How many of us have been watching MTV’s new show, Siesta Key on Monday nights? The dramatic beach-oriented “reality” TV show obviously draws a lot of parallels between one of our favorite TV shows of all time — Laguna Beach — and while it’s true that the two are similar, this 2017 version kind of just feels like a cheap knock-off of the original show. Sure, the characters cast members are older which means they can be shown drinking and partying, which means more drama, but it kind of just makes us miss the good ol’ days of the Southern California show.
It’s been almost 13 years since Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County debuted on MTV. September 28, 2004, was the day when we were first introduced into the lives of some of reality television’s biggest stars. Where would our lives be if we had never witnessed the drama between Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavallari? Or if we never got to lay our eyes on Stephen Colletti and Jason Wahler? It was this drama filled high-school crew that had a special part on all our TV screens, and of course our lives.
Although it has been over a decade since the show aired, we have still seen some of the LB natives continue their careers in Hollywood. On the other hand, some stars have seemed to disappear into thin air. What exactly are some of our favorite stars from all three seasons of Laguna Beach doing today? While it makes us feel old AF, most of them are married with children by now.
38. Lauren Conrad: Then
It’s only right that we begin with the star of the hit reality show, Lauren Conrad. We followed the 18-year-old’s life full of drama, boys, and backstabbing friends not only through LB but on her MTV spinoff, The Hills as well. Even if we did not want to admit it, LC was our favorite.
37. Lauren Conrad: Now
When it comes to reality stars, not everyone can maintain their place in the spotlight or stay relevant. But LC really knows how to manage her career and proved that some reality stars are able to have lasting power in Hollywood. Since her time on MTV, Lauren has written a series of young-adult novels, created and continues to oversee her successful fashion line, Paper Crown, and her popular Kohl’s line, LC by Lauren Conrad. The designer is married to professional guitarist, William Tell, and even gave birth to her first child. Laur has managed to make a name for herself outside reality TV fame and that’s pretty impressive.
36. Stephen Colletti: Then
STEE-VAN was always a fan favorite of the Laguna Beach crew (mostly because of his drop-dead gorg good looks, tbh). While he seemed to be at the center of the Lauren-Kristin feud and seemed to give both gals the run-around, we couldn’t help but swoon every time he stepped on screen.
35. Stephen Colletti: Now
Staying involved with MTV after the show ended, Colletti took a job as a VJ for the network. In 2007, he starred on the hit CW show One Tree Hill and soon after began dating actress,
Chelsea Kane. Since his time on OTH, Colletti has been laying low and mostly keeping to himself. However, he was seen reunited with LC at a wedding in 2014 and was even one of the groomsmen in costar, Dieter Schmitz‘s wedding.
34. Kristin Cavallari: Then
What has Lauren Conrad’s rival Kristin Cavallari been up to since her time on reality television came to an end? It is hard to forget about all the drama they went through on the show. Kristin also made an appearance on The Hills after LC decided that she was sooo over reality TV fame.
33. Kristin Cavallari: Now
Like LC, Kristin’s career did not end with the show. In the following years, Cavallari landed parts in some films and television shows and even landed a spot on the hit show Dancing With The Stars back in 2012. The star paired with Chinese Laundry to create her own line of shoes but more recently, Cavallari and husband Jay Cutler moved to Nashville with their three children Camden, Jaxon, and Saylor James. To this day, Kristin stands firm that her part as villainess of the show was totally fabricated.
32. Lo Bosworth: Then
A familiar face on both Laguna Beach and The Hills was Lo Bosworth. Although she was never really involved in all the drama, she was one of the smartest ones in the group and of course LC’s BFF.
31. Lo Bosworth: Now
After the shows came to an end, Lo decided to move away from reality television and pursue a career similar to her costar BFF, Lauren Conrad — in the lifestyle field. Bosworth relocated to New York City and created a blog called, thelodown.com that she still runs today. She wrote her first book in 2010 also titled, The Lo Down. That is not all she has accomplished, however! Bosworth also graduated from culinary school back in 2014 and began her own YouTube channel that covers food, beauty and lifestyle tips. Pretty impressive.
30. Trey Phillips: Then
While we loved Trey because he was cute, sweet and stayed out of all the stupid drama, his sense of style and fashion were also well-documented in season one of the show. One of the first glimpses we see of Trey’s activist side is when he puts on an Active Young America. Later, in season two, Trey returns to help with a benefit fashion show to raise funds after a landslide took out part of Laguna.
