Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Selling the OC’ season 2 living up to its every expectation, there’s no holding back on rumors, glamour, drama, or cattiness in this Adam DiVello-created reality realty production. After all, it centers around a group of fierce Oppenheim Group realtors in Orange County as they navigate their personal and professional lives, all the while handling inner-brokerage politics. Though if we’re being honest, it was the affinity between Alex Hall and Tyler Stanaland that caught our attention the most this iteration — so now, let’s simply find out more about it, shall we?
Alex and Tyler’s Selling the OC Journey
Although Alex and Tyler both hail from the small city of Laguna Beach, they actually didn’t meet until they were in high school and then didn’t really get close until they were well into adulthood. As per the former’s own accounts, the duo did match on Hinge long ago but never went further as life took them down different routes before suddenly sparking a reconnection through work. That’s when they got to know one another on a deeper level and grew chummy despite being complete opposites — while she’s rather loud as well as extroverted, he’s admittedly introverted.
However, even with their cuddling, “noseys,” or other forms of seeming open physical affection, Alex and Tyler initially never crossed a line — nor did they want to — since the latter was married. Everything between them was strictly platonic because he was dedicated to his wife, actress Brittany Snow, that is, until they mutually decided to part ways following a total of four years together. Brittany reportedly filed for divorce four months after their September 2022 separation, only for it to be finalized in July 2023 without any significant issues as neither contested their prenup.
It was actually during this period that rumors of Alex and Tyler possibly being more than friends came out in full force as, being a divorcee herself, she was supporting him each step of the way. Both of them were honestly a bit annoyed by this at first since he also had Polly Brindle as well as Austin Victoria by his side, but then they chose to pay no heed and continue with their bond. Things did get strange for Alex personally once it came to light that he and Polly had drunkenly made out in the office around Christmas, just for them to clarify it was a one-time thing between friends.
That’s when the single mother of two admitted that although Tyler was only a friend despite them gradually blurring the lines a little through their growing flirtyness, she would be open to more. Little did Alex know he was on the same page, which is why he’d paid extra attention to her while on a work trip to Cabo, Mexico, and offered extra support through her issues with Brandi Marshall. The fact he’d essentially gotten her whole family’s permission to pursue matters during a gathering when he’d stopped by for a minute to pick up a watch he’d given to her son pushed them closer too.
Therefore, while attending Brandi’s birthday party near early April 2023, Tyler asked Alex out upon making his feelings as well as intentions very clear, both of which she reciprocated to a tee. “Your friendship means a lot to me,” he told her as they sat alone in the pool while the others enjoyed a disco room. “You’ve been there in ways for me that I can’t imagine… You were such a good friend to me in the last year when I’ve been in transition, like getting divorced, and you’ve been there to support me and laugh with me and cry with me. Ultimately, like, I find myself thinking about you.”
Tyler continued, “We’ve always had a very flirty relationship, and maybe there’s always been something there that I didn’t know or maybe you didn’t know, but I- I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about us being more than friends… Things with you are very easy, and no matter what if- if I’m in a crowded room, and I look across and I see you, everything feels normal.” This is when Alex conceded she feels the same, yet there’s a wall because she’s a mom and not looking for casual, only for him to state neither is he as he wanted a family ten years ago; plus, the biggest loss he feels in his divorce is starting over. So, he asked her out to dinner, she said yes, and they actually ended up sharing their first real kiss.
But alas, as indicated in season 3, Alex and Tyler didn’t immediately start dating; instead, they unexpectedly fell into a weird back and forth where it was evident they liked one another yet couldn’t make it work. The former then described their bond perfectly by stating their time was just wrong, especially as they were also trying to be too careful with one another since they didn’t want to lose their friendship. However, things turned upside down when she met someone new and even went to Vegas with them for a weekend – the same weekend she was supposed to travel to Nashville with Tyler, yet she didn’t since he was acting a bit cold. Then, a few weeks later, she also decided to vacation with this mystery man in Italy despite Tyler asking her not to because he didn’t want to lose her.
Alex and Tyler Never Really Took Off
First things first, it’s imperative to note Alex and Tyler really were just friends at the time he and actress Brittney Snow separated — “I think people really want to hold onto that idea that there’s something there between Tyler and I,” she’d told People in November 2022. “I mean, at this point, we’re just friends, so there’s nothing more to it.” She also asserted the same in a recent Instagram post, writing, “I myself have NEVER been unfaithful in a relationship. Nor have I EVER been a counterpart to someone being unfaithful in their own relationship. PERIOD. As a woman who has been on the receiving end of infidelity, I would never want another woman to go through that-nor put myself in a situation causing that… Please stop trying to string together a narrative that simply is NOT true.”
Alex continued, “These untruths are extremely hurtful and go deeply against my being and what I believe in. Really hoping this ends here once and for all and I wish nothing but the best for the respective parties surrounding this.” Coming to her connection with Tyler at the moment, the truth is they sadly aren’t even close anymore — she actually revealed in the reunion episode on ‘Selling Sunset’ season 7 that he’d gone as far as to block her on social media.
This realtor recently also reiterated she and Tyler “don’t stand united. We don’t stand together, we don’t stand in sync, there’s no relationship there.” Alex expressed their romance never really took off because they were both fearful, plus there were inconsistencies between the latter’s words and actions. She then added, “But I’m just a woman who wants a man to take the lead and unfortunately it wasn’t there. So, Tyler and I now — I think I’m still blocked on Instagram.”
Coming to Alex and Tyler’s individual current standing, from what we can tell through their respective social media platforms, it looks like they’re both perfectly content at the moment, which is all that matters in the long run. She still seems to be involved with that mystery man she vacationed in Italy with, whereas he seems to be thriving upon having left the Oppenheim Group, joining his father as well as his brother at Douglas Elliman, and traveling the world.
Read More: Why Did Tyler Stanaland and Brittany Snow Get Divorced?
