Rachel Bilson used her podcast this week to do something that’s been a LONG time coming.
The Hart of Dixie alum released a new episode of her Broad Ideas podcast on Monday. In it, she sat down with Alexis Neiers and her sister, Gabrielle Neiers, to discuss their involvement in the Bling Ring robberies.
Of course, Alexis and Gabrielle — and Rachel Lee, Nick Prugo, Courtney Ames, and Diana Tamayo — were made famous back in 2009 after the Bling Ring was caught stealing millions of dollars in cash and luxury goods from the homes of celebs like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, and Audrina Patridge. Bilson was affected by the thefts, and she used this new podcast ep to confront the Neiers sisters about their connection to it years ago.
Related: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Neighborhood Targeted By NEW ‘Bling Ring’ Burglars!
That infamous group is once again in the public eye after Netflix released a shocking documentary series about their crimes late last month, The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist. So it’s been front of mind for many streaming fans! And when it came time for Bilson to discuss the Bling Ring on this new audio show, she was clearly conflicted.
The O.C. alum opened up at one point by telling the two sisters:
“I had super conflicting feelings about this [confrontation] in particular. And I have to let you guys know I have always stayed very distant from anything having to do with the Bling Ring and everything that went down. I never read anything, 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.”
Bilson’s co-host, Olivia Allen, provided emotional support the whole way through. She told the longtime TV star that it was OK to be upset about the robberies even after so many years:
“You are allowed to speak your part and we can give them time to speak their part. You don’t need to go into making them comfortable because the truth of the matter is the situation wasn’t comfortable.”
As for Alexis, now 31, and Gabby, now 30, the duo reflected on their robbery roles, too.
For one, Gabby went viral after going on Instagram Live late last month — after Netflix’s doc first premiered — for admitting she was involved in the robbery of Bilson’s home. During that livestream vid, Gabby explained how her confession was allegedly cut from the Netflix doc because her version of events differed from what Prugo told producers during his sit-down.
Nevertheless, the two sisters stepped up and spoke to Rachel about it all. At one point during the new podcast, Bilson said to the women:
“There’s been a lot of lessons for me in the whole experience of it. Letting go of material things was a huge lesson because everything I ever had was taken as you guys know.”
Jeez.
Gabby tried to explain away her role in the robbery. She walked back the events by citing her young age at the time, and adding more context about how she supposedly didn’t understand what was going on:
“I didn’t know much because I was only 15 when I went to your house [and I was] so young. I also didn’t know much about what had been transpiring because I didn’t know them very well. I just happened to be out one night with them. I want you to get everything you can get out of this from my perspective. I wish I could give you more.”
According to Alexis, who was in tears for much of the interview, they haven’t been able to find closure like they expected to have after the documentary first aired:
“We were so excited to own it all. This isn’t tears for me — this is because I know how hard this is for [Gabby]. I had to go through it with a different victim. Our intention with doing the documentary was for you and the other victims. It is so frustrating and so unfortunate that that is not what ended up coming out of the documentary.”
Alexis added more details about Gabby’s confession being cut out of the Netflix doc, too.
Related: Bling Ring 2.0 Teen Who Robbed Rihanna Sentenced To NINE YEARS — Too Harsh??
The Recovering From Reality podcast host explained:
“Unfortunately, the truth about what transpired at Rachel’s house that night and Gabby’s whole involvement got cut out. The reason why we did the Instagram Live — we weren’t allowed to do it before the documentary came out — was to say that we aren’t going to be silent about this. The closure deserves to finally transpire 11 years later.”
All that said, the girls did own up to their s**t from the distant past.
At one point during the chat, Gabby straight-up apologized to Bilson:
“I am so sorry that I ever made the choice to go into your home that night. I will tell you anything and everything you want to know to give you the closure that you deserve. I wish that I could take it back because it has been a living nightmare for you. As a mother now, all you want to do is protect your babies. And I know that I stripped you of feeling safe in your home and I am so sorry.”
The Jumper star replied that while she has some empathy for the Neiers girls at this point, she has no patience for Prugo or Lee after their infamous actions from the late 2000s, explaining:
“I don’t want to take away from what happened but if those other two [Prugo and Lee] were sitting here then I would have zero empathy or compassion. I can see, feel and hear everything you are saying. I have more — I don’t know if respect is the right word — but I have more of an understanding. I let go of this s**t a long time ago.”
At one point, Alexis also delved into why the TV star was targeted in the first place.
Related: Kim Kardashian’s Paris Thief Shows No Remorse For 2016 Robbery
The woman claimed Bilson just so happened to have the same clothing size as Lee, and so the then-teenaged Rachel supposedly wanted access to the star’s closet to swipe outfits:
“I do believe the reason why you were targeted is solely because you were the same size and an idol of Rachel [Lee]’s. I think she was really in it for the clothes and things. Some of the items they kept. Rachel allegedly took a lot of the items with her to Las Vegas when the arrests started to happen.”
Speaking of Lee, Alexis revealed she actually ran into the other Bling Ring robber at a salon in Los Angeles in recent months.
The elder Neiers played it cool and did her best to allow Lee to live her life in relative quiet rather than drawing attention to anything at the time:
“I told her, ‘It is OK. I am not going to say anything. Let’s talk after all of this is done.’ I go through the whole haircut and I pretended I have never met her.”
Alexis continued from there, explaining how Lee is now trying to make something of her life in the years after that shocking robbery spree:
“She went to school and she is trying to rebuild her life. She is staying on the straight and narrow. Then this Netflix opportunity came up and it was originally meant to be me sitting down with Rachel to have a heart-to-heart about what happened. I got a call from Rachel and she was in tears saying, ‘I just don’t know how you do it Alexis. I just don’t know how you face it or how you let the weight of all that [hit you]. I don’t think I can do this. I don’t think I am ready.’”
Wow.
What a notorious teenage decision to live down. Especially with a new Netflix documentary having been released about it, too.
Damn. That was a LOT! What a heavy podcast ep. We can’t imagine what it must have been like for Bilson to go through on air with all that history there.
Reactions, Perezcious readers? Share your thoughts about this surprising podcast convo down in the comments (below)…
[Image via WENN/Avalon]
