The reason for Nicole Young’s exit from Selling Sunset has been revealed in the new ninth season. Young was seen referencing Chrishell Stause’s deceased parents and their past struggles with addiction.
During the recently released episodes, Young, 39, and Stause, 44, engaged in a heated argument at a group dinner. The dispute originated from Young’s prior false accusations concerning Emma Hernan’s alleged affair with a married individual.
Stause retaliated by bringing up Young’s previous allegations about her supposed drug use. Young then made the controversial remark, "Honey, you’re confusing me with your parents, okay? You seem to be obsessed with drugs." The comment immediately turned the entire table against her.
Amanza Smith, 48, and Emma Hernan, 33, were particularly vocal in their criticism. Mary Bonnet attempted to de-escalate the situation. Smith condemned Young’s comments as distasteful, emphasizing that Stause’s parents "are dead."
Smith further stated, "I hope you are on drugs because this is f***ing inexcusable." Young defended her actions by pointing to Stause’s earlier insinuations about her own past cocaine overdose.
Young responded, "She has said that [her parents] were addicts. Is it okay for me to be called a drug addict constantly? You talked about your parents doing drugs."
Hernan labeled Young "sick and evil" before the group demanded she leave the restaurant. The subsequent episode showed Brett and Jason Oppenheim terminating Young’s employment due to her insensitive remarks.
Us Weekly had previously confirmed that Selling Sunset production faced a filming hiatus due to ongoing issues between Young and Stause. Young issued a statement to Us in January regarding her filming status.
She clarified that she had "absolutely not been fired from the cast." Instead, production decided to "pause my filming until next week to protect me from situations on set that had become very tense."
Young expressed her uncertainty about continuing to film "in this type of environment, especially with so many outrageous double standards." She also highlighted her life beyond the show, stating, "Selling Sunset has been a great opportunity and an intense experience, but it is not my life or my identity."
She added, "I have a big and beautiful life outside the show… and, fortunately, in the real world my life and personality cannot be edited or misrepresented to show me negatively and fit me into a produced storyline."
Later in the season, Young discussed her plans to relocate from Los Angeles to Nashville with Bonnet. Young recently shared her anticipation for viewer reactions to the new episodes.
She noted, "We already saw the new season. We already filmed the reunion. It’s a lot." Young is "very curious to see viewer reactions, because things get a bit turned upside down, especially when you see how they end up at the reunion."
Young hinted that audience favorites might shift, saying, "I think some people’s favorites might change in both ways. It’s going to be very interesting to watch." Stause echoed the sentiment in March, describing the show as "very explosive."
Stause told Us that "the cameras pick up exactly where we left off." She promised "a lot of resolution" for lingering storylines, ensuring it would be "satisfying for the audience."
Selling Sunset is currently available for streaming on Netflix.