MTV/TooFab
D'Amore claims Barton was "desperately trying to keep me off the show," while Mischa's costars reveal why they think she didn't work out.
Mischa Barton brought her career full circle when she decided to appear on the first season of "The Hills: New Beginnings," MTV's spinoff of "Laguna Beach," which was inspired by "The O.C.", on which Barton starred.
But her run on the reality show was substantially shorter than her time as Marissa Cooper, coming to an end after just one season. The actress seemed a little salty about her exit, taking to social media to bash "replacement" Caroline D'Amore when TMZ reported she was joining the cast. While D'Amore couldn't comment at the time because her casting wasn't officially announced by MTV, she didn't bite her tongue when TooFab caught up with her and her costars ahead of the new season.
"You know what's crazy, my casting wasn't even announced ... so I was not allowed to say anything. So, it was really hard to have somebody who does have a big following and whatever to bash me that way she did," D'Amore told TooFab.
At the time, Barton shared a screenshot of an article about D'Amore's new gig, tagged the pizza entrepreneur and added, "As if anyone would watch @carolinedamore try to hoc her boring ass pasta bowls and greasy pizza on tv. Tried that it was like watching paint dry."
"She's now taken it off her Instagram. I mean, to post my photo and say, 'Nobody wants to watch you hawk your greasy pasta bowls.' First all, you're trying to hurt my company -- the one thing I have to take care of my child, like how dare you?" D'Amore continued. "And to blast me like that when you don't even have any reason, it was just so hurtful."
D'Amore also claimed Barton was "desperately trying to keep me off the show last season I found out." She added, "I was around last season and I found out there were lots of conversations to keep me off the show. Not sure why, but I ended up making it, and it's been amazing."
She went on to say she doesn't "get involved in catty bulls--- like that" and, while it made her "so angry" at the time, she was happy she was at least able to clap back and thank Barton for the free promo.
D'Amore's new costars Brody Jenner, Kaitlynn Carter, Spencer Pratt, Audrina Patridge and Jason Wahler all commented on Barton's exit as well -- basically saying she didn't realize what she was signing up for.
"I just don't really think Mischa -- she doesn't really come from a reality background. She's more of a scripted actress and I think that when she came on you know, she didn't really know anybody," said Brody. "A lot of us have grown up together, we've known each other for a really long time and I think Mischa kinda came on, did her own thing. I don't think she really tried to, or cared to interact with us that much. I think she was just kind of doing her own thing. So, ultimately, I don't think it really worked out."
Brody added "she probably felt a little bit awkward" joining a cast that was already close. "Mischa's a great girl, I've known her for a long time," he continued, "but you know, we have a great cast without her.”
Carter felt Barton has "really been through a lot of s---" throughout her career and probably had a hard time feeling vulnerable on camera.
"I don't think I would've been able to do it in her position either because I think with all of the experiences she's had -- it's really hard to tap into feeling like you can really trust the people around you and share all these really intimate, personal things about yourself," said Carter, "and so I think that was probably what was a little bit of a struggle for her."
"Mischa was really entertaining the second they turned cameras off," added Pratt. "So, I feel like that was her issue. I think off camera Mischa is a hit show. So, I think Caroline is more of an on-camera person, and that's the big difference. I don’t think cameras change Caroline, if anything they help Caroline grow."
Wahler echoed those thoughts, saying that "with this type of show you do need to have that transparency, needing to be open and I think that's something Caroline brings to the show versus Mischa -- just wasn't the right fit."
For Audrina, she felt like Barton was almost an audience member who decided to watch the show for the first time. "It was kind of like she was always standing there being like, 'What is going on? You don't like them?' She didn't really know what was going on, but Caroline has known all of us from Malibu and LA growing up. So, it kind of just made sense for her to jump in and add her spice to the group."
While D'Amore may say she's not one to get involved with "catty bulls---," Brody promised she "definitely butts heads with a few of the castmates" this season.
Sweeting the deal, Spencer added: "And she has the best pizza sauce."
"The Hills: New Beginnings" premieres Wednesday, May 12 at 9pm on MTV.
