'Summer House' star Danielle Olivera talks Lindsay Hubbard fallout, Robert Sieber breakup

Danielle Olivera has experienced a lot of change in her life over the past year. Gibson Johns interviews the longtime "Summer House" star about the fallout from her friendship with Lindsay Hubbard, why she thinks the ball is in her court, where things went left and how Lindsay's engagement to Carl Radke factors into the situation. They also discuss Danielle's heartbreaking split from Robert Sieber, the support she's received from other people in the house, the status of her business and the hope she has for the future of her friendship with Lindsay.

Video Transcript

[THEME MUSIC]

GIBSON JOHNS: Hi, guys. Welcome back to "We Should Talk," a pop culture interview series from In the Know. I'm your host, Gibson Johns. And today on the podcast, we have Danielle Oliveira from "Summer House."

Season 7 is here. We are in it. And it's no secret that if you've been following along, the anticipation, and the speculation, and the talk around this season-- going into the season has really centered around Danielle and Lindsay and their friendship, or what's left of it, or what's not left of it. It's not-- going into the season, it was not exactly clear what went down.

I speak for myself-- and I say this to Danielle in this interview-- that it breaks my heart that they are not in a good place. I love their friendship. I love watching them on TV for the past six seasons. And I've known both of them for six or seven years at this point. And it breaks my heart.

And we got into all of that in this interview. We also talked about her and Robert, who have broken up. They broke up in the fall. And it seems still very raw for Danielle. And she got emotional about that.

And then we kind of moved on, but we also circled back to the Lindsay of it all and the support that she felt from the different girls in the house as everything was going on. And we both got emotional when kind of talking about that again. And again, it's a really tough thing to watch. I think that, as Bravo fans, we obviously love the drama and we love the feuds and all that, but ultimately, there are some of these duos from different shows, whether it's Lindsay and Danielle, or Kyle and Lisa Vanderpump, or Bethenny and Jill. There are these different friendships that feel almost indestructible.

And when they show that they aren't, especially with these ones we've invested so much time in, it feels like two friends have broken up. And it really does feel that way. And Danielle talked a lot about that in this interview. And it kind of sounds like, you know, she views the ball as being in Lindsay's court. And she says that Lindsay and Carl's relationship does not really have to do with why they aren't really friends right now.

Obviously, Lindsay has a different perspective on that. But I think it's worth getting both perspectives on that. And today, it was about getting Danielle's. And again, I really appreciate her candor. She was really vulnerable, and raw, and emotional, and honest with her side of what went down this past summer with her and Lindsay. I think it was a really great interview. And I'm excited to also get Lindsay on later in the season.

But, yeah, I hope that there's a way that they can move forward. I think that a lot of it is about just watching the season back and not trying to get into to a good place before the season, and then for it all to just kind of crumble again after watching everything that gets said during the season, and in press, and on "Watch What Happens Live."

I think that if they could both come into the reunion with that possibility of there being hope for reconciliation or at least there's more of an understanding to go forward for their friendship-- I'm manifesting that. Because I want Lindsay and Danielle to be friends again.

But anyway, keep listening to my interview with Danielle Oliveira from "Summer House." Tune in to Summer House on Bravo on Monday nights at 9:00 PM. And please rate, review, and subscribe to "We Should Talk" on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

All right, so we are here with Danielle Oliveira from "Summer House." Season 7 is here. Danielle, we're a couple episodes in. How are you feeling?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I'm feeling good for the most part. Some of it is a little hard to watch, especially how far some of the friendships have come since the second one-- the second episode. But it gets me excited because the newbies are so great, and so fun, and they're so like, the fresh energy is exactly what we need. So watching those moments I'm like, yes, it's going to be a good season.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah, they seem to fit in pretty well so far. And I'm liking what they're bringing to the table.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Yes, and you'll continue to like it.

GIBSON JOHNS: OK, good. So we were just saying, you're stuck in Aspen right now. And we missed you at the premiere party, but you were missed. I guess like, we're a couple of episodes in, obviously, but how do you-- I don't know how-- now, that obviously the intrigue around this season, particularly around you and Lindsay has never-- honestly, I don't know if it's ever been as high as it is going into the season. There was a lot of just like speculation.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I feel like you're holding back. Don't hold back. Give it to me.

GIBSON JOHNS: I'm-- no, I'm not holding back. I'm just I feel like there's a lot to get into. But I guess like-- because OK. There's the anticipation. There's a speculation.

