Excerpts from the interview:
Writing as Therapy
"Jane is the main character [of Sweet Little Lies: An L.A. Candy Novel] and most like me. But also when I was more sarcastic and against [being on] the The Hills, I was able to illustrate that through Scarlett, her best friend. So they almost became the two sides of me, because there were times I absolutely hated the show and there were times I loved it."
Running from The Hills
"You set out to do a show based on your life, and you end up living a life based on your show. Everything you do has to be cleared — where you work, people who come to your birthday, people you date, what clothes you wear. I had to get the paint color for my apartment approved by the director of photography. It was things like that that I don't miss."
Putting the Criticism on Mute
"There's always someone out there telling you your nose is too big or too small, or you're too fat or too thin, or they don't like your hair. In life, there's always going to be someone who doesn't like something about you, so you have to focus on what makes you happy about yourself. You're the only person you need to please."
Once a Cheater...
"I've never really understood cheating because I've never cheated on anyone. I feel like if you are in a relationship with someone, and you want to be with other people, then you shouldn't be in a relationship — it's that simple! Once you start having a wandering eye, it's time to reevaluate the relationship you're in because you're obviously looking for something else."
Frenemies
"With the crew, you develop friendships and they're your family and best friends, but they're also there to do a job. And a lot of times their jobs include a level of deception. So they can put you in some pretty bad situations just to get your reaction. For example, a year ago for my birthday party, they invited Heidi to come, and they knew that I'd be uncomfortable with it. They're all wearing earpieces and know that Heidi's coming in, and they're focusing all of their cameras on me for a reaction. It's a very weird feeling knowing that everyone around you knows that something is about to happen except you."
Future Carrie Bradshaw?
"I went through a phase where I wanted to write a dating book, so I had The Rules, Better Single Than Sorry, and He's Just Not That Into You...I had about six of them. This was a couple years ago, and I had a guy come over and I could see him eying the books, and I was like, No, no, no. I want to write a dating book. And he was like, Yeah right, crazy — get me out of here!"
Budget Babe
"At 18 I was cut off financially! Seventeen was a happy time for me, but 18 was hard. People think that I've had it easy, but I haven't had it as easy as you think. When I went off to college, I wasn't going to class in Louis Vuitton. There were definitely times when my bank account was zero. I was financially independent, but I wasn't exactly living a lavish life. My dad was really adamant about that. He'd say 'You're going to go to college and live it like everyone else, because if you want to make your own decisions, you need to support yourself too.'"
Showstopper
"When I go out, the shoes need to be as high as they can be. I love 'big girl' shoes that are five-inches tall. Just a black platform is the best!"