Summer House: Juicy Facts About The Reality Show
Following the exploits of good-looking New Yorkers fleeing the city for the Hamptons every weekend, the addictive Bravo reality show, "Summer House," has continued to obsess fans since its debut in 2017. The show launched with a "Vanderpump Rules" crossover and featured stars Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Katie Maloney, and Scheana Shay spending time in Montauk with the new crew. The teaser worked, and the show has been a fixture on Bravo ever since, wrapping up six seasons as of 2022, with a seventh in development at that time.
Though "Summer House" initially followed nine partygoers, only three original cast members remain — Kyle Cooke, Carl Radke, and Lindsay Hubbard. But that doesn't mean that their other former Hamptons weekend residents are gone and forgotten. Certainly, they'd left their mark over the years, on top of some unforgettable drama (we're looking at you, Hannah Berner!). While the OG cast members have continued to serve endless entertainment for the last six summers, the show also minted new must-watch reality stars like Paige DeSorbo and Ciara Miller. But overall, the scandals, legendary fights, and relationship turmoil of the "Summer House" gang have kept viewers tuned in for years. As these juicy facts show, there's still plenty to discover about this beloved Bravo show.
Lindsay and Carl's engagement made one star livid
Season 6 of "Summer House" gave viewers a sweet resolution to the rocky romance between OG cast member, Kyle Cooke, and his longtime love, Amanda Batula — a wedding! Keeping the mushy momentum going, Season 7 promised another romantic event thanks to the show's new resident love doves, Carl Radke and Lindsay Hubbard.
Bravo cameras were rolling when the film producer popped the question to his lady love in August 2022 with a picturesque beachside proposal. While the episode documenting the proposal wouldn't likely air for another year, Radke shared some details about his proposal with People. After he'd led Hubbard down to the beach with a trail of sentimental signs, he finally popped the question. "I grabbed the ring, got down on one knee, and I ... told her I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, how happy I was, and that our love story was just beginning," Radke told the outlet. Hubbard's response? "'A thousand times, yes!'"
One co-star who wasn't too thrilled about the news? Radke's ex, Paige DeSorbo ... but it's not for the reason you might think. When DeSorbo was asked about her castmates' impending nuptials at BravoCon 2022 (via Us Weekly), she revealed that it had brought some unwanted attention to her own relationship status with Carl Conover. "Honestly, Carl and Lindsay getting engaged made everyone start asking me [about my own possible engagement], so I'm livid," the style blogger revealed at the "Summer House in Autumn" panel.
Carl Radke dated nearly every Summer House female star
Carl Radke might have found his happily ever after with Lindsay Hubbard, but he put in the work to find her. It may sound like an outrageous claim, but the Loverboy VP of Sales has locked lips with nearly every "Summer House" female star featured over the years — starting with one of the original stars, Lindsay Wirkus. Their ill-fated romance didn't last long and even had a hand in the twin not returning for Season 3.
That third season introduced Paige DeSorbo to the show, with whom Radke had a fling that involved hooking up in the Montauk home's pantry (we'll get to that later, we promise). However, the pair's whirlwind romance was over by the end of that summer. The next season saw Radke in rare form as he essentially made out with the rest of the female cast. As well as reconnecting with former flame, Danielle Olivera, whom he dated prior to starring on the show, he also had a short-lived fling with one season cast member, Jules Daoud. That season we also saw Radke and his now-fiancee give dating a try, but that was initially short-lived due to his apparent commitment issues.
And though he didn't do much dating during the quarantined Season 5, we did see Radke briefly find love with another reality star in Season 6, when he brought "Love Island" star Mackenzie Dipman to the house for a few weekends.
Amanda Batula first joined as a guest star
Though it seems like we've been watching Amanda Batula on our Bravo screens full-time for years, she didn't become a main cast member until Season 2. Previously, she'd achieved guest star status on the show's inaugural season, which featured her tumultuous casual relationship with Kyle Cooke. That summer, she was often invited over to the Montauk home, with Cooke explaining the two had previously dated for seven months and split when she wanted more commitment from the entrepreneur.
