What You Don't Know About Christine Quinn
Please note: This article contains references to postpartum depression and body dysmorphia.
Our girl, Christine Quinn, is living her best life and thinks others should follow her lead. How do we know? In 2022, she wrote and released a book called "How to Be a Boss B*tch," which encouraged readers to stop apologizing for who they are and to get the life that they want. She certainly has the life she wants and isn't afraid to share it with her millions of followers on Instagram. That figure has certainly blown up ever since her breakthrough appearance on the hit Netflix show, "Selling Sunset." Of course, it wasn't only Quinn who became famous for the reality series. She was also joined by a host of other real estate agents and brokers who make up the dazzling Oppenheim Group. The brokerage caters to the ultra-wealthy flocking to sunny Southern California who are happy to pay millions for a view of ... well, the sunset.
Cast as the show's villain, Quinn stood out in a big way. But by the end, she grew out of "Selling Sunset." While she was depicted as slightly one-dimensional, Quinn has proven to be far more compelling IRL, and probably the only person who would disagree with us is Chrishell Stause, Quinn's bonafide frenemy from the show. Well, Stause and maybe PETA too, after they criticized Quinn for admitting that she's worn fur in the past.
As Quinn has begun to open up off camera, we've discovered she's got a whole lot to give — and to say -– so it's time we listened.
Quinn ran away from home
Christine Quinn might be all confidence now, but her childhood was a precarious time. The star grew up in Texas with conservative, Catholic parents who heavily monitored her media consumption. As she told The Guardian, all she really watched were old movies, like "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," when she was visiting her grandmother. It's interesting to see how Marilyn Monroe functions as such a style influence for Quinn as an adult, given her background.
The restrictiveness of her upbringing gave her the urge to leave and she eventually achieved this while her parents were out doing the most banal thing ever: grocery shopping. On an episode of the podcast, "Call Her Daddy," Quinn said of her decision, "It felt suffocating to me ... I left when I was 17 years old when my parents went to Costco because it was the only time I knew that they were going to be gone from the house for two hours. I packed up and left."
She couldn't handle how tightly monitored her life was and explained on the podcast that she wasn't allowed to have normal friend circles and that trips to the movies were strictly banned. "I was like Rapunzel," Quinn joked. But age has given Quinn a new perspective and a lot of compassion. When recounting her childhood as an adult, she stressed that she understood her parents just wanted to protect her in the best way they knew how.
She has a fascinating relationship with money
When Christine Quinn speaks about money, she does so with the sharp awareness that it's not just currency being exchanged, but power. When she ran away from home, Quinn quickly learned that she needed capital to call the shots in her life. "Money, to me, means freedom," she told The Guardian. "I grew up in a very restrictive environment. I didn't even know what sex was until I was 16, I thought you got pregnant from kissing. So I needed freedom in order to survive. And that came from me making my own money and being able to be in control of my life."
In 2019, the star married Christian Richard, a tech mogul who was estimated to have a net worth of $20 million in 2021, according to Newsweek. The entrepreneur made his fortune after co-founding the online food service, Foodler, which he sold to GrubHub for $65 million in 2017. Meanwhile, Quinn was estimated to be worth $3 million in 2022, per Celebrity Net Worth.
Quinn knows that while money means freedom, it also allows luxury. During a 2022 interview with The New York Times, she ordered nearly $1,000 worth of caviar on her own dime at Caviar Russe. "That tastes rich," Quinn said of her meal. "This is giving me rich vibes. This is the classiest breakfast I have ever had in my life." Indeed, part of Quinn's brand is the ultra-luxe vision of making big money and spending it just as big.
She's a huge fan of sugar daddies
Christine Quinn's first experience of money was thanks to an older, rich boyfriend she met aged 21, after running away from home. "Sure, call him a sugar daddy," she told The New York Times. "He was. But we had amazing chemistry." She explained that it was through him that she first tasted luxury. "It just opened my eyes up to this whole world, which I had never seen before and didn't even know existed," Quinn added.
In her book, "How to Be a Boss B*tch," Quinn says that her boyfriend was 40, giving them a 19-year age gap, but it didn't phase her. "He was the most gorgeous, worldly, handsome man I had ever seen at the time, so I was immediately drawn to him," she told People. However, things took a turn when her boyfriend asked her to stop working and stay at home, which wasn't what she wanted. On top of that, he ended up tracking her vehicle and that's when she decided to leave.
However, the lessons she learned in that relationship have served her well later in life. She explained to Interview Magazine that part of her book is about instructing women on how to make the most of these types of relationships. "It's my belief that it's just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as it is with a poor man. So, why not go rich?" she asked.
Her wardrobe is as extravagant as you could hope
If we've learned anything about Christine Quinn from watching "Selling Sunset," it's that fashion is everything to her. She doesn't just put on clothes, she puts on looks. And her home is set up specifically to facilitate this process. When speaking with Interview Magazine, Quinn admitted that she has clothing rooms, not closets. When discussing her technique for putting together killer outfits for the show, she said, "I've understood the assignment from day one, and I think the other girls really didn't understand what we were getting into ... I pull looks for each week. I go with how I feel that day. Sometimes I'm feeling really sassy, sometimes cute. A lot goes into it, in addition to the two and a half hours of glam. It's a process." Nothing like adding a little dig to her co-stars!
