Audrina Patridge may be best known for starring on six seasons of MTV’s popular show “The Hills,” but she’s busier now than ever. The entrepreneur announced the launch her own swimwear label, Prey Swim, in November, ending her exciting year on the perfect note. In June, she welcomed daughter Kirra Max, her first child with longtime love Corey Bohan. (The baby’s first name is inspired by a surfing spot in Australia; her middle name honors Patridge’s late grandfather.) Then, a few months after Kirra’s birth, the couple got married during an intimate ceremony in Hawaii. Recently, Patridge took time out from her busy schedule to chat with us about what life was really like on “The Hills” (despite what you’ve already heard), what she plans to teach her daughter about friendship (from lessons she learned on the show), Sanctimommies, and more.
MT: You’ve had a big year—first a baby and then a dream wedding. Congrats!
AP: Thank you! God has a plan for everyone. The baby was a surprise. And I was like, you know what? This is meant to be. A lot of people gave me a hard time for having a baby before getting married, but who are they to judge? You always have those few haters who are going to be negative in every situation. At the end of the day nobody is perfect. You have to do what’s good for you.
MT: Were people judgey about Kirra’s birth, too, since it was a C-Section?
AP: Yes, and I never thought that I would be judged about something like that. I had no choice; I had to have a C-Section. I would have loved to have had her naturally but it was just impossible. She was bigger than we thought and she couldn’t turn. It’s really strange to me that people are so opinionated about how someone else gives birth.
MT: What was your C-Section experience and recovery like?
AP: I was so scared. But, actually, it was so easy and practically painless. I was walking after about three days. It burned a little and it was sore but that’s it. And my scar is so small. You can’t even see it. Now I’m just worried about what my second will be like when we decide to have another baby, because the first one was so easy!
MT: Did you feel pressure to get back into shape quickly, since your wedding was only a few months after Kirra’s birth?
AP: OMG, yes. When I was three months postpartum I flew to New York City for a fitting with a designer from Pallas Couture, an Australian label. It was hard because every three weeks I was a new size. When we did my measurements, I still had a bit of a belly, my hips were wider than the usually are, and my boobs were giant because I’m breastfeeding. They designed the dress and then sent it to me a few days before my wedding. The dress was too big and so I had to get it altered really quickly. It worked out. They did such a beautiful job.
M T: What did you do to get your body back fast?
AP: Breastfeeding really helped. I also did squats and took Pilates. Holding Kirra was a good arm workout.
MT: It was reported that your co-stars from “The Hills” weren’t invited to your wedding. Did it surprise you that people cared about that?
AP: Yes! Lauren didn’t invite any of us to her wedding, and neither did Kristin or Whitney. So why was it such a big deal when I didn’t invite them? I still talk to Kristin and Brody, but I just wanted my wedding to be really intimate with our family from Australia and here so everyone could get to know each other. I didn’t want to have to play catch-up with people I hadn’t seen in years.
MT: Do you think it’s because people still believe that “The Hills” was real life, instead of the scripted reality show that Kristin Cavallari has talked about?
AP: It was our real life, especially in the beginning. We were all really good friends. Lauren and I were really close. We all stuck together for support because nobody outside our circle understood what we were going through. We weren’t allowed to talk about it to anyone. The show started becoming much less real during the third or fourth season because they started bringing in all of these random people to stir up drama and start fights between me and Lauren or me and Kristin about Justin. They just needed a storyline. So everybody started protecting themselves and not knowing who to trust. The producers were telling us each different things. It kind of divided us.
MT: We imagine you learned a lot about friendship while on “The Hills.” What of those lessons will you teach your daughter?
AP: Be nice to everyone. Don’t gossip. Be loyal to your friends but let them have their space. Just because they have a different opinion or want to do something else doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Everyone is different. Accept people for who they are and don’t judge.
A photo posted by Audrina Patridge (@audrinapatridge) on
MT: Let’s chat about work. How has the launch of your new swimwear line, Prey Swim, been going?
AP: It’s been really stressful but it’s been a lot of fun as well. I’m hoping and praying it’s successful because then we can move forward with it. We’re in the process of designing our new collection, and I’m able to bring Kirra to work with me. She’s such a good baby. I’m really lucky!
