Spencer Pratt fired back at Lisa Rinna on Tuesday following her criticism of his Los Angeles mayoral campaign. The former Hills star, 42, responded after the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 62, expressed her opposition to a 'reality person' holding the office.
Pratt's Rebuttal
Pratt took to X on Tuesday, sharing a clip from a recent Fox interview in which he was asked whether California's largest city should be led by a former reality TV personality. 'The reality, pun intended... is that was from 20 years ago,' Pratt said, before pivoting to criticize current Mayor Karen Bass. 'If we look at what Karen Bass was doing 20 years ago, she was in Cuba learning how to make bombs with the people who would then go to bomb Capitol Hill.'
He added, 'So, if we're looking at backgrounds, I'm pretty proud of what I was doing at 20 on reality television. Even though I may not have been the most likable character, it was still TV, versus trying to destroy America and going to Cuba 20 times and praising Fidel Castro.'
In his caption, Pratt directly addressed Rinna: 'Hey Lisa, if you're against me because I was on a TV show in my 20's, wait til you learn what Karen Bass was doing in her 20's...'
Background on Karen Bass
In 1973, Bass traveled to Cuba with the Venceremos Brigade, a group supporting the Cuban Revolution, to assist with construction. She shared a photo from the trip in 2016 and visited Cuba eight times during the 1970s, returning again in March 2016 with former President Barack Obama.
Rinna's Comments
Rinna's remarks came at the American Music Awards on Monday when asked by Variety reporter Marc Malkin about her preferred candidate for Los Angeles mayor. 'That is a good question,' she said, before adding, 'Not a reality star, though. I'm sorry. I love him, but we've already done that, we're not going to do that again.' She referenced President Donald Trump, who hosted The Apprentice before entering politics.
Rinna acknowledged Pratt's campaign momentum, stating, 'He's got power behind him, it seems.' However, she reasoned that a reality TV star was not suitable for the role: 'Listen, I'm a reality person. You wouldn't want me as mayor, really. I mean, let's just face it.' She expressed her preference for a candidate with more political experience, such as a former mayor of San Jose or similar.
Pratt's Campaign
Pratt entered the political arena after his Pacific Palisades home burned down last year, forcing him to live in a trailer and various hotels. When criticized for staying at the Hotel Bel-Air, he retorted on X, 'Hey guys, why don't they wanna talk about why I need a hotel in the first place? Karen Bass let my home burn down. Also, 6,000 of my neighbors. NBD.'
The former reality villain has frequently targeted Bass and city councilwoman Nithya Raman during his campaign. Pratt has raised over $500,000 since January, surpassing Bass's reported fundraising for the same period, according to campaign finance records reviewed by People. The 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election is scheduled for June 2.
