Christine Quinn has feelings, too, even if her “Selling Sunset” behavior makes that easy to forget sometimes. Season five was a particularly tricky season for The Oppenheim Group’s most divisive real estate agent as her coworkers finally confronted her over the many shady comments she had made about them behind their backs. The moment went down in the fourth episode of the season just as Quinn and newcomer Chelsea Lazkani were showing off a new listing — which didn’t sit well with Lazkani.
After Quinn walked off crying, Lazkani confronted the other women over what she saw as bullying. While it’s true she didn’t know the messy backstory behind her new pal’s coworkers suddenly calling her out for talking about them to each other and the press, the situation still didn’t feel right to the British-Nigerian real estate agent. “I am someone who has also been frequently seen as so strong, or needed to be so strong as a Black woman,” Lazkani said to E! News in a recent interview. “I’m not always strong — and she doesn’t always need to be strong.”
While the other realtors were quick to argue with Lazkani, she stood strong in her conviction that it’s never OK for one person to be ganged up on by a large group. In the episode, she told the women, “When I hear everyone coming at one person, it’s giving me bullying. And even when you may not vibe with her, and dislike her, when you all come together, it’s a lot.”
Looking back, she now believes the moment may have “humanized” Quinn in the eyes of viewers who have grown accustomed to the 33-year-old playing the role of villain on the show. “I think for the first time we actually humanize Miss Christine Quinn,” Lazkani said. “We see a vulnerable side to somebody that’s always been seen as so strong.”
Throughout season five, Quinn and Lazkani’s bond only grew, with Quinn advocating for her friend to join The Oppenheim Group. While their friendship was still going strong by the end of the season, Quinn’s status with the show appears to be up in the air. In the finale, she failed to show up to a meeting with her bosses, Jason Oppenheim and Mary Fitzgerald, to discuss allegations that she offered one of Emma Hernan’s clients $5,000 not to work with the agent. Quinn seemingly responded to the allegations in an April 22 tweet that read, “30 minutes till the launch of #SellingSunset enjoy the new season and all of its 5,000 fake storylines!”
But whether or not Quinn stays with The Oppenheim Group, it looks like Lazkani will continue to have her back by reminding their coworkers that even someone as strong as Quinn isn’t immune to having her feelings hurt.