From Reality TV’s Most Hated Man to L.A. Mayoral Candidate, Spencer Pratt Says His ‘Hills’ Chaos Was Just Strategy
‘The outsider L.A. needs.’
Spencer Pratt just dropped a bombshell in his latest Us Weekly interview, doubling down on his wild claim that his infamous The Hills villain era was all part of a calculated strategy. The reality TV star turned L.A. mayoral candidate is now framing his chaotic past as a masterclass in media manipulation, insisting the persona that made him one of the most hated men on television was nothing more than a carefully crafted act.
With the June 2 primary looming, his campaign is gaining surprising momentum, backed by celebrities, right-leaning political figures, and even fire victims who see him as the city’s unlikely savior. Pratt’s pitch is simple: he’s the outsider L.A. needs to fix its crises, from wildfires to homelessness to rising crime.
But his lack of political experience has critics howling, with some dismissing his run as a stunt fueled by AI-generated hype and viral memes. So how did a man best known for staging paparazzi stunts and feuding with Lauren Conrad become a legitimate contender for one of the most powerful jobs in local government? The answer, according to Pratt, is that his entire public life, from The Hills to his crystal business, has been a training ground for this moment.
Pratt says this was always the plan
His The Hills persona was the blueprint for reality TV’s most effective heel turn. As Heidi Montag’s scheming boyfriend, he weaponized drama, gaslit castmates, and turned every episode into a masterclass in manufactured chaos. Now, he’s reframing that era as a deliberate strategy. It’s a bold revisionist take, especially considering how deeply audiences loathed him then.
Pratt argues that his ability to navigate the internet’s darkest corners, death threats, trolls, and viral backlash, has prepared him for the uglier side of politics. “The only edge reality TV and fame has given me is to prepare me for the amount of negativity and threats,” he said.
His sister, Stephanie Pratt, isn’t buying it, per Variety. She publicly urged fans not to vote for him, calling his candidacy “a vote for stupidity.” But Pratt dismisses the criticism, insisting his past is irrelevant. “That was 20 years ago,” he said. “I have kids, and I’ve been married almost 20 years. These are two different lifetimes.”
Pratt’s mayoral run isn’t just about political ambition
In January 2025, his family lost their Pacific Palisades home in a devastating wildfire, an experience he says exposed the city’s failures in disaster response. “I just wanted somebody to tell the truth,” he said. “You can just get away with lying if you don’t have somebody saying that’s not true.”
His platform is a mix of law-and-order rhetoric and populist outrage. He’s promised to crack down on homelessness, enforce existing laws, and overhaul the city’s approach to drug addiction, positions that have resonated with voters frustrated by L.A.’s struggles. At a May 6 debate, an NBC4LA online poll found that 89% of respondents believed Pratt won the night.
But his critics argue he’s exploiting tragedy for personal gain. Mayor Karen Bass’ campaign has accused him of “running a campaign based on AI slop and no plans,” while Chelsea Handler compared him to Donald Trump, calling him another “straight, white male former reality star with no government experience.”
Pratt fires back by pointing to his own victimhood. “Here in L.A., the government experience we’re living under is an actual living nightmare,” he said. “Their experience literally burns down 7,000 houses, burns people alive, and gives 70,000 drug addicts needles and pipes.”
His campaign has attracted an eclectic mix of supporters
Pratt has seen support from Adam Carolla and Paris Hilton and right-leaning figures like Rick Scott and Donald Trump. But some of his most intriguing endorsements have come from behind the scenes. He claims Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx privately urged him to run, telling him, “Please, Mr. Mayor, we want these streets safe again.” DiCaprio’s team, however, has denied any endorsement.
Lucian Grainge, Jeanie Buss, and Brian Grazer have all thrown their weight behind him, with Grazer and Katharine McPhee hosting a lavish fundraiser in May. “We are part of the exhausted majority that is begging for a clean and safe city for all Angelenos,” they said. “We believe Spencer is the right man for the right job at the right time.”
Pratt’s lack of policy depth has drawn comparisons to Trump’s 2016 campaign, with detractors arguing he’s more interested in viral moments than governance. But Pratt insists, “My No. 1 qualification is I’m not corrupt,” he said. “I have humility in that I know I’ve never run a city, so I’m going to put a team around me of the smartest, most talented people.”
Running for office hasn’t been all red carpets and endorsements
Pratt says he’s received death threats, forcing him to temporarily relocate from his airstream in Pacific Palisades. “I’m upping my security,” he said. “I have a lot of legendary former LAPD officers. You’re not going to scare me out of fighting evil at this point in my life.”
He’s also had to adjust to life without his family. A self-described “hands-on dad,” Pratt says not seeing his sons has been the hardest part of the campaign.
Pratt has vowed to leave L.A. if he doesn’t win, framing the election as an all-or-nothing moment for the city. “If I don’t win, L.A. is done, and it’s not going to be livable,” he said. “It’s going to be out of a dystopian nightmare movie.”
(Featured image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gamerscore/)
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