The year is 2004. You’ve got your Razr flip phone in one hand and a Low-Rise-Jean-wearing grudge in the other. If you grew up in the mid-aughts, you weren't just watching TV; you were enlistees in a cultural war. You were either Team LC or Team Kristin. There was no middle ground.
For twenty years, the narrative stayed the same. Lauren was the girl next door with the "Cinderella" complex. Kristin was the "black-choker-wearing" villain who stole her man. It was the perfect reality TV formula. Honestly, it was a little too perfect.
The 2026 Reunion: A Ceasefire No One Saw Coming
Fast forward to right now. The world has changed, and apparently, so has the mood in Laguna Beach. In a move that literally broke the millennial internet, Kristin Cavallari recently posted a photo that many of us thought we’d never see. She’s standing next to Lauren Conrad—smiling, hugging, and looking like... friends?
Basically, the "Team Lauren" and "Team Kristin" shirts can finally go into the attic.
This wasn't just a random run-in at a grocery store. The pair recently wrapped filming for a massive two-hour Laguna Beach reunion special set to air on The Roku Channel in April 2026. It turns out that getting back together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their high school graduation did something the MTV cameras never could: it actually healed the rift.
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Kristin opened up about this on her Let’s Be Honest podcast, admitting she was actually super hesitant to do the reunion at first. She almost said no. But after showing up, she described the experience as "healing" and "therapeutic." It’s kinda wild to think that two women who were pitted against each other for decades finally found common ground by realizing they were both just pawns in a very lucrative game.
The Love Triangle: Fact vs. MTV Fiction
Let’s talk about Stephen Colletti. The guy was the sun that everyone in Laguna orbited around. But if you listen to the Back to the Beach podcast rewatches, the "love triangle" was mostly a construction of creative editing.
Stephen has been pretty vocal lately about how the show made his blood boil. He’s clarified that while he was definitely messy—he was 18, after all—he wasn't actually cheating. MTV would take a clip of him looking at Lauren from one day and splice it into a scene of him fighting with Kristin from another.
Here is the reality of that "feud":
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- The Beef Was Already Over: Lauren and Kristin actually had a blowout fight before the cameras even started rolling for Season 1. By the time the crew arrived, they had already made up. MTV just asked them to keep playing the hits.
- The Talan Secret: While the show wanted you to think both girls were pining for Stephen, they both admitted they were actually hooking up with Talan Torriero off-camera. Producers ignored it because it didn't fit the "star-crossed lovers" narrative.
- The Slut-Shaming Regret: Both women have since apologized to each other for the names they called one another on air. Lauren specifically pointed to the Cabo episode, saying she was "disgusted" by her own behavior after rewatching it as an adult.
Why We’re Still Obsessed in 2026
You’ve got to wonder why we still care. Maybe it's because Laguna Beach was the last "innocent" reality show. There was no Instagram. There were no influencers. They were just kids with bad highlights and real emotions that were being manipulated by adults in vans.
Both women have moved so far past those roles. Lauren is a lifestyle mogul and a mom of two, married to William Tell. Kristin built the Uncommon James empire and has navigated a very public divorce from Jay Cutler with a level of transparency that's made her more relatable than ever.
They aren't those teenagers anymore. When they sat down together for the reunion, they didn't talk about Stephen. They talked about their kids. They talked about the business of being a woman in the public eye.
Moving Forward: What This Means for Fans
If you’re looking for drama in the 2026 reunion, you might be disappointed. This special is more of a "love letter" to the era than a "burn book." The cast—including Lo Bosworth, Stephen Colletti, and even Trey Phillips—are all involved as executive producers.
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It feels like the end of an era. The "rivalry" was a shadow that followed them for twenty years, and they’ve finally stepped into the light.
Next Steps for the Nostalgic:
- Watch the Roku Special: Mark your calendars for April 2026. It’s a two-hour deep dive into what the cast is doing now and a reaction to the most iconic (and cringey) scenes.
- Listen to the Podcast Archives: If you haven't heard the Back to the Beach episode where Lauren finally guests, go back and listen. It’s the moment the ice finally cracked.
- Retire the "Teams": It’s time to accept that you can like both. The "Mean Girl" and "Girl Next Door" labels were always too small for who these women actually are.
The "Dunzo" era is officially, well, dunzo. And honestly? We’re all better for it.