29. Trey Phillips: Now
After his time on the show, Trey attended Parsons in New York City where he followed his dreams and studied design. He now works as an associate designer for Vera Wang. Yes, ~the one and only~ Vera Wang. Trey permanently resides in New York City, but don’t worry — he still maintains relationships with his California crew such as Stephen, Dieter, and LC.
28. Dieter Schmitz: Then
Remember Dieter? Best friend to LC and Stephen, and also boyfriend to Jessica Smith (sometimes). Dieter was always around for the drama, but usually was just the guy consoling his friends after sh*t hit the fan.
27. Dieter Schmitz: Now
His career took him into hospitality and hotel management where he managed the Lakehouse Hotel and Resort located in San Diego for a while. However, he eventually moved to New York City where he is now the general manager of InterContinental Hotels Group. As for his love life… Dieter married his longtime girlfriend Isabell Hiebl last August.
26. Talan Torriero: Then
Oh, Talan. When we were teens watching the show, this guy was like the ultimate underrated heartthrob. He was kind of a player, though, and this was fully displayed when he got a bigger role during season 2 of Laguna Beach.
25. Talan Torriero: Now
After being on the show, Talan dated a couple celebrities including pop singer Nicole Scherzinger and Kimberly Stewart (Rod Stewart‘s daughter). He eventually settled down in 2014 and married his girlfriend, Danielle Zuroski.
As for his studies, Talan attended University of San Francisco for two years before moving back to Los Angeles to pursue a career in marketing. Like many of his other costars, Talan and his wife are also expecting their first child together!
24. Jason Wahler: Then
Not all cast members have had an easy road to happiness and success after Laguna Beach and The Hills. It was Jason’s fiery personality that made him a major character in seasons one and two of Laguna Beach and season one of The Hills. During the show, he dated Jessica, Alex M. and ultimately LC — a relationship that got him a majorly controversial role in The Hill.
23. Jason Wahler: Now
After his time on reality TV, Jason found himself in quite a bit of trouble. Since 2006, Jason struggled with alcoholism and has been involved in a total of six alcohol-related arrests. After getting sober during Celebrity Rehab in 2010, Jason married model Ashley Slack and the couple is now expecting their first child together — a girl!
22. Jessica Smith: Then
No one has stayed out of the limelight more than Jess-kaaaa. Her love life was kind of a trainwreck on Laguna Beach and once the show wrapped, Jess swiftly removed herself from the public eye and has maintained a simple life outside of reality television and pop culture tabloids.
21. Jessica Smith: Now
Unlike some of her Laguna Beach co-stars, Jessica did not pursue a career in television, film, fashion, or lifestyle. The best way to stay up to date on Jessica Smith’s life is to keep up with her social media pages, especially her Instagram account. Smith is currently a stay-at-home mom of four who has continued to live in California.
20. Alex Murrel: Then
It is hard to forget the feud between Alex Murrel and Jessica Smith over Jason Wahler — one of the many love-triangles present on Laguna Beach. Alex M. definitely didn’t avoid drama while on the show as she also had a feud with Casey.
19. Alex Murrel: Now
She married boyfriend, Kyle Johnson, back in 2014 during a picture-perfect ceremony in Malibu, California. Two former costars, Alex Hooser and Taylor Cole were present as her bridesmaids! Last year in July, Alex and Kyle welcomed their first child, a baby boy, into the world. No longer pursuing an acting career, Murrel has settled down with a more steady career and works for MOX Agency, a full-service media and marketing agency.
18. Taylor Cole: Then
One of Alex Murrel’s best friends on Laguna Beach was Taylor. She took up a prime spot on the show for season 2 as Alex M.’s wing-woman throughout all the Jason drama. That said, Tay couldn’t keep away from the love-triangles herself — as her romance with Talan was heating up as Kristin began to finally show interest for him, as well.
17. Taylor Cole: Now
Alex M. and Taylor are still BFFs. So close, in fact, that the two were both bridesmaids at each others’ weddings. No, she did not end up marrying Talan. The season two alum married Kevin Simshauser in La Quinta California back in October of 2015. Although her Hollywood career ended with the MTV hit show, she has continued onto pursue a career in photography.
16. Morgan Olsen: Then
Real fans remember Morgan from season 1 of Laguna Beach. She was the cheerful brunette anxiously searching for the right Mormon guy to complete her.
15. Morgan Olsen: Now
Although she may not have found him on the show, her dreams became reality when she married Joel Smith back in 2010. As for her education, Morg graduated from New York University in 2008 where she earned her degrees in humanities and journalism. Her time in NYC did not last and she later moved back to the West Coast and founded a children’s swimwear label called Minnow Swim. She also worked at Elle Magazine. Now, Morgan is a mother of two children, Theo and Georgia. Very cute names.