That season culminated in the Loverboy founder's about-face and the surprising decision of the couple to go Instagram official by the final episode. In Season 2, they were a full-fledged couple, breaking the previous "no couples in the house" rule of the group, with Batula becoming a full-time cast member. Sadly, it wasn't plain sailing — by the next season, the duo was dealing with Cooke's infidelity. "A year ago, I was on a guys' trip, I blacked out, and I woke up with a girl in my bed," he shared in a confessional on the show. "I've never felt worse in my entire life." Later that season viewers watched as Cooke asked Batula to marry him on a sunset boat ride.
The pair frequently fought the following season, resulting in Batula famously asking, "Do you want to be single?", to which Cooke responded, "Yes." Still, they made it work and eventually enjoyed their much-delayed wedding in Season 6.
Producers are onto the cast's secret hook-up spots
When the stars of "Summer House" signed on to have their lives taped, they likely expected to enjoy very little privacy. Despite the presence of a plethora of cameras, cast members have attempted to avoid the prying Bravo eye by getting creative with the spaces they try to hook up in. Bathrooms, for example, have always been off-limits. Perhaps that's why producers revealed that the bathrooms are a frequent hookup destination for couples, specifically name-dropping the bathroom of Lindsay Hubbard, and the shared suite of Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula, as places that have seen some things.
Spots that don't have cameras may seem ideal for a stealthy make-out session — but they can also give producers ideas for camera placements in future seasons. Take the pantry, for instance. It wasn't until Paige DeSorbo and Carl Radke got cozy in the pantry during Season 3 that producers even thought to put a camera in there. Producers told Bravo back in 2020 that the new go-to secret spots are closets or the side of the house, but that being out of sight doesn't necessarily make the reality stars out of mind. "We can always hear them," an unnamed producer confessed to the network.
Craig Conover isn't Paige DeSorbo's first onscreen romance
Longtime "Summer House" lovers know that Paige DeSorbo romanced Bravo hunk, Carl Radke, during Season 3. Though their short-lived romance wouldn't make it past the summer, an ongoing flirtation remained when they continued to shoot the show year after year. Even after DeSorbo got into a serious relationship with Perry Rahbar in 2019, who opted not to visit the house during filming, there were clearly still some feelings between the fashionista and the Loverboy VP. In 2021, Radke opened up about their relationship to Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live" (via Bravo) sharing, "Paige and I have always had a great chemistry. I was definitely a little ... I mean ... I was like, 'Woah.' She has a boyfriend though, so I've gotta be careful."
As for Rahber, who preceded her relationship with Craig Conover, DeSorbo shared her feelings about his desire not to film with Us Weekly after they called it quits in 2020. Though she was cool with him stepping back from the cameras, there were other issues. "I actually liked that he didn't want to be involved," she reflected. "For me, it was more that he didn't want really to acknowledge ... [that] I had to be there for six weeks. That's where the disconnect with us was coming from and that he wanted me to wrap this chapter up in my life and I just wasn't ready for that."
There was almost another Bravo-verse crossover couple
Seasoned "Winter House" and "Summer House" viewers know all about the romance between Ciara Miller and "Southern Charm" star, Austen Kroll. Since the two both star in respective Bravo shows and happen to be best pals with the other "Summer House" and "Southern Charm" duo, Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover, it seemed like the two had a lot going for them. Though they seemed like a match made in Bravo heaven when they hit it off during Season 1 of "Winter House," their love story was cut very short ... mostly due to Austen's wandering eye.
Bravo fans saw Austen's entanglement with "Southern Charm" newbie Olivia Flowers, while he also battled lingering feelings for his longtime ex, Madison LeCroy. And there was also the close friendship Austen shared with another "Summer House" lady, the one and only Lindsay Hubbard. The messy love triangle even sparked one of the most dramatic moments in "Summer House" history — the wine-slinging incident between Ciara and Danielle Olivera. Needless to say, Austen could almost give Carl Radke a run for his money when it comes to romancing onscreen ladies.
Two Summer House besties may no longer friends
Danielle Olivera and Lindsay Hubbard have been thick as thieves for as long as we've had them on our screens. Even when Hubbard has historically had beef with many of the females in the house, Olivera always stuck by her outspoken friend's side. But as of Season 7 of "Summer House," their friendship appeared to be on the outs, with the two experiencing a major rift. As of writing, the details of their fallout are unknown. However, when the former BFFs were asked about the end of their friendship during BravoCon 2022, the two gave vague responses as to why it had happened. "I'll just use the word unfortunate," Olivera responded, per Bravo. Hubbard agreed, stating, "Same. I think that's really as political as I can say it."
