Selling Sunset Fallout: Inside Nicole Young and Chrishell Stause's Feud and the Rumors Fueling It
Selling Sunset is back in the hot seat as Season 9’s Friendsgiving explodes: Chrishell Stause accuses Nicole Young of drug use, stunning the cast and sending fans into overdrive. The fallout is poised to define the season.
Another season of Selling Sunset is in the books, and shocker: the Chrishell vs. Nicole drama is still the headline. Season 9 brought their feud back to a boil, and it got messy fast.
The Friendsgiving blowup
Mid-season, during the Friendsgiving scene, Chrishell Stause accused Nicole Young of being 'on drugs.' It landed like a grenade - castmates were stunned, fans ran wild with theories, and the internet did what it does. Nicole, who has been with the Oppenheim Group for years and joined the main cast in Season 6, immediately denied it and hasn't budged since.
"I've never had a substance abuse problem, ever - pure BS from Chrishell and Amanza." - Nicole Young to TMZ
She also told Netflix's Tudum that the accusation blindsided her, describing it like being hit by a train and leaving her frozen for a beat before the weight of it sank in. In other words: total shock, total gut punch.
"Clear favoritism" and how the show picks its villains
With Season 9 wrapped and the fallout still ricocheting, Nicole is now talking about what she sees as a pattern behind the scenes - favoritism inside the Oppenheim Group and how that bleeds into the show's storylines. Asked if Jason and Brett should have backed her more as the tension with Chrishell escalated, she didn't hold back.
"There's definitely some clear and blatant favoritism going, and that stems from allowing one person in the group to have significantly more power, and that results in some pretty infuriating double standards." - Nicole Young to TMZ
She says this dynamic has been there since Day 1: if you don't fall in line and you're willing to stand on your own, you get painted as the villain. She even gives production a partial pass, suggesting they often pick the path of least resistance with the story. Translation: it's easier to label someone a problem than to untangle the bigger mess.
Where things stand now
- Chrishell is tapping out. After what she called a brutal reunion and months of friction (Nicole very much included), she told Variety she's stepping away from the show going forward.
"The reunion was so brutal. In that moment, I realized I will be done here going forward. I wish everyone the best, but this isn't the place for me. It felt a little bit like a dog pile." - Chrishell Stause to Variety
- Nicole is eyeing a reset of her own. She's considering a move to Nashville, per Realtor.com, which would put some literal distance between her and the Oppenheim office drama in Los Angeles.
- Season 10 is not officially a go yet. Netflix hasn't confirmed a renewal, and with exits and strained relationships, expect real shake-ups if (when) it returns.
- Quick stats for context: Selling Sunset streams on Netflix, comes from creator Adam DiVello, currently has 9 seasons, a 6.5/10 on IMDb, and a 66% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
However you feel about the accusations, the favoritism talk, or the edit, this was an eyebrow-raiser of a season. Whose side are you on?
Selling Sunset is streaming now on Netflix.