After Tyler Stanaland filed for divorce in between seasons of Selling the OC, fans were anxiously waiting to see whether he had moved on with costar Alex Hall.
Throughout the second installment of the Netflix series, Tyler, 34, and Alex, 35, fielded questions about their chemistry but denied that they were dating following his split from Brittany Snow. In the season 2 finale, however, the real estate agents gave in and made out in a hot tub.
“I think we’re still navigating our friendship. Obviously, you see in season 2 [that] we explore some things. It leads to a steamy moment and I think we’re still kind of trying to figure it out, but we remain really close friends and I don’t have an answer [on where we stand] for you at the moment,” Tyler exclusively told Us Weekly in a joint interview with Alex and their costars ahead of the Friday, September 8, premiere.
While Alex teased that viewers “have to stick around [for] season 3” — the show was renewed earlier this year for seasons 2 and 3 — to find out what happened after their makeout, she admitted that she was nervous to cross the line with Tyler.
“You see throughout season 2 the dynamic of our friendship, and it’s easy and it’s comfortable because there it is, just that. It’s a friendship,” Alex told Us. “There’s no strings attached and I think adding that other element is scary. … Some things are awkward, you know what I mean? And you can’t avoid it. So we’re just navigating.”
Tyler agreed. “It’s both a blessing and a curse to explore a relationship that starts out as a friendship,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that come with it and there’s a lot more at stake as well.”
Costar Polly Brindle, meanwhile, wasn’t surprised that her fellow Oppenheim Group agents felt compelled to kiss.
“I was like, ‘Come on, guys, this is going to happen.’ You can feel it building up. It’s kind of like the Ross and the Rachel of the office,” Polly told Us, referring to the Friends couple. “I was all for it!”
Both Alex and Polly denied having inappropriate relationships with Tyler after season 1 of Selling the OC documented the casemates’ flirty outings, including an infamous beach trip complete with “noseys.” While Tyler told Us after the show debuted in August 2022 that Snow “watched” the series and thought it was “entertaining,” the spouses announced their split the following month.
“After time and consideration, Britt and I have made the difficult decision to separate. This decision was made with love and mutual respect for one another,” Tyler said in a statement at the time. “We have realized we need to take some time and make sure we are each living our most fulfilling and authentic lives. We started this journey as best friends and our relationship will continue to be a priority not only for us but for our dog Charlie. We sincerely appreciate your support and ask for privacy as we navigate this new chapter.”
Tyler and the Pitch Perfect actress finalized their divorce in July.
Selling the OC is now streaming on Netflix.