A day earlier at the "Bravo 2 Bravo" panel, the two had been slightly more generous in describing the situation. "We have a very complicated friendship at times and we're in the middle of a complicated situation," Hubbard shared. She added that she hoped they could figure it out and salvage their relationship.
Unfortunately, this won't be the first time that two female friends have battled it out on the series. Previously viewers watched the demise of Amanda Batula and Hannah Berner's friendship figure prominently on Season 5 of "Summer House," when the beef between Batula's then-fiance Kyle Cooke and her bestie ended up tarnishing the ladies' previously solid bond.
Lindsay Hubbard's boyfriend blowups are legendary
Since the very start of "Summer House," Lindsay Hubbard has certainly made a name for herself by being outspoken and unafraid of conflict with many boyfriends over the years. Her immense dedication to a dramatic on-screen flare-up goes way back to the first two seasons of "Summer House," when she was dating Everett Weston and had regular blowouts on camera. She also often battled her current fiance, Carl Radke, back in Season 4 when the duo previously dated, famously instigating a heated argument with her beau during their first-ever date.
And then there was sandwichgate. In Season 5 of the show, Hubbard was dating Stephen Traversie, better known as Stravy, for constantly working all day. She noted that she would often tend to his needs like making sandwiches for his lunch, but that such care wasn't entirely reciprocated. The ensuing back-and-forth has likely gone down in Bravo history as one of the wildest squabbles caught on camera. "What sandwiches have you made for me?" Hubbard asked during a meme-worthy moment after Stravy claimed she only made him lunch once.
The infamous question even led Andy Cohen to ask Hubbard how many sandwiches Radke had made her during a 2022 appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" (via Yahoo! News). She replied that her new man goes beyond basic sandwich duties. "He is a big grill guy, so he does a lot of steaks and shish kabobs, stuff on the grill," she shared.
Why was Kristin Cavallari involved with Summer House?
Here's a twist we didn't see coming! Season 6 of "Summer House" involved some name-dropping of one of the OG reality bad girls, Kristin Cavallari. Her name was surprisingly brought up during the rocky start of Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover's romance. Before the two officially made their relationship public in October 2021, they were continuing to see other people. For Conover, one of those people reportedly happened to be the former "Laguna Beach" and "The Hills" star, which was dredged up on camera, much to the "Southern Charm" star's chagrin.
"We had a great relationship and I thought it was really, really unfair that she was thrown into a show that she's not on," he told E! News of his relationship with Cavallari in March 2022. The "Southern Charm" star even had a specific person he blamed for bringing Kristin up on camera, adding, "Lindsay did it for TV. Everyone in our lives knew about that." Kristin, for her part, denied the rumors with a post shared to her Instagram Stories (via E! News). The reality show veteran shared a video of herself rolling her eyes with text that read, "I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to have FRIENDS that are guys."
A famous Summer House fight launched a popular podcast
Though "Summer House" has featured plenty of couples battling it out, friendships have also ended before our eyes as Bravo cameras rolled. One of the most significant went down during Season 4 of the show when Hannah Berner, Paige DeSorbo, and Kyle Cooke came to blows over table manners and he inadvertently provided the name of the ladies' future podcast.
While discussing his upcoming wedding to Amanda Batula, Cooke grew increasingly angry at Berner and DeSorbo for making private jokes and laughing at the other end of the table, causing him to label them the "Giggly Squad." Little did he know, that moniker would become relevant a few years later. Just one season on, Berner and Cooke's relationship grew even more contentious. The former star even left the show following the dramatic quarantined 2020 season.
Fortunately, fans can still pull up a seat at the proverbial dinner table to enjoy the hilarity between budding comedian, Berner and her banter buddy, DeSorbo. The duo went on start their very own podcast, aptly titled "Giggly Squad," in October 2020. As DeSorbo told ET, you'd best believe that Cooke is taking his share of the credit. "He brings it up a lot that he's in charge of the name," she remarked. "And he said something recently where he called me 'the peanut gallery.' I said, 'You better watch out because I might start another podcast.'"