Apparently, Quinn thinks the rest of the cast isn't delivering like they ought to. Though to be fair, it's an intense level of commitment to sit for more than two hours each day of filming to get ready. Looks and fashion are always a topic when Quinn gets talking. "I do like glamor, which to me means a continuous expression of freedom — RuPaul says we're all born naked and the rest is drag," Quinn told The Guardian in 2022. "I love to dress up and bring the fashion and bring the humor and the wit, but ... that's not all of me."
She manifested her fame
Christine Quinn is a huge believer in manifestation. For the uninitiated, manifesting means thinking positive or affirming thoughts about specific goals to make them come true — it's about harnessing positivity and optimism for future goals. What started with Rhonda Byrne's 2006 book, "The Secret," has now become common practice.
If the reality star's luxurious life is any proof, then manifestation might work, despite how bogus manifestation initially appears. "I just always wanted to be myself," she told The Guardian. "I wanted to be entertaining. I wanted to inspire people, I wanted to make people laugh. I wanted to make people feel something." While this was the intention that Quinn set, she explained how landing a reality show meant she reached her dreams of becoming famous. "It was everything I'd been manifesting since I was a little girl," she said.
When she spoke with People about life with her husband, Christian Richard, and their son, Quinn reiterated her success with the positive-visualization technique. "My career was always about manifestation," she said. "I wanted to be in these beautiful houses so desperately, and I knew, one day, I would live in one." What does she think of the life they have? "I feel like we're living the dream." But Quinn doesn't preach a passive form of manifestation. It's not like she laid back and simply thought happy thoughts, she also worked hard for everything she has. So maybe that's the secret? Believe it and do it.
Why she's so open about her plastic surgery
Truth-telling is a big deal to Christine Quinn and we shouldn't be too surprised. The realtor knows how to say things and sometimes she says things bluntly – as we've all seen during fights on "Selling Sunset." But the sunny side of this honesty is Quinn's commitment to being candid with her fans about the visual side of her life. "Fame means responsibility," Quinn admitted to The Guardian. "A responsibility to be open about plastic surgery, diet plans, how you're living your real life. A lot of people want to see this glamorous lifestyle, but it's not always glitzy."
Quinn has taken this responsibility seriously, especially when it comes to candidness about her own physical transformation. "I'm all about plastic surgery truth-bearing," she told Vogue in 2020. "It's important in a world where there's this facade of social media causing people to have body dysmorphia. People think that [things are] real, and they're not. I tell people all the time: I got my boobs done, I get my lips done, tons of Botox, tons of makeup." Quinn refreshingly admitted that her camera-ready face is a far cry from how she looks climbing out of bed. Plus, her glam process does not happen alone. While she takes pride in doing her own makeup, she has someone else do her hair. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this ritual also isn't for the frugal of heart with Quinn confessing that her full look can cost $1000 a day to construct.
Mindy Kaling has BFF potential
Christine Quinn and Mindy Kaling are fangirling all over each other and it's a delight to watch. At the People's Choice Awards in December 2021, Quinn caught up with host Laverne Cox and described how she had met Kaling earlier that year. Quinn described how she heard a woman screaming, "I love you, I love you, I love you" and realized that it was the comedy star. "It was love at first sight," Quinn said, adding that she offered the actor a behind-the-scenes peek at filming "Selling Sunset." Sadly, the "Mindy Project" star had to decline the offer because of a dinner commitment.
Earlier that year, Kaling shared a photo to Instagram of their meet-cute, with the two women posing in a residential neighborhood. "I SCREAMED when I was walking out of my dad and stepmom's house and randomly saw [Christine Quinn] on a break from shooting 'Selling Sunset' on the sidewalk," she wrote. Kaling, who knows good TV -– she was a writer for "The Office" for crying out loud — told her fans that they have to watch "Selling Sunset" and then went on to praise Quinn. "Christine is a fabulous real estate agent and new mom who sells $30 million dollar mansions in 7-inch Louboutins," she wrote, adding that the new mom keeps things exciting on the show. That's definitely the right way to describe Quinn. Love these two TV stars and their budding friendship!
She struggled with postpartum depression
In May 2021, Christine Quinn welcomed her son to the world. Sadly, the birth was troubled and traumatic for the star. In an episode of "Selling Sunset" (via Buzzfeed), the realtor explained her nightmarish experience, when she had to have an emergency C-section and one of the nurses told her husband Christian Richard, "You need to make a priority right now. You have to choose one," (via BuzzFeed). To make matters worse, some viewers accused Quinn of faking her pregnancy because of how good she looked on the show shortly after.
On her Instagram Stories (Us Weekly), the star shared a private message from someone who accused her of having used a surrogate and lied about it, thus setting unrealistic expectations for other mothers. On Twitter, she addressed the rumors, writing, "This is seriously so hurtful."
