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Season 9 of Selling Sunset has finally premiered on Netflix, and let's just say it was worth the wait, because the Oppenheim Group's real estate agents delivered in the drama department.
Chrishell Stause, Chelsea Lazkani, Emma Hernan, Nicole Young, Alanna Gold, Mary Bonnet, Amanza Smith, and Bre Tiesi are all returning agents to the season, with the new addition of Sandra Vergara - the sister of Sofía Vergara.
But, as with every season of the Netflix hit, nothing is ever simple among this group, and one scene from the fresh batch of episodes saw one agent get 'fired' entirely.
Netflix
In episode two, Amanza Smith hosts a 'Girlsgiving' dinner for the group, and anyone who watches any reality show knows that a dinner is where all bad vibes begin.
Cast your mind back to last season, and Nicole had pretty much been ousted for starting rumours about Emma Hernan having an affair with a married man, so naturally, she's struggled to fit back in with her co-workers.
Fast forward to Girlsgiving, and it doesn't take long over dinner for Chrishell Stause and Nicole to start arguing.
Amanza initially leaps to Nicole's defence, claiming Chrishell shouldn't have accused her of being on drugs in season six - which she denies.
Brace yourselves for what's about to come.
“Even if it was true?” Chrishell scolds, before Nicole drops a line that leaves the whole table with their jaws dropped: "Honey, you're confusing me with your parents, okay?”
Chrishell's parents, Jeff and Renae, are both deceased, and she's previously detailed their battles with addiction.
"The way she brought [up] that my parents had done drugs before, made it sound like they died from drugs", Chrishell reflects on the row.
"First of all, yes, my parents have done drugs they grew up in the f****** seventies okay?"
Her father died in 2019 from lung cancer, while her mother also passed away from the same illness in 2020.
Nicole was then kicked out of the restaurant once Emma called her out for being “sick and evil.”
"Nicole had that bullet in the chamber just waiting", one fan commented on the now-viral clip.
"These people sell more drama than houses", another added.
Later in the series, we see Nicole 'fired' by O-Group owners, Jason and Brett Openheim.
Netflix
Was Nicole Young actually fired by The Oppenheim Group?
It's up for debate.
As of right now, her profile is still very much on the Oppenheim Group website, but there are other clues to suggest she's distanced herself.
It's worth noting than Nicole was never an 'employee' as such so couldn't be 'fired'; but rather, she's an independent contractor, which is why Jason and Brett asked her to "leave the office" in the scenes that played out on screen.
However, towards the end of season nine, Nicole suggests she's considering a move to Nashville with her husband, Brandon, who has family there.
Earlier this month, she posted on Instagram that her LA home is now for sale, which could be a hint that she's already moved on.
In interviews, she doesn't seem to have any regrets either, which could solidify her stance on working with the Oppenheim Group's women again.
“I’m proud of how I stood my ground, and I’m proud of how I hope things will come across,” Nicole tells Tudum, adding that she has no intention of apologizing to Chrishell. “At least I can walk away with my head held high.”
She's also not letting up if this is the last we've seen of her, either, hinting: “My new priority will be Nashville, but it definitely won’t be goodbye to LA real estate.”
How has Nicole Young responded to the new season of Selling Sunset?
She's standing firm. The agent has since taken to social media to share her side of the story - including claims that she's still very much an agent at the Oppenheim Group.
"I still work at The Oppenheim Group. Getting ‘fired’ was just a dramatic storyline", she told fans during a social media Q&A.
“I wasn’t privy to it until I saw the episode where the cast was told I was let go."
Co-star Chrishell Stause echoed similar comments in a separate interview.
“I’m sure Jason [Oppenheim] is also pushed by production because they want to make the show light, and she keeps bringing it down to a dark place. I wasn’t that surprised, because I knew how production felt", she told Variety.
"They had her do interviews and at the reunion, but she was no longer at the group dinners or open houses. She’s not on the sheet anymore. Technically, she’s an independent contractor, so she can still carry her license and do real estate. As far as her moving and then not moving, you’d have to ask her. I have no idea what happens under that crazy wig.”
Separately, in several videos posted to TikTok, Nicole went on to address her departure and the storylines that had put her in the firing line further.
"Can we all agree, it should be a wrap on Selling Sunset? This isn’t women [sic] empowerment, this is quite the opposite", she wrote.
"Unless they’re willing to get a completely new cast and start fresh with a clear goal of showing women WORKING and the actual drama that happens during a transaction vs personal drama, then I think season 9 needs to be the last."
What happened during the Selling Sunset reunion?
A lot.
Addressing previous comments about Nicole's alleged drug use, Amanza Smith admitted she'd never "seen" Nicole overdose, nor had she ever seen her take cocaine, backtracking on comments made during the infamous dinner party in season nine.
"I believed a story I heard from multiple people, and in that moment I used it because I was very upset - I was disappointed in my friend", she explained to Nicole in front of the cast.
As for the comments about Chrishell's family, Nicole justified that she never mentioned "dead parents", but rather just "parents".
Instead of offering an outright apology, she said she was "sorry for the intent that was taken."
Selling Sunset season 9 is now streaming on Netflix
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