The Hills made Lauren Conrad an MTV darling and paparazzi favorite.
But is there any chance we'll see her on an MTV reunion show in 10 years? "I hope not!" she says, laughing. "I really hope not."
The 22-year-old has emerged from the sometimes-scripted hit MTV show a household name (well, at least for those 13-35). She is a trendsetter, a fashion designer and a mildly roasted guest on The Late Show With David Letterman.
The future of The Hills (Mondays, 10 p.m. ET/PT) remains cloudy as the show approaches its Dec. 22 finale, which will close out its fourth season. The stars are finding plenty of other things to do. Whitney Port is getting her own spinoff, The City, which follows her exploits in New York. Audrina Patridge has a role in the horror film Sorority Row. And Heidi Montag seems to have her hands full with boyfriend Spencer Pratt.
Conrad is busy, too. She'll continue the Lauren Conrad Collection fashion line. And she's writing three books loosely based on her life; the first installment in the L.A. Candy series is expected next summer.
She also has teamed up with Avon's mark cosmetics as the spokeswoman for m.powerment, an advocacy campaign for women ages 16 to 24. Conrad's focus is prevention of dating abuse and partner violence.
"It's a difficult age, and you don't have a lot of experience in dating, and you don't know what the norm is and what's acceptable," Conrad says. "Dating abuse isn't something that's normally talked about. It has such a stigma to it." She encourages girls to go out in a group or go on first dates in public places.
Conrad's own friendships and dating life have been chronicled incessantly on The Hills. She says some of her friends have been in unhealthy relationships and that she has had a brush with the scarier side of the clubbing nightlife.
"I actually had someone put something in my drink while I was out and had no idea. Luckily, I was with a group of friends, so it was fine. But you have to be careful."
Her own dates are taking place in more private places. Paparazzi have caught Conrad with a new constant: her off-camera love, actor Kyle Howard.
She's sure about one thing: Howard will not be making an appearance on The Hills. Conrad has had several relationships on camera, some of which have ended dramatically.
"There's very little that I'm able to keep to myself through the show and through media, so if there's anything I can, I try to," she says.
Many of her co-stars have managed to keep a private dating life while on the show, she says.
"I think that everyone has been in that situation. Lo (Lauren Bosworth) has a boyfriend she has been dating over a year who you never see on camera. Whitney (Port) had a boyfriend for a year."
Conrad's on-camera relationships are routinely tested, particularly the one with Montag's boyfriend, Spencer. Conrad has accused him of planting gossip about her in the media. She says he's a bigger nemesis than blogger Perez Hilton, who often posts mean-spirited items about her. "I understand that it's Perez's job to blog," she says.
Among rumors that have dogged Conrad: a supposed dalliance with Patridge's boyfriend in Las Vegas. "I wasn't even there," Conrad says. "I wasn't even in the state."
But the star concedes she has struggled with how to handle relationships while being in the limelight. "With friendships I had kind of a hard time," she says. "I think the media and fame tie into that. It changes people."
Credit: usatoday.com
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