The best and worst moments of the “Laguna Beach” reunion, from Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavallari's big scene to the Cabo talk

Raechal ShewfeltFri, April 10, 2026 at 2:30 PM UTC

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The 'Laguna Beach' cast reunitesCredit: Brian Roedel/Roku

After 20 years, it was time for the cast of the MTV show Laguna Beach to, as Hilary Duff sings in the theme song, "Come Clean."

And they truly did in a new reunion special that reunited Lauren Conrad, Kristin Cavallari, Stephen Colletti, and many of their costars — Lo Bosworth, Alex Hooser, Trey Phillips, Dieter Schmitz, Christina Schuller, Jessica Smith, and Talan Torriero — for conversation and scenes filmed in the same style of the reality show, which was famously done like it would be on a scripted series.

Tears were shed, secrets were shared, and bonfires were burned.

Here are some of the best and worst moments from The Reunion: Laguna Beach, which airs April 10 on Roku:

01 of 08

BEST: Lauren Conrad, Kristin Cavallari finally share a scene

Kristin Cavallari and Lauren Conrad on 'Laguna Beach'Credit: MTV (2)

Much of the drama in the teen soap centered around the Conrad-Colletti-Cavallari love triangle, with Conrad and Cavallari appearing to be in competition for his affections. Here, they unequivocally tossed out their history and embraced a new era. Truly.

At one point, the women sat by a bonfire on the beach and discussed what had gone wrong between them all those years ago. Cavallari noted that it was the first time they had done so for the cameras.

"It felt competitive," Conrad said. "Looking back, it's so funny that we looked at it that way because now my perspective is it's a compliment to be looked at by the same guy as you. Because you're such a beautiful woman, and you're so charismatic, and you're so confident. I don't know why that becomes a threatening thing with women."

Cavallari said she had been "so wildly jealous of" and "intimidated by" Conrad.

"How?" Conrad said. "That doesn't make any sense to me."

Cavallari said the same.

02 of 08

WORST: Staged scenes featuring the gang at old hangouts

Alex Hooser and Kristin Cavallari on the 'Laguna Beach' reunionCredit: Brian Roedel/Roku

Yes, it was nostalgic for audiences to see the cast back on the beach or at the places where they once spent a lot of time together, including the surf shop or the coffee house. In one scene, Conrad brought over baby clothes for Bosworth, who then asked her about an upcoming meeting with Kohls, where Conrad has a fashion line.

Perhaps because it was cut alongside moments from the obviously real-life reunion, maybe it was that the viewer is so much more familiar with reality shows, but it came off as, well, very staged.

03 of 08

BEST: Lauren Conrad and Stephen Colletti talk friendship

'Laguna Beach' stars Lauren Conrad and Stephen Colletti in 2004Credit: Paramount+

Conrad recalled the moment that her and her husband, William Tell, had been hanging out with Colletti — "maybe during the Christmas break" — and he had told them, "I'm ready. I'm ready to meet my person"

"It doesn't feel like that long ago," said Conrad, who seemed genuinely happy. "And you met your person, and it's so cool."

Colletti, who married NASCAR reporter Alex Weaver in October, recalled, "I kinda knew right away."

04 of 08

BEST: Talon Torriero's confession about Kristin Cavallari

Talan Torriero and Kristin Cavallari on 'Laguna Beach'Credit: J. Shearer/WireImage

In an awkward moment, Wilson asked everyone who had hooked up with Torriero to raise their hands, and it included several of the cast members, even Bosworth, who joined remotely because she experienced a medical complication after welcoming her first child.

But Torriero himself admitted that he'd only had eyes for Cavallari, whom he'd told during high school that he was "sick of hooking up with the same girl."

He explained that he'd had trouble communicating at that age, especially with her.

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"I don't remember [what I meant]," Torriero said. "But I was probably saying I'm sick of just hooking up with you, and I want it to be more than just hooking up. That's where I would assume I was going."

05 of 08

WORST: Talk of Cabo once again

'Laguna Beach' alums Stephen Colletti and Kristin CavallariCredit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

He's done it multiple times before, and he will probably do it again: Colletti apologized to Cavallari for his treatment of her when the cast went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and there was an explosive fight between them in public and in full view of the cameras. Alcohol was involved, insults were tossed out. It was messy. Of course, the footage from the episode aired once again.

"A lot of tequila shots can be a very dangerous thing and judgment went way out the window," Colletti said. "I look back, and it's probably the worst moments of my youth. It’s a moment I’m not proud of and, like, I hate how I came up to you and was so in your face like that and, obviously, was a complete mess."

Cavallari, who's forgiven him, has said that, in hindsight, she's proud of the way she handled herself.

"I apologized to my family for it. Also my grandma," Colletti said. "My grandma then said, 'I thought she deserved it.' But she's just protecting me. She knew that I was broken-hearted."

06 of 08

BEST: Lauren Conrad and Lo Bosworth confirm their friendship

'Laguna Beach' alums Lo Bosworth and Lauren Conrad in 2015Credit: Brent N. Clarke/FilmMagic

While there's been speculation about the status of Conrad and Bosworth's relationship, all seemed well here. The audience was shown a montage of Laguna Beach moments about friendship, in which Bosworth asked Conrad if she needed her to "beat anyone up" for her.

"As much as this was a show that had girls pinned against each other," Conrad said from the reunion set, "they also showed the sweetness between a lot of us and how much you depend on that person and how much you need them to be there. So, yeah, she was my person."

Bosworth commented, "We just had such an unbreakable bond and trust. When you are in high school, your friendships really mean everything."

07 of 08

WORST: A reminder of the show's exaggerated storylines

The 'Laguna Beach' castCredit: Michael Muller/MTV

Although its subjects were teens, Laguna Beach was, after all, a TV show. Conrad noted, for instance, that, while she had been attracted to Colletti at one point, they had been friends since they were children.

"You have to remember you guys had a relationship where you would go up and down, and he was my friend, Conrad said. "I was only getting the negative. He would come and vent."

Cavallari commented, "I never remember hating Lauren pre-Stephen. It wasn't like Lauren and I despised each other. [Stephen] was obviously the reason, and then we found other reasons to not like each other."

After Conrad and Cavallari, who'd said she was insecure, exchanged kind words again, Torriero quipped that he was glad they hadn't had that conversation 20 years ago or "there wouldn't be a TV show."

Schuller added, "It's so refreshing to hear that all of us felt really insecure. All of us were like, 'Wait, that's not me. This is embarrassing.' And it didn't matter if you were the party girl, if you were the church girl, the good girl. All of us felt very vulnerable."

08 of 08

BEST: Christina Schuller shares mental health struggles

Christina Schuller promotes the 'Laguna Beach' reunionCredit: Emma McIntyre/Getty

Schuller explained that, during her senior year in college, she struggled with mental illness, after a period of not taking care of herself — not sleeping, drinking too much and experimenting with drugs.

"I had come back from a trip, and I literally lost my mind," she said. "I thought that I was in The Truman Show. I thought that people were possessed and trying to kill me. It was very severe. I wouldn't take a shower. I thought the water was poisoned. I was in and out of the hospital. It was a very tumultuous six months to a year."

Schuller said that she hopes talking about her experience will help others: "the more that we brings those things up in the light, the more that we can heal from it and move forward."

Her former castmates, including Colletti, who said he'd been aware of what happened, were supportive.

on Entertainment Weekly

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