In an interview with The Guardian, the star claimed that she was pressured to return to work and film a "Selling Sunset" scene just a week after her difficult birth. Speficially, the explosive Season 4 finale fight between herself and the other Oppenheim girls. "The producers threw me into that scene ... it's an entire group of seven women trying to gang up on me," she said. "I was just like, 'I literally just had a baby, he's sick right now, I don't want to be here.' You have to understand the amount of hormones that were in my body on top of postpartum depression."
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
How much did Christine Quinn's wedding cost?
Christian Richard proposed to Christine Quinn with a $1 million engagement ring designed by Monika Kosa, per Page Six. The star was involved in the design process, giving the jeweler a clear vision of what she wanted. "From the get-go, I knew it wasn't going to be a simple solitaire type of ring. Oh please!" Kosa told Page Six. "I knew that I had to bring out the best stones and the best workmanship."
Quinn and Richard married in 2019 and the $1 million event was aired later on "Selling Sunset." The wedding looked major — Quinn wore a black dress while guests were instructed to wear white. The venue had snow falling, fog, and black swans — exactly what fans would expect of the star.
However, she was extremely disappointed with how her wedding was depicted on Netflix because the focus was on a feud between Davina Potratz and Chrishell Stause, instead. "The wedding was the best day of my life and it was hard for me to watch it on the television show because that's not really the way that I remember it," Quinn told People after watching the footage used in the show. "I understand they wanted to get certain storylines in there, but this was actually my day." According to the star, the show failed to capture such fabulous, OTT details as LED screens projecting dramatic winter weather conditions. "It was just a whole theatrical performance," Quinn added.
Fan perception of her changed after her book came out
Christine Quinn's book "How to Be a Boss B*tch" hit shelves in May 2022, giving readers a refreshing perspective on the realtor. In fact, readers raved about her inspirational opus and celebrated how candid the writing was. "I got this book loving Christine, but after reading this I love her even more," one fan wrote on Amazon. "She was so honest in this book and made me realize anything is possible if I really want something."
Another fan wrote, "This book is a 10/10 and touched on all subjects that made me see her differently." Someone else added, "If you loved Christine on ['Selling Sunset'], get this book. Not only do you get incredible insight [into] who she really is but you also put this book down feeling empowered and ready to be your absolute best self." Clearly, Quinn's book gave her audiences a much richer, deeper entryway into her life, certainly more than people receive in "Selling Sunset," where she's the villain and not much more.
A major part of Quinn's likability is how frank she is about where she came from. Unlike some celebrities, she didn't have a head start. "I'm not here because I got lucky," Quinn told The Guardian. "I'm not here because I fell into this, or came from money. I'm here because of hustle. I worked my a** off. But ... everyone else can do it, too."
Everything to know about Christine's brokerage
In season five of "Selling Sunset," part of the storyline was about Christine Quinn leaving the Oppenheim Group to start her own brokerage with her husband, Christian Richards, called RealOpen. With listings in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and more, their company is all about luxury real estate purchased through cryptocurrency.
In Season 5 of "Selling Sunset," Quinn was accused of bribing a client away from agent Emma Hernan for $5000 — an allegation she's fiercely denied. "Accusing someone of a criminal tort is not only defamatory — but you can't afford my lawyers," Quinn told People. "So it's not a funny thing to say. I would never bribe a client. I've never bribed a client. I don't need to bribe a client, because they'll work with me organically."
Quinn found the storyline frustrating because it made it look like she was let go by the Oppenheim Group because of the above accusations. As she tells it, the move was a much more empowered exit. "I terminated my contract when the brokerage launched," Quinn claimed to People. "I had to make a business decision that was for me, so I had to terminate the contract so I could move it over to my brokerage." Quinn added that Jason Oppenheim was well aware of what she was doing. She elaborated that in the year leading up to the launch of RealOpen, she had informed her former boss that she was in the process of creating her own company.
Christine Quinn isn't returning to Selling Sunset
In one of the most shocking revelations of all, Christine Quinn announced that she will not be returning to Netflix's "Selling Sunset." In May 2022, the star had insisted that the show was her top priority and that she wasn't going anywhere, telling Us Weekly, "We just have to get creative now because I don't work for the Oppenheim Group. ... Maybe it's a battle of the brokerages." Sadly, by August, Variety had confirmed that Season 5 would be her last, leaving the upcoming sixth and seventh seasons to fill in storylines without her.
Frankly, it'll be tough for "Selling Sunset" to sustain the same momentum without her. As Laverne Cox joked to the star at the People's Choice Awards in 2021, Quinn carried the show. "The girls could not get enough of talking about you," Cox joked about the other agents' fixation on the "Selling Sunset" baddie. In response, the realtor joked that she needed a chiropractor after all that heavy lifting and said, "It was exhausting, even for me." Still, Quinn added that she lives for serving drama and was happy to play the villain.
She may be done with "Selling Sunset," but that's not to say she's done with the world of reality TV. "Hulu, give me a call," she joked with The New York Times. Honestly, it's a great idea. We've seen firsthand that she can carry an entire show on her own, and look like a dream while doing it.