Karl Larson/INFphoto.com"It's like a Hilary Duff concert!"
"A whaaaat??"
"A HILARY DUFF CONCERT!"
This would be the exchange I had with my cameraman last night, as hundreds of fans were screaming, crying and freaking out at the after-party for The Hills. And though I've never been so blessed as to see the Duff perform live, I have to say the Hills-larity was pretty freakin' outrageous. My ears are still ringing!
Lauren, Heidi (sans Spencer—scandal!), Brody, Audrina, Whitney and some other Hills staples hit Hollywood's club Area last night for MTV's live postshow and festivities. I went one-on-one with all of 'em to get scoop, so stand by—that video's a-comin' very soon!
But in the meantime, here's the delicious inside dish on what went down at the big do, when the cameras weren't rolling...
OVERHEARD
The crowd went bat-poop crazy when Brody Jenner arrived...complete with girls screaming and crying and trying to launch themselves over the metal divider to jump and tackle him. My knee still hurts. Before Brody went live on MTV's finale show, he was being briefed by a producer that he "absolutely cannot swear" because it's live. His startled expression was priceless: "Not at all?! S--t."
"ZAC EFRONNN!!" This is what a photographer and, subsequently, a gaggle of fans in the bleachers screamed as one Mr. Brent Bolthouse hit the red carpet. Yes, they thought Heidi's boss was the High School Musical star, and it made my heart sing! Bolthouse insisted that although he "didn't see Heidi as much this season as last season," she "does still work there." And by the by, Bolthouse's handler was the only one all night to insist to us reporters, "No personal questions." Wait, did I miss something?
SPOTTED
Heidi was not wearing her ring! She showed up for the carpet, did a few interviews and was then whisked away by the MTV publicists, who obviously wanted her outta there before Lauren arrived. Heidi said she "had to go to the studio to record." And as for Spencer, he never even showed. (And she tells me all about their status in the video...which is coming soon, I promise!)
Whitney is clearly a nervous tripper—as in, the kind who has two left feet. Not sure if the MTV cameras caught her entrance on the carpet, but she totally tripped again. This after she lost her balance in an Oscar gown on a flight of stairs on Good Morning America. Whit, girl, take it from a fellow klutzy tall girl: Try flats!
Inside the party, Brody and Frankie were attached at the hip. Didn't leave each other's side once. They chatted with Lo for a while. Brody was texting on his iPhone nonstop—-except when one of his scenes came onscreen. Then he was intently watching. (That Brody sure loves him some Brody!) When Lauren came in, she gave both Brody and Frankie huge hugs, as if she hadn't seen them in a while. So, the two are obviously still very friendly but definitely not together.
ON THE RECORD
Audrina said she ran into Mila Kunis after seeing the funnyordie.com parody that Mila and James Franco did of her and Justin Bobby. She said Mila told her, "I wasn't making fun of you!" Audrina seemed to take it all in stride and just thought it was funny.
Elodie said she's in touch with Lauren and Audrina still but doesn't speak to Heidi at all. She said Heidi never apologized, although she did try to call her once, but the whole thing was just awkward.
Brody told Jessi, the Hills After-Show host, they were "gonna go on a date" after one of the reporters told him how hot Jessi thinks he is. I wonder if his phone now says, "Jessi, girl from TV who isn't Kristin, who I'm madly in love with." Hmph! Yeah, probably not...
Now, promise me you'll check back later for the video from last night to find out more about Brody and Lauren, Spencer and Heidi and Audrina and Justin!
In the meantime, comment below on what you thought of last night's big Hills finale. Worth all the Hilary Duff-concert fuss? And are you in or out when the show returns this spring with eight new episodes?
—Additional reporting by Korbi Ghosh