Catching Up With the Laguna Beach Cast Today
E! News checked in on the cast of MTV's Laguna Beach ahead of the show's Sept. 28 anniversary. Kristin Cavallari and Lauren Conrad reunited earlier this year for Roku's The Reunion: Laguna Beach special, where they discussed past regrets and their current respect for each other. Cavallari also spoke about the experience on her podcast.
The Roku reunion special brought together several original Laguna Beach participants, including Lo Bosworth, Talan Torriero, Trey Phillips, Dieter Schmitz, Jessica Smith, Alex Hooser, Christina Sinclair, Kristin Cavallari, Lauren Conrad and Stephen Colletti. Conrad and Cavallari also continued their conversation on Cavallari's Honestly Cavallari podcast, reflecting on how they now relate as adults.
MTV's series premiered on Sept. 28, 2004, drawing roughly 3 million viewers. It grew from a casting search at a Southern California high school and was conceived as a real-life docu-soap in the vein of Fox's The O.C. Christina Sinclair later recalled learning about the opportunity through school announcements.
The reunion may resonate with millennial viewers who grew up with MTV reality TV, offering a nostalgic look at how early fame shaped its participants. It could also influence current reality stars and audiences by modeling public reconciliation and reflection. For streaming platforms, such retrospectives may show continued demand for legacy reality content and could encourage more reunion specials. However, the impact likely remains cultural and entertainment-focused rather than broad social change.