14. Alex Hooser: Then
Alex H. mostly played the sidekick/soundboard to whoever was experiencing the most drama at the time. Always the one with the most on-point questions, Alex H. unfortunately never got many storylines of her own — though we’re sure her life must’ve been pretty dramatic behind-the-scenes.
13. Alex Hooser: Now
Like we said earlier, Alex H. was a bridesmaid in Alex M’s wedding. She’s also still tight with Kristin. High school friendships run deep, right? Although Alex H. seemed to have dropped off the map a bit after the show, according to her social media, it seems as though Alex is married, living in Hawaii and gave birth to her first son in Spring of 2016. Cute family!
12. Christina Schuller: Then
Morgan’s BFF on the show, not gonna lie — Christina was one of the less-dramatic characters on her season meaning she never got much screen time. She was, however, adamant about pursuing a career in Tinseltown. Christina took every shot she got at showing off her singing skills.
11. Christina Schuller: Now
It seems her life has taken her on a different career path since the show ended. Now, Christina’s passions and focuses are all about healthy living. Still living in LB with her husband, she works as a certified fitness instructor. While she runs an exercise and dieting website called Beach Babe Fitness, she also has two children — one born in 2014 and one that is just a few months old! It just goes to show that you can still find happiness even when life doesn’t go as planned.
10. Casey Reinhardt: Then
Born and raised in Beverly Hills, Casey definitely kept Laguna Beach interesting. Her beauty pageant looks and personalities made her hard to forget on the show. She never avoided drama and we couldn’t help but love that about her.
9. Casey Reinhardt: Now
The end of Laguna Beach was definitely not the end of Casey’s career. Casey used her fame to capitalize on makeup and cosmetics. The reality star created “Kiss By Casey,” her very own lip gloss brand. Lip gloss wasn’t her ultimate passion though and soon entered the baking biz. The LB star opened Casey’s Cupcakes in Riverside, California and even went on to win the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars back in 2011. Casey also found love and tied the knot to Sean Michael Brown in 2016.
8. Cameron Brinkman: Then
Whether you were Team Jessica or Team Kyndra, Cameron quickly became season 3’s resident heartthrob. Don’t worry, this star is still just as handsome and maybe even better looking than we remember him.
7. Cameron Brinkman: Now
Since the show, he has used his looks and previous television experience to continue a career in acting — both for television and movie roles. He can be spotted as a District 5 rebel in the film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. Cameron has also taken on some smaller roles on television on shows such as Silicon Valley and Shameless. Hopefully, his days of womanizing are behind him!
6. Kyndra Mayo: Then
There is no denying that Kyndra Mayo was the queen of season three of the hit series Laguna Beach. Following in LC and Kristin’s footsteps — her character definitely kept the show interesting when she and her friends replaced previous seasons’ cast members.
5. Kyndra Mayo: Now
Not too long after the show got moved to Newport, Kyndra entered into the jewelry business and started a line called Like Beau. Unfortunately for her, the line was not as successful as she had hoped and ultimately came to an end. Currently, Kyndra is still living in Laguna Beach and pursuing her passion for photography. As for love, it was rumored that she was in a long-term relationship with Nicholas Lopez, another Laguna Beach native.
4. Raquel Donatelli: Then
Raquel, or better known as Rocky by her BFFs, liked to stay at the center of controversy during the show. When she wasn’t feuding with Breanna, fighting with her boyfriend Alex or throwing ragers at her house, she was talking to her friends about all of their D-R-A-M-A.
3. Raquel Freischlag: Now
The relationship between Rocky and Alex did not last very long (huge shocker there… JK). The reality star married boyfriend, Nathan Freischlag five years ago on March 25, 2012. The two stayed in So-Cal but ventured to San Diego to get out of LB. She may not be very active on social media, but we do recommend checking out her Pinterest. Raquel keeps everyone updated on her life on her blog. Her most recent posts are about how happy she and her husband are to welcome baby number three. Congrats!
2. Kelan Hurley: Then
Kelan kept to the background during season three but he and his group of guys had the ultimate bromance. He and another Laguna guy, Chase Johnson, had started Open Air Stereo in 2005.
1. Kelan Hurley: Now
Kelan left the band back in 2008 to venture off into a new career path. The MTV reality star attended San Diego State University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. Since graduating in 2011, Kelan went onto work as Mid-Market Account Executive at EverString Technology and most recently took a position as a Senior Account Executive for a company called Salesforce. In 2016, he married his girlfriend Colleen in San Juan Capistrano, California.