“I have never once instigated a situation,” Christine Quinn says confidently in the trailer for “Selling Sunset” season five, making clear that the new season of Netflix’s hit series will pick up right where season four’s heated finale left off: with everyone (or almost everyone) at the Oppenheim Group feuding with Quinn, and her denying any wrongdoing. From false rumors to hurtful snubs, a lot has gone down between Quinn and her fellow real-estate agents, including Chrishell Stause, Mary Fitzgerald, and Heather Rae El Moussa. In case you need a refresher, here’s a recap of the drama and tension surrounding Quinn as the show heads into its fifth season.
Why Is Chrishell Stause Mad at Christine Quinn?
While Stause and Quinn have never really gotten along, things reached a boiling point in season four, when Quinn allegedly planted fabricated stories about Stause’s love life in the press. Stause said on camera that Quinn’s alleged rumors and lies could “ruin someone,” and “crossed a boundary that there really is no coming back from.” At the time, fans weren’t sure exactly what Stause was referring to. However, in an interview with Vulture following the season four finale, Stause revealed that she had threatened legal action after Quinn began spreading false rumors regarding the nature of her divorce from actor Justin Hartley.
“She tried to plant a false story when I was going through my divorce, and I had to have both sides confirm that it wasn’t true, and then threaten legal action. And this was right after my mom died. It was a lot on my plate and kicking someone while they’re down and trying to spread a rumor that I was hooking up with someone. Both parties knew that is not what happened,” Stause told Vulture. “They had to pull it, but to try and even put that out there at a time where everybody was wondering what happened, and I lost my mom — to me, that’s so below the belt.”
Stause alleged that Quinn then tried stirring the pot again, suggesting that she and then-boyfriend Jason Oppenheim began seeing each before the divorce. In the season five trailer, Quinn does seem to take issue with Stause and Oppenheim’s office romance. “I was wondering why I wasn’t getting listings,” she says. “Then I was like, ‘Oh, yeah. It’s ’cause I’m not f*cking my boss.'”
Why Is Mary Fitzgerald Mad at Christine Quinn?
A big storyline in season four was the unraveling of Fitzgerald and Quinn’s friendship. The two were already on thin ice after Fitzgerald bonded with Stause, but Emma Hernan’s arrival on the show — and subsequent friendship with Stause and Fitzgerald — was the final straw. A little backstory: Quinn and Hernan both dated the same man. While his name is never mentioned on the show, he has since been confirmed as fellow Oppenheim agent Peter Cornell. Unbeknownst to Hernan, Cornell was allegedly still romantically involved with Quinn when the two got together. In Quinn’s version of the story, she and Cornell were also engaged at the time.
As former housemates and best friends, Fitzgerald and Quinn have a lot of history. When Quinn began spinning her own story, Fitzgerald came to Hernan’s defense. She denied that there was ever a ring and said that Quinn and Cornell had long been over by the time Hernan entered the picture. (Other agents who knew Quinn at the time, including the Oppenheim brothers, agreed.)
In the season five trailer, Fitzgerald and Quinn’s friendship is out of the frying pan and into the fire. After being promoted to manager, Fitzgerald tells Quinn that she “needs to stop disrespecting the other agents” if she wants to keep her desk at the Oppenheim Group. This, of course, includes Fitzgerald, who wasn’t invited to Quinn’s baby shower amid their falling out.
Why Is Heather Rae El Moussa Mad at Christine Quinn?
The friendship between El Moussa and Quinn similarly came undone in season four, with El Moussa airing her frustrations to Stause, Fitzgerald, and Hernan. Quinn has notably belittled Heather and Tarek El Moussa’s relationship in the press; she also referred to her fellow agent as a jellyfish, claiming on the show that she has no spine. There was also the Oppenheim party in the season four finale, where El Moussa attempted to straighten things out — only for Quinn to dismiss her completely.
If the trailer is any indication, El Moussa and Quinn’s friendship is still on the rocks in season five. Quinn isn’t invited to El Moussa’s bridal shower, although that doesn’t stop her from sending an over-the-top flower arrangement. “That gift was to make sure that her presence was known,” Amanza Smith quips in the trailer.
Where Do the Other Oppenheim Agents Stand With Christine Quinn?
Quinn’s behavior toward the other agents has put the Oppenheim brothers, Jason and Brett, on high alert, and Hernan obviously has a bone to pick with Quinn. Smith’s loyalty lies with Stause and Fitzgerald, but she seems to gets along with Quinn (for now, anyway). Maya Vander, Davina Potratz, and newcomer Vanessa Villela have also remained relatively neutral heading into season five, but they aren’t afraid to speak their minds. After Potratz refuted Quinn’s proposal story, Vander noted, “It’s not fair of Christine to expect everyone to have her back 100 percent at all times, at all costs.”