In news that has made my 13-year-old brain explode, Rachel Bilson spoke to Bling Ring members Alexis Haines (née Neiers) and Gabrielle Hames (née Neiers) about the fact they like, repeatedly burgled her home. I would literally give my right leg to know what the conversation was like once the microphones were turned off.
The bamboozling chat happened on Bilson’s podcast Broad Ideas with Rachel Bilson. Except for the fact it’s bloody ballsy to talk to two sisters who were in a group that stole up to US$300,000 of stuff from your house, it’s surprising ‘cos Bilson tried to avoid Bling Ring media coverage as much as possible.
“I have always stayed very distant from anything having to do with the Bling Ring and everything that went down,” she said on her podcast.
“I never saw anything and I never supported the movie Sofia Coppola did.
“I felt like it was weird to bring so much attention to something that had such a big impact personally for me and for other people involved.”
In case you need a refresher on your Bling Ring lore, from 2008 to 2009, a gaggle of teenagers and young adults broke into a bunch of celeb’s homes and stole a heap of shit and money — about US$3 million, to be precise.
Other celebrities who were reportedly burgled included Paris Hilton, Audrina Patridge (whose surname I literally just discovered is not, in fact, “Partridge”), Orlando Bloom, Miranda Kerr, Brian Austin Green, Megan Fox and Lindsay Lohan.
As well as being members of the Bling Ring, Alexis Haines and Gabrielle Hames both starred in a reality TV show called Pretty Wild with their sister Tess Taylor and mum Andrea Arlington.
Bilson told the sisters she had “super conflicting feelings” about having them on the show which is, you know, fair. The girls were extremely understanding and it sounded like they’re genuinely remorseful for what they did.
“I am so sorry that I ever made the choice to go into your home that night,” Hames said.
“I will tell you anything and everything you want to know to give you the closure that you deserve and I am so sorry.
“I wish I could take it back, it’s been a living nightmare for you for the past 10 years, 11 years and as a mother now all you want to do is protect your babies and I know I stripped you from feeling safe in your home and I am so sorry. I am so sorry.”
Methinks one reason the sisters hopped on the podcast is because a documentary series called The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist recently landed on Netflix. Haines was interviewed on it, and she told Bilson she appeared on the show so the Bling Ring’s victims could get some closure.
It kind of sounded like Bilson did get some closure ‘cos she told the sisters they had to “let go” of what they did in the past, especially seeing as they both have children of their own now.
But it doesn’t mean she won’t be #shook by what happened.
“It’ll always be triggering for me when the Bling Ring comes up or another fucking thing comes out and its glorified in any way, because people were really personally affected by these incidents and it’s more about the violation than the actual things taken,” Bilson said.
“It’s important to move forward in life and forgiveness to a certain degree is always the best way and the best move, because why hold onto those things that make you feel really shitty?”
She’s spitting absolute facts but, personally, I would go down the petty route. Bilson is abso-bloody-lutely a better human than I am.
