If you were breathing in 2007, you hated Spencer Pratt. Honestly, it was basically a civic duty. You’d flip on MTV, see that flesh-colored beard and those Heidi-induced smirks, and feel your blood pressure spike. He was the guy who broke up the ultimate "girl power" duo of Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag. He was the man who seemingly spent his days whispering in Heidi's ear like a reality TV Iago.
But fast forward to 2026. The world looks a lot different.
Spencer isn't just a guy with a crystal collection anymore. He’s currently running for Mayor of Los Angeles. Yeah, you read that right. Following the devastating Pacific Palisades wildfires in 2025—which literally leveled the Pratt family home—Spencer transformed from a tabloid punchline into a vocal, albeit polarizing, political advocate. He’s trading the "Speidi" drama for debates about local government negligence and city infrastructure.
It’s the weirdest redemption arc in Hollywood history. Or maybe it’s just the natural evolution of a man who mastered the art of being "hated" before the rest of the world even knew what an algorithm was.
The Architect of the Reality Villain
Back in the mid-2000s, The Hills was the biggest thing on television. It felt real. We thought we were watching a fly-on-the-wall documentary about young girls in LA.
Spencer Pratt knew better.
In his new memoir, The Guy You Loved to Hate: Confessions From a Reality TV Villain, set for release on January 27, 2026, Spencer finally pulls back the curtain on the "play-pretend" nature of those early years. He didn't just stumble into the role of the antagonist; he auditioned for it. He’s admitted he used to ask producers, "Do you want me to be like I was on The Hills?" whenever he joined a new project. He saw the show as a soap opera. While Lauren Conrad wanted to be a fashion mogul, Spencer wanted to be the next Simon Cowell.
He weaponized the tabloid cycle. He and Heidi would stage paparazzi photos, leak their own "breakups," and lean into the most toxic versions of themselves just to keep the checks coming in. At the peak of their fame, "Speidi" was a $2 million-a-year business.
💡 You might also like: Ashley My 600 Pound Life Now: What Really Happened to the Show’s Most Memorable Ashleys
They weren't just cast members. They were the writers, directors, and stars of their own personal circus.
What Really Happened with the LC Feud
The central pillar of The Hills was the destruction of the Heidi and Lauren friendship. For years, the narrative was simple: Spencer started a rumor about a sex tape involving Lauren and her ex, Jason Wahler. Lauren cut Heidi off. The end.
In 2026, the nuances are a bit more... muddy.
Spencer has spent years claiming he didn't "start" anything, often citing the lack of lawsuits as proof. "If it was a real lie that Spencer created... do you really think I wouldn't have been hit with a cease and desist?" he told reporters during a retrospective interview. Whether he was the source or just the person who amplified the noise, the result was the same: he became the most hated man in America.
He didn't care. At least, not then.
The Great 2025 Pivot: From Crystals to Campaigns
For a decade, Spencer and Heidi lived in a sort of self-imposed exile in Santa Barbara. They blew their $10 million fortune on $4,000 bottles of wine and $30,000 shopping trips. They thought they were the next Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
Then the money ran out.
📖 Related: Album Hopes and Fears: Why We Obsess Over Music That Doesn't Exist Yet
Spencer's "rebrand" started with hummingbirds and crystals. He launched Pratt Daddy Crystals, which—despite being called "outrageously overpriced" by mineral collectors—became a massive success. He found a niche on TikTok and Snapchat, showing a softer, weirder side. He was the guy who fed birds and talked about "manifesting" while wearing a Gucci fanny pack full of rose quartz.
But everything changed on January 7, 2025.
The Pacific Palisades fire wasn't just another news story for Spencer. It was personal. He and Heidi lost everything. Every material possession. Every memory. His parents' house burned down too.
Instead of retreating, Spencer went live. He documented the ash, the loss, and the "bag of bagels" that was his only dinner after his house vanished. For the first time, people didn't see a villain. They saw a father and a husband who was genuinely broken.
The TikTok community didn't just watch; they donated. They sent Heidi’s 2010 album Superficial to the top of the iTunes charts. They turned a man who was once "everything wrong with America" into a survivor they actually liked.
The 2026 Mayoral Run: "Camera Ready" LA
Now, Spencer is running for Mayor of Los Angeles.
His platform? "Business as usual is a death sentence." He’s running as a Republican in a deep-blue city, which makes him a massive long shot. But he’s gained endorsements from figures like Richard Grenell and Steve Hilton. His campaign, centered at mayorpratt.com, is built on the idea that the 2025 fires were preventable and that the current leadership, including Mayor Karen Bass, failed the residents of the Palisades and Malibu.
👉 See also: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads: Why This Live Album Still Beats the Studio Records
"Let's make LA camera ready again," he says.
Critics, including Bass's campaign strategist Douglas Herman, dismiss the run as a stunt to sell his new book. They call him a "C-list reality star" spewing misinformation.
Spencer’s response? He doesn't care about making friends anymore. He’s already lost most of the ones he had in Hollywood. He’s leaning into the "villain" skillset—fearlessness, media manipulation, and a refusal to be silenced—to attack the system he says is broken.
Why We Still Care
Why are we still talking about a guy from a mid-2000s MTV show?
- The Pioneer Factor: He was the first person to treat reality TV like a professional sport.
- Authenticity in Absurdity: His 2026 version feels more "real" than his 2007 version ever did.
- The Heidi Factor: Their marriage has outlasted almost every other couple from that era. They’ve been together 20 years. In Hollywood, that’s a lifetime.
Whether you think he’s a genius or a grifter, Spencer Pratt is the only person from The Hills who managed to stay relevant without a reboot. He understood that in the attention economy, being loved is good, but being remembered is better.
Actionable Takeaways from the Speidi Saga
If you’re looking to understand the "Spencer Pratt" method of career longevity, here’s how the master of the pivot does it:
- Own your narrative: Don't let others define your mistakes. Spencer wrote the book on being the "villain" before anyone else could.
- Adapt or die: When the TV checks stopped, he moved to crystals. When the house burned down, he moved to politics.
- Lean into the niche: He didn't try to be "mainstream" again. He found his "crystal people" and his "hummingbird people."
- Transparency matters: His raw, unfiltered videos during the 2025 fires did more for his reputation than a decade of PR-managed interviews ever could.
The 2026 LA mayoral primary is set for June 2. Whether Spencer ends up in City Hall or back on a reality set, one thing is certain: he’s not going away. He’s finally broken character, and the "real" Spencer Pratt is a lot more complicated than the one we saw on MTV.
To keep up with the latest on the campaign and the release of his memoir, you can follow the official filings at the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission or check out his daily updates on TikTok.