Chrishell Stause used season 8 of Selling Sunset to call out Amanza Smith‘s stylist — and her costar Nicole Young — for allegedly being homophobic.
During the newest season of Selling Sunset, which started streaming Friday, September 6, Chrishell, 43, was left in an awkward position when Amanza, 47, asked whether she was going to her birthday party.
“Is your stylist coming to your birthday party? He’s super homophobic and attacked me and [my partner] G-Flip,” Chrishell, who has been married to G-Flip since 2023, said. “I’m not gonna be in the same room as him.”
Chrishell offered more context on the situation while filming a confessional.
“I feel like I’ve made a lot of headway with Amanza in my relationship with her. But I am just a little nervous to go to her birthday to be in the same room with this stylist. He was upset that I corrected him stating he was a stylist for me so then he went on a very public rant,” she claimed. “He was saying I’m a fake lesbian, that I am nothing but a green card to G, saying that I gotta get some dick in my hole. What does this even have to do with G?”
Amanza tried to defend the unnamed stylist by pointing out that he is part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Chrishell, however, didn’t accept that as a defense. “Everyone is like, ‘But he’s gay.’ Does that excuse any of those comments?” she asked. “No, it makes it worse, to be honest.”
The tense conversation got worse when Amanza argued that her employee gave her enough reason to believe his version of events. Amanza thought he only referred to Chrishell as a “fake lesbian” but said nothing toward G Flip, 30, who identifies as nonbinary.
“He literally posted it. He said it. It is from his mouth. The fact that you still employ him,” Chrishell replied. Amanza clarified that she wasn’t paying her stylist, saying, “To be honest, right now he helps me for free. I don’t have anybody else right now and our relationship has always been decent.”
Amanza ultimately made it clear she wouldn’t support any hate speech toward Chrishell.
“I believe you. I definitely don’t want to support somebody that is going to bash somebody. I would like to have at least a conversation with him and have all the facts,” she explained before clarifying to the cameras, “I don’t agree at all with what the stylist said about G and Chrishell’s relationship. I’ve made it very clear that these things can never happen again. So where I am with the stylist is, we are good. But now with Chrishell this is tricky and messy because I don’t want to lose her friendship over this.”
Chrishell felt better once Amanza asked the stylist not to attend her party. “That just means a lot to me,” she said. “It does feel like she’s making a stand for our friendship.”
That was not the same reaction that Chrishell had toward Nicole, 38. After fighting on screen for the past two seasons, Chrishell was far from thrilled when Nicole “liked” negative comments about her, which included anti-LGBTQIA+ statements.
Another episode broke down the drama when Amanza told Jason Oppenheim about the newest divide in the office.
“The show was nominated for a GLAAD award. Chrishell sent a text to the group thanking everyone for being supportive of her coming out on the show,” she recalled. “I think there was maybe a slight dig at Nicole.”
Selling Sunset showed the entire text thread, which started with Chrishell writing, “Coming out on the show was obviously maybe the most stressful thing ever. And dealing with so many relentless homophobes for years and having to deal with someone you cast on the show spreading hate about this. So this is SO nice. Thank you to everyone that has always been supportive — millions of people look up to you! It makes a difference — so I just wanted to say thank you. And congrats!”
Nicole, however, wasn’t thrilled by the subtle shade at her. (She addressed her problematic social media interactions at the season 7 reunion in late 2023 after she responded to a comment from a viewer on Instagram who referred to Chrishell as the “lesbian chick.”)
“I would like to point out that all of you who responded to this text did the EXACT same thing that I have been unfairly crucified for. You all ignored the accusation Chrishell clearly made toward me but simply responded to the positive aspects of her text,” Nicole replied as shown on screen. “The double standard is bulls–t. If anyone tries to claim that she didn’t mention my name? Well the woman who made the comment on my Instagram didn’t mention Chrishell’s name either.”
Nicole maintained that there wasn’t an “intentional” attempt to support hate speech and that her social media “likes” don’t in any way equate to her “being homophobic” toward others.
The drama wasn’t over yet though, because Chrishell brought it up in front of everyone at the Oppenheim Group.
“To me there are two options, you either are homophobic or you’re not and you were just so excited and wrapped up in your hate for me that you banded onto people that hated me and happened to be attacking me for my sexuality,” she noted. “If you owned it I would be like, ‘OK.’ I would respect it and we could move on.”
Nicole received a stern talking-to from bosses Brett and Jason as they urged her to “take accountability” for her behavior. She started crying on screen before giving Chrishell an apology.
“It was a stupid mistake,” Nicole told Chrishell. I fully support you. I am not homophobic. It tears me up that your or anyone else would think that because I am not. I know how hurtful it is. I am truly, deeply sorry.”
The coworkers hugged it out, but the truce didn’t last long. Just days before season 8 aired, Chrishell put Nicole on blast via Instagram for spreading a rumor on the show about Emma Hernan allegedly having an affair with a married man.
“Disclaimer when you watch: Just know she spews a disgusting lie about a bestie that is categorically FALSE and SUPER damaging,” Chrishell wrote last month. “It is NOT TRUE. [And] @done_and_done_productions you are disgusting for blindsiding [my friend] with this to see with the world instead of letting her at LEAST defend herself with the TRUTH.”
Nicole has stood by her decision to bring up the speculation on Selling Sunset.
“Instead of attacking me and accusing me of lying, I think you ladies need to ask your bestie some tough questions,” Nicole wrote via social media. “Did she let you know she was directly confronted on camera at the season 7 finale by the wife’s best friend? Even still, I stated this info as a rumor.”
Selling Sunset is currently streaming on Netflix.
