you just feel like you're always in the negative. But you're the fighter. No, I know, so, you know. Yeah, you are.

The book right there, the book is the guy you love to hate. but from this conversation maybe it's the guy that you actually love well we'll find out we'll find out thank you so much thank you yeah really appreciate it what a what a fun day oh my gosh you're going to have many fun days like this especially if you become mayor Spencer Pratt. Wow. It blew through all expectation. What I did not realize about Spencer is how methodical he's been throughout his entire life.

Also, what I didn't realize is he's always stood up to authority. He carries that narrative through his entire life to today, where he is literally confronting the government of California. There's no question he's in love with Heidi, and Heidi's in love with him. But I think we have to take everything we've seen of them with a pinch of salt. Producers and networks and other entities were actively trying to break them up. That's something that we have to take a minute and say, wow, not only do they just stay together for almost two decades, but they stayed together in the face of people actively trying to break them up. He knows this.

The first question that people have today about Spencer Pratt running for mayor is, are you for real? Which suggests that many people think it's a joke or it's a publicity stunt. From what we saw here, it is not. The challenge that he has is that the brand that he's built throughout his entire adult life is of someone that will manipulate the public or the press. for his own good. There's no doubt that I have

that he's actually run him for mayor. And he believes he will win. He's one of the most iconic people in reality TV. And when you think about how every reality television show has a villain, part of that points back to Spencer Brett.

I think we've got a great glimpse of L.A. and what it does to you.