Lauren Conrad, who first captured public attention as a teenager on Laguna Beach before starring in The Hills, has recently reflected on her decision to step away from reality television at the peak of her fame. Now 40, Conrad shared on Kristin Cavallari's Let's Be Honest podcast that she hopes to conclude her on-screen career with The Reunion: Laguna Beach, streaming on The Roku Channel.
"I would love to put a pin in my career," Conrad expressed. "It would be really cool to end my career with the same people I started it with."
Conrad, who left Los Angeles in 2022 to return to her coastal hometown, emphasized that she doesn't miss the spotlight. "I feel so lucky because you know, it can go a lot of ways when you've been in entertainment for a long time," she told Cavallari. "And I think a lot of people really miss it. And I didn't."
Instead, she has channeled her energy into building a lifestyle empire, including her LC Lauren Conrad line with Kohl's, the Paper Crown brand, and The Little Market, a fair-trade shop. Conrad now focuses primarily on her Kohl's collection and children's brand Little Co., allowing her to prioritize family time.
"I have a really good work-life balance and I'm just trying to enjoy this moment," she told People. "My kids are still pretty young, and I want to spend all the time I can with them, and I'm just trying to be present right now."
Conrad's personal life has also flourished since her departure from reality TV. She met her husband, attorney and musician William Tell, through a Valentine's Day setup in 2012. Interestingly, Conrad later realized they had crossed paths years earlier when she attended one of his concerts at age 16.
"My husband's a smoke show!" Conrad joked to People, praising Tell's appearance and character.
She highlighted their strong communication as key to their successful marriage. "We had to learn how the other one communicated," Conrad acknowledged. "But I think because of that, it's a fun, easy relationship. There's always going to be hard stuff, but if you can figure it out together and be like, 'Alright, let's sit down and talk this out calmly,' then it's nice."
The couple, who married in 2014, have two sons: Liam, 8, and Charlie, 6. Conrad noted that Tell is deeply involved in parenting, from reading stories with funny voices to coaching their children's sports teams.
Reflecting on her journey from reality star to entrepreneur and mother, Conrad told People, "I spent my 30s and a lot of my 20s working so hard just being like, 'I want to do more. I want to take on more.' And now I think I've reached a place where I'm just so content."