Emma Hernan is no stranger to power moves. Zipping around on private jets, running an empanada business while selling A-list properties, walking on ledges, and filming a hit reality show are all in a day’s work. Although she tries to keep herself mostly out of the drama, when lines are blurred across the boundaries of friends, co-workers, and lovers, keeping your hands completely clean can be tricky. Fresh off our power ranking as the most powerful cast member on Selling Sunset season seven, Hernan discussed with Vulture all the power moves that landed her at the top. She discusses shutting down the character-maligning “social climber†accusations hurled at her by Nicole Young and clarifies the private-jet snafu that led to a tense exchange of words during dinner in Cabo.
In her three seasons on the show, we’ve seen Hernan accomplish a lot and move her way up the ranks, but one thing we haven’t seen her do is fall in love. Despite the messiness of broadcasting your dating life on the largest streaming service in the world, Hernan insists she’s an “open book.†Now that she’s single, she’s excited by the prospect of sharing a new relationship in upcoming seasons of the show: “I think that relationships are about being vulnerable, and I would be comfortable showing the good, the bad, and the ugly.†As for whom she’s dating next, our guess is as good as Hernan’s. “I don’t know what the future holds,†she says. “But I am open, and I love love. I fall in love with somebody’s soul. I’m a hopeless romantic!â€
We see a lot of the personal and romantic lives of other castmates, but we’ve never really seen yours on the show. Is that intentional?
It’s funny — I’m such an open book, but I haven’t always dated people who have been that way. I would be totally fine showing that on the show. In a past season, you saw a little bit of a romance with Micah, and prior to that you heard about my ex. I would have loved for him to come on the show, but he wasn’t comfortable.
The ex that you allude to — is that Peter?
That would be Mr. Cornell himself. Yes. Trust me — I tried! But he just wasn’t comfortable with it. I did want him to do it for so many reasons, because I do think that as much as there was a lot of controversy between him and all the girls that he had dated, I think there’s a lot of good to him that people would have related to. I think it would have been beneficial for him, for our relationship, and for our friendship.
It sounds like you’re single now.
I am a hundred-percent single. I was in a relationship with my high-school sweetheart for ten years and then jumped into the relationship with Peter. So I hadn’t really dated a lot. This is the first time that I’m actually going out on dates. I just went on a date the other day.
Chrishell was the one who pushed me to do it. She called me and said, “I know you’re gonna cancel today. Emma, please do not cancel. Regardless of what happens with this person, it’s a step to get you out of your comfort zone.†And I was like, You know what? She’s right. I drove to the date and I was blasting “Single Soon†by Selena Gomez the whole time. So yes, I’m in my single-girl era.
In the most recent season, you said some things that made people wonder if you would ever date a woman. Are you open to that? And is that something you’d feel comfortable sharing on the show?Â
I’ve just always been a lover. I love love. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I am open. But if I started to date a woman, I would for sure put it on the show. Ultimately, it comes down to if they’re comfortable with it. But for me, I definitely think that it’s important to show the world the good, the bad, the ups and the downs of what you’re going through so that people are able to relate.
What’s the vibe at the new office?
It is insane. It is beautiful. It is stunning. We’ve all been on a break for summer vacation. Everyone’s starting to get back into the office. So it’ll be very interesting to see the dynamics as we get back into the office and interact with one another daily.
Do you ever feel like there is a conflict of interest between maintaining a peaceful workplace and creating an entertaining show?Â
I don’t think any HR agency would work for the O Group. It’s interesting because a lot of people will say, “Are these crazy fights real?†They’re real fights. There’s real drama. It’s a show, of course, but these are real relationships, and there are people who have been intimate with one another, and there are people who have been in full-blown relationships, been in love, and had breakups and heartbreaks.
There are so many conflicting terms thrown around to describe the O Group. It’s a brokerage and a workplace, but you’re not technically full-time employees. But also you’re family. But also you date one another. Do those blurred lines make it hard to navigate those relationships?
