Skip To...
Vanessa Villela decided to call time on her Netflix’s Selling Sunset days after two seasons. Despite featuring for just two seasons, Vanessa became a trendy figure. Her surprise departure from the series disappointed many fans. Even though the reality star hasn’t returned for season 6 of the series, she has continued to hug the spotlight for many reasons. Here’s what she has been up to since leaving the show.
Vanessa Villela’s Selling Sunset Stint
Netflix’s Selling Sunset is a wildly entertaining reality TV show that puts that spotlight on the real estate agents of the Los Angeles-based company The Oppenheim Group. The series showcases the exciting lives of these agents, which sees them try to navigate affluent social life. They also cater to the audacious demands of their super-rich clients.
The series also follows their attempts to balance their professional and personal commitments. They also contend with everyday issues such as betrayals and heartbreaks, making the perfect reality TV content. The show’s last five seasons have certainly been full of high-octane drama. Vanessa Villela is one of the cast members who became a major attraction for fans since she joined the show in season 4. The 45-year-old real estate agent quickly became a fan-favorite thanks to her boisterous and down-to-earth personality.
She also proved her value to the team at the Oppenheim Group by successfully closing several multi-million property deals. Fans were surprised by the season 6 cast line-up of Selling Sunset, which confirmed Vanessa’s absence for the third season. While speaking about her exit from the show in a recent interview with PEOPLE, Vanessa claimed it was a mutual decision and expressed optimism for the future. She said:
“I always felt like I was the new girl in school. They’re obviously super successful, and it’s an incredible show, but I have to make my own life and make my dreams come true.”
Since leaving the Netflix series, Vanessa has continued to hug the headlines for several reasons. Here are some details about what she has been up to over the last few months.
Vanessa Got Married
Fans first began to fear Vanessa was living on borrowed time during season 5 of Selling Sunset. They watched her struggle to maintain her long-distance relationship with her then-boyfriend Nick Hardy, well-known by his professional name Tom Fraud. The two met on the celebrity dating app Raya shortly after filming for season 4 concluded. They didn’t waste any time in starting a romantic relationship. Even though Nick had to move to London, their love continued to wax stronger, and the two eventually got engaged in January 2022.
On September 3, 2022, the reality star tied the knot with Nick in an intimate ceremony that had only 69 guests in attendance. The wedding ceremony occurred at “The Fairmont Grand Del Mar” in San Diego. While speaking to Brides about her fairytale wedding, Vanessa touched on her sentimental link to the venue. She said:
“I have very strong family roots within San Diego, and the Fairmont was one of the favorite places for my late sister Jackie to visit. It seemed like the perfect place to bring the family back together.”
Selling Sunset alum Vanessa micromanaged nearly every aspect of her wedding to make the nuptials as “magical and cinematic” as possible. Vanessa’s efforts paid off, as guests loved the attention to detail and the enchanted garden theme of the wedding. However, the event’s most memorable moment was when doves were let out of a basket after the couple said their “I dos.”
Vanessa Left The Oppenheim Group To Join The Agency
For those viewers who are not in the know, Vanessa kicked off her real estate career with The Agency — a Los Angeles-based real estate company and direct rival to The Oppenheim Group. Interestingly, Real Housewives star Kyle Richards’ husband, Mauricio Umansky, owns The Agency. Following her exit from Oppenheim Group, Vanessa returned to her roots by returning to The Agency. Vanessa’s linear movement between the rival companies has surprised many Selling Sunset fans. However, the reality star is adamant that it is the best move for her career.
While talking to PEOPLE, Vanessa praised her new colleagues at The Agency, describing them as “incredible top agents.” She further emphasized that she was in the right place to achieve all her off-camera goals after two years of starring on the Netflix series Selling Sunset. In her words:
“I came back because I’m very serious about where I want my real estate career to go. I know that this is where I have to be to succeed in real estate.”
Vanessa missed her Agency colleagues and praised the warm welcome they gave her upon her return. While she emphasized that it felt like home, she never really felt like a part of the family at Oppenheim Group. Although she claimed that the company was successful, Vanessa noted that she found it challenging to settle into the company. The situation made it easy for her to return to The Agency. Vanessa, no longer on Selling Sunset, proves she can stay relevant in the business with her talents. It might be too early to call it, but there is a growing feeling amongst her fans that she might just be back on their screens sooner than she expected.
