Audrina Patridge: Surviving an Abusive Relationship (FBF)

The episode opens with host Alex Cooper welcoming Audrina Patridge to discuss her memoir. Audrina explains that the book was inspired by years of fan DMs asking how she got through difficult times, and she saw it as an opportunity to answer everything in one place and set the record straight on public misconceptions. She describes the writing process as emotionally grueling but ultimately therapeutic, crediting her ghostwriter Jen Schuster for pushing her to include the hardest parts.

Audrina recounts how she was discovered for The Hills after moving to LA, meeting two girls in an elevator, and being spotted by a producer while sunbathing at the pool. She describes Lauren Conrad as initially closed off but understandably so given her previous experiences being used by people. She portrays Heidi Montag as immediately warm and outgoing, and expresses genuine respect for Heidi and Spencer's enduring marriage. She reflects on the reality TV experience, noting that while it launched careers and platforms, the modern version is more damaging due to social media, death threats directed at 'villains,' and increasingly scripted storylines.

On Justin Bobby, Audrina clarifies that the show captured both his on-camera and off-camera sides — the latter being far more caring and emotionally present. She acknowledges that both she and Justin played immature games with each other and that producers actively tried to manufacture jealousy between them. She believes their relationship might have worked without the cameras and production interference.

The conversation then shifts to Corey, whom she initially found appealing because he seemed grounded and different from typical LA men. She describes a long pattern of infidelity she learned about through fan messages on Twitter, which Corey consistently gaslit her into dismissing. She details a controlling, paranoid dynamic where he accused her of cheating, monitored her movements, and caused escalating fights — while he was allegedly the one cheating. She found nude photos and sexual messages on his phone multiple times.

Audrina describes getting pregnant and hoping a child would stabilize things, but the abuse worsened after their daughter Kira was born. She recounts an incident where Corey left Kira, then only four or five months old, unattended while drinking with friends. She married Corey five months after giving birth, admitting she was in 'robot mode' — a learned performance skill from years on The Hills — and that her sister urged her the night before not to go through with it.

The physical abuse came to a head when Corey shoved her while she was holding Kira, triggering police involvement. She explains she delayed calling the police because she knew it would become public record and go straight to the tabloids, which it did. A restraining order followed after he continued to show up at her events and harass her. She describes the aftermath as a period of extreme emotional depletion, weight loss, and isolation, and credits her recovery to faith, attending church with Kira, and building a support community.

Audrina closes by emphasizing that abuse is not always physical — emotional and verbal abuse, such as being called names daily, can be equally devastating and take a long time to recover from. She says her standards for dating are now very high, that she won't introduce anyone to her daughter or inner circle until a relationship is truly solid, and that she is now in a genuinely happy and healed place.