George Santos and Bre Tiesi from Selling Sunset apparently do not like each other. And honestly? I kind of love the pettiness of it all.

Santos – yeah, that George Santos, the guy who became briefly famous for lying about basically his entire resume before getting booted from Congress – just wrapped up filming Special Forces. You know, that show where they throw celebrities into military-style boot camp and watch them suffer for our entertainment. Anyway, he walked away on good terms with everyone. Except Bre Tiesi.

The Shade Was Swift and Deliberate

“I’m just not a fan. I’m not interested,” Santos said. Which, okay, fair enough. People don’t have to like each other. But then he kept going. “She’s auditioning for Real Housewives – as she should. She should go for it.”

That’s not a compliment, by the way. That’s Santos basically saying “she’s thirsty for more reality TV fame and yeah, that tracks.” The “as she should” part? That’s the verbal equivalent of a dismissive hand wave.

But wait, there’s more. Santos then went after her entire show. “Selling Sunset is just not my thing,” he said. “I just find it to be so, so trashy.”

Now look – I’ve covered reality TV drama for years, and this is rich coming from a guy who literally fabricated his work history and claimed his mother died in 9/11 when she… didn’t. The irony here is not lost on me. Santos calling anything “trashy” is like a fish complaining about water.

What Actually Happened Between Them?

Here’s the thing – we don’t really know. Santos was pretty vague about what went down during filming. He “subtly elaborated on their surprising relationship – or lack thereof,” which is entertainment journalism speak for “he didn’t actually tell us much.”

Special Forces Season 5 brought together what can only be described as a chaotic mix of reality stars, athletes, and people who probably needed better agents. Tiesi from Selling Sunset was there. Santos was there. And apparently they clashed hard enough that months later, Santos is still willing to go on record trashing her show.

What’s interesting here is that Santos could’ve just said “we didn’t connect” or “not everyone gets along” and left it at that. Instead, he went for the jugular. The Real Housewives comment, the “trashy” designation – that’s calculated.

The Real Housewives Dig Deserves Attention

Let’s talk about that Housewives comment for a second. Tiesi is on Selling Sunset, which is already a reality show. She’s already in that world. So saying she’s “auditioning” for Housewives isn’t really an insult about wanting to be on TV – she’s already on TV. What Santos is really saying is that her behavior during Special Forces was so over-the-top, so drama-focused, that she seemed like she was performing for a different show entirely.

And you know what? That’s probably exactly what happened. These shows bring together people from different reality TV ecosystems, and they all have different styles. Selling Sunset is glossy, aspirational, and yeah, pretty manufactured. Special Forces is supposed to be raw and stripped-down. Maybe Tiesi brought the wrong energy and it rubbed Santos the wrong way.

“She’s auditioning for Real Housewives – as she should. She should go for it.”

Why This Actually Matters (Sort Of)

Look, I’m not gonna pretend this is earth-shattering news. Two reality TV personalities don’t like each other. Stop the presses, right? But there’s something almost refreshing about Santos just coming out and saying it. So much reality TV beef is manufactured or teased out over weeks of Instagram subtweeting. This is just… direct.

Santos has basically nothing to lose at this point. His political career is toast. His reputation was already in shambles before Special Forces. So why not speak his mind? It’s almost like he’s leaning into being the villain, and honestly, that might be his only viable career path now.

The other thing that makes this interesting is the specific target. Tiesi isn’t just some random reality star – she’s tied to Nick Cannon (they have a kid together), she’s on one of Netflix’s biggest reality franchises, and she’s got a following. Santos going after her feels a bit like punching up, which is new territory for him considering he spent most of his time in public life punching down or just straight-up lying.

What Happens Next

My guess? Tiesi will respond. She has to, right? You can’t let George Santos – George Santos! – call your show trashy and your behavior desperate without clapping back. The Selling Sunset cast isn’t exactly known for taking things lying down. I’d bet money we’ll see something on her Instagram within the week, or maybe she’ll address it when the show airs.

And here’s the real question nobody’s asking – if Santos thinks Special Forces is classier than Selling Sunset, what does that say about where he thinks he belongs in the reality TV hierarchy? Because I hate to break it to him, but getting yelled at by fake drill sergeants while crying in the Malaysian jungle isn’t exactly highbrow television either. It’s just a different flavor of trash. And maybe that’s the point. We’re all watching garbage. Some of us just won’t admit it.