Putting cameras into an office space, you do figure out real quick who your friends are, who you can trust, who your family is. You guys get to see that on-camera and see us figure out the dynamics and figure out Okay, wait — we thought they were best friends, but why is it that she doesn’t have her back? But I try to stay out of the drama until I hear someone coming for my friends, my family, or even my character. You saw that a little bit in season seven when someone [Editor’s note: She’s referring to Nicole] came for my character. I pushed back, and she backtracked and apologized. But the moment that you say something like that, it’s out there and it’s unacceptable. I worked so hard my entire life — to come from nothing — to get to where I am today. I’ve helped many people in my life, so the term just didn’t apply. Even her own friends disagreed with that so strongly.
I was reading about this recent ruling on real-estate commissions where it sounds like buyers’ agents are losing out on a lot more leverage and commissions. How do you expect that to affect your business and the other agents?Â
I love that the show gives insight into what’s happening in the market. You see a lot of drama, but we’re also teaching a lot of people out there about the real-estate market. At the beginning of season six, you saw a very, very hot market. And then you see it completely changed in seven. You see the mansion tax and right now the interest rates are at an all-time high, and those are things that have a huge effect not only on real-estate agents but on the economy, on jumping in to buy your first home — or to sell a home, it plays a huge role.
There has been a lot of talk of unionization in the reality industry. Is that something you’ve thought about or talked about with fellow castmates?Â
I have a lot of people who work for me, on hair and makeup, and they’ve sent a lot of different articles talking about it. So there have been conversations internally, not with any other cast members thus far, but it will be interesting to see if that comes up, especially as we start filming again. I would definitely be open to it. We put so much into what we do and the hours that we work that it would be something that not only I would talk to my cast members about but other cast members from different shows. I think it’s an important conversation to have, and I’m open to having it.
I have to ask about the private jet. Is it yours?
[Laughs.] No, although I will be buying a private jet. But no, it’s not my private jet. I work so hard, so when I travel, I like to throw down some money and do it right. When I travel, I go big or go home. So anyone that’s friends with me gets to be spoiled to the max.
One more question about the jet. There was drama on the show about who was allowed on it and not, and it wasn’t clear who made the final call about the manifesto. Was everyone initially invited?
Originally, Jason and Brett were talking about going down and getting a private jet, and they sent over an itinerary. But if I’m going to fly on a jet, I want it to be a nice jet. They basically sent down a prop plane. “No, no, no,†I said. “I will not get on that plane.†I called Chelsea, and Chelsea was like, “Let’s just fly down commercial.†And I was like, “No, I’m getting a sick plane.â€
I ended up getting this Falcon 2000. I obviously wanted to fly on it with people who would appreciate it and have always treated me. So that’s the backstory. Jason and Brett tried to give us some prop plane that we couldn’t even stand up in. I don’t even think it would have made it to Cabo. So I was like, Power move — I’m gonna take control of this situation and do it Emma style.Â
Totally a power move. So then I guess you didn’t anticipate the fallout of people feeling like they were uninvited because that’s not really what happened.
No. I clarified that to Nicole, which you don’t really see. I told her, “Just so you know, this is what transpired.†Nicole maybe didn’t know what that plane was like, but I made sure I checked the type of plane it was. Me and Nicole don’t always see eye to eye on certain things, but she totally understood what the situation was. I had nothing to do with Jason and Brett’s plane. I was so annoyed because we talked about it at the open house that Cassandra came to and met everyone at. I get it — they can’t make everything into the show, but I wanted clarification.
You have a reputation for flirting with danger. Is that how you’ve always been?
I’m a daredevil. I’ve always been that person. I’m wild and I like to do things that are kind of jaw-dropping. Next season, I should skydive into a house! I’ve already thought about getting dropped from a helicopter. They’re like, “Emma, we legally can’t do that.†I’m like, “It would be so cool, though!â€
So you’d do your own stunts?
Yeah, my goodness. If I was ever in a movie, I would a hundred percent want to do my own stunts.