Thanks to the 10-year anniversary of The Hills, a bevy of new behind-the-scenes details have recently come to light. We know Lauren Conrad's Parisian love interest was fake, cast members were bribed to say Kristin Cavallari did drugs, and that Heidi Montag thought the show was unfairly edited.
Now, Us Weekly has released an "oral history" of the show, full of interviews from the cast members and even some producers. The magazine conducted separate interviews with nearly all of the major players from the show, from Spencer Pratt to Kristin Cavallari to Jason Wahler.
No topic seemed to be off limits, and thanks to a trove of extensive interviews, the magazine was able to compile an all-encompassing narrative guide to the popular reality show.
And, of course, there are a few mentions of the now-stuck-in-your-head song "Unwritten." Thanks, Us.
Here are the most surprising things we learned from the magazine's Tour de The Hills.
1. Justin Brescia was a hairdresser for Maroon 5 when he started appearing on the show.
2. Audrina Patridge avoided her apartment complex's pool for weeks until producers were ready for her to meet Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag for a scene. They had scouted her to be on the show before Conrad even moved in.
3. According to the show's executive producer, Liz Gateley, "All of the dynamics were real."
4. That mascara tear was slowed down for dramatic effect. "I just put on too much mascara, and it became a thing," Conrad said.
5. Lo Bosworth and Patridge still seem to have different perceptions of their past friendship. Bosworth says Patridge "wasn't friends with us in real life, ever." While Patridge says, "Lo and I were completely fine off camera."
6. That side-eye Cavallari shot Conrad at Speidi's wedding was all editing. Cavallari had "no ill will" when she took over the show.
7. Conrad compared her interaction with Cavallari at the wedding to passing the baton of the show along to her.
8. Cavallari joined the show for one reason and one reason only — "the money."
9. Cavallari dated Brody Jenner IRL when she was 18, but not for real on the show as implied.
10. Montag's major surgery shocked the whole cast, but it looked better in real life, according to Cavallari.