Jeff Lazkani breaks his silence on Selling Sunset hotel lobby kiss drama for first time
'I was a bit naïve'
For the first time, Selling Sunset star Chelsea Lazkani’s ex-husband, Jeff Lazkani, is speaking out about the drama that played out on-screen regarding his marriage.
It was an alleged “kiss” that got splashed across season eight and was framed as the reason Chelsea and Jeff Lazkani split. But Jeff has now pushed back.
Speaking to Reality Shrine, he explained he “felt compelled” to share his truth. Now, Jeff has delved into the reality behind the hotel lobby kiss drama.
Jeff breaks his silence on that lobby kiss drama
During Selling Sunset season eight, Bre Tiesi tells Chelsea that a friend saw Jeff “making out” with another woman in a hotel lobby.
It was a scene that was edited into the season and framed as a catalyst for Jeff and Chelsea’s relationship breakdown.
In his statement to Reality Shrine, Jeff basically says the whole thing wasn’t what it looked like on TV.
He insisted the text messages and random second-hand details were totally misleading, and that producers massaged it all into a tidy little storyline. And honestly? It tracks… plenty of reality stars have said the same thing about how editing can turn the tiniest rumour into a full-on plot twist.
Jeff told us: “Season eight of Selling Sunset was a stream based on the foundation of a misleading text from a total stranger about an ‘alleged’ accusation of me ‘making out’ with another woman at a hotel in December of 2023.
“This turned into a blown-up scheme that mislead millions of viewers, and the press to make up cheating stories and painted me as the villain, everything a good story line needs.
“Let’s just say that my marriage with Chelsea ended long before any of the allegations came to a reality TV show, for our own personal reasons.
“Good marriages sometimes turn, and it was unfortunate. We both tried to make it work, but our love story came to an end.
“Chelsea and I do not hate each other, and I will always be connected to her because we share what matters most, the two wonderful humans that we created together.”
He felt compelled to share his truth
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Jeff’s statement stresses two key points: first, that the marriage had “ended long before any of the allegations came to a reality TV show,” and second, that editing and selective storytelling on reality TV can make small things look like explosive betrayals.
He said: “Reality TV is filmed many months before it is aired on TV, five to six months prior or more.”
The point about filming timelines is important. Season eight was shot months before it aired, so what appears “current” on camera is often old news to the people involved.
He told Reality Shrine: “Reality TV is not real… editors and producers have the inequitable right to edit, voice-over and twist any storyline they wish. Their mission is to create drama because that’s how they make money.
“People love a good fight and that’s what brings the ratings to a show or news channels and publishers. It does not matter to them who they destroy in the process.
“Yes, the participants sign up for it and it becomes a frenzy for a good storyline and job security. I was a bit naïve and got caught up with the popularity of the show and my support for Chelsea.
“Once I experienced how it all worked from behind the scenes, I realised how contrived and toxic the environment was, and retreated.”
Reality Shrine has reached out to Chelsea Lazkani and Netflix for comment.
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