But you have not really been able to speak on it. You have not been able to share it, because this show has not aired. And I and-- it's been essentially like six months of that. So what's it like to be sort of in this under the sort of magnifying glass, but not being able to share your side of what's happened.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: You know what, actually, it was even worse right after we stopped filming and their engagement was public. And people noticed that I wasn't posting publicly for their-- excited for their engagement. So it really started then where I had to really bite my tongue. Obviously, I am happy for them.

But given what happens at the end of the summer, there was not a bone in my body that wanted to fake a post, right? And I couldn't speak on it either. Now, I can start talking about it a bit more. And it also helps and it hurts to watch the show back.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I can't tell you how many times I've replayed a lot of those moments in my head, not only because I'm still trying to process the outcome, but also because I'm in-- mourning a best friend is like-- it's really, really tough.

GIBSON JOHNS: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: So I replay a lot of those moments and like what happened. And then now I get to watch it all back again.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah, yeah.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Is it therapy or is it-- I don't know what it is.

GIBSON JOHNS: Right, well, that was-- my next question is just sort of like, was there ever any effort on either side of the equation to try to figure things out before the season aired or was that just inevitably just going to be a reopening of the wounds while watching it back and being on "Watch What Happens Live" and doing interviews. Is there sort of no point in trying to get to a good place before the show comes back on?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Honestly, from my perspective, I think I did everything that I needed to do on camera. The ball has been truly in her court, in my opinion, on whether or not to reach out. I think it's more of the latter of what you just said. I don't want things to get nasty-- how we're talking about it.

But I do believe that Lindsay-- I think she needs to watch it back for a little bit more self-reflection. Yeah. Like I think that she might even be waiting to see what actually went down.

GIBSON JOHNS: Which makes sense. Because I feel like-- because I feel like the-- I think that she said it, maybe on "Watch What Happens Live," or an interview, or something where, essentially, from her point of view, there's a-- maybe it's this second weekend where Carl and Lindsay are not there. And that from her perspective, the other girls start to talk to you about-- whether it's her and Carl or your friendship.

And I think as she sees it, they sort of get in your ear. And that's sort of was the ball starts to roll. So I guess-- of course, it makes sense for her to have to watch that back, I feel like, and really make sense of that.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Well, she didn't-- she didn't really need to. Because you know why? I told her about that conversation with the girls when she was not there to her. It wasn't on camera. But I told her. She was like, how was the weekend? I was like, well, I had this happened, this happened.

GIBSON JOHNS: Sure.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: We had a full download. So she knew. But to have that knee jerk reaction of, oh, they're just in her ear. And they're like-- that just makes me feel like she doesn't think I'm strong enough to have my own opinion-- to, OK, yeah, they say that-- yeah, people say things all the time. But does it mean I'm going to go jump off a cliff because Paige said to? Like that's not--

GIBSON JOHNS: Of course.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: And it just makes me feel bad that that's how she views me, as someone who would be just like, oh, yeah, you're so right. You're so right. I hate Lindsay now. What?

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah. That's fair. That's definitely fair. So from your perspective, does whatever happens in that conversation. It's more about like them just maybe opening your eyes certain things or is it just really just talking it through? What is that look like?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: The conversation honestly started because I want to have a good summer. And I don't like some of the undertones of the girls maybe don't like me as much as they would each other, like you know how like conversation in rooms or whatever. I just kind of wanted to bring it up and say, hey, I know what friendship looks like. And I know that you guys have something where we can't get there.

And I just want to know what that thing is. And unfortunately, that thing is Lindsey. And so that's how that conversation started, because I just wanted to get to the-- to get it out there. If you have beef with me, let's talk about it now in the beginning of summer, so we can have a really good summer.

GIBSON JOHNS: Right.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: And then it kind of turned into that other conversation.

GIBSON JOHNS: And also you don't want to be held accountable for somebody that you just are really close with. Just because they don't necessarily vibe with Lindsay. You don't want to be sort lumped into like, OK, we can't be friends with Danielle, because she's close to Lindsay. OK, got it.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Absolutely.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah, and then I guess like stepping back a little bit, because I mean, the last reunion was really dark, like the last reunion was tense--

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Awkward, yeah.

GIBSON JOHNS: It was awkward. And there was a lot going-- there was a lot of I feel like subtext in that reunion, honestly. But you and Ciara obviously last season did not have a good-- did not end the summer well with one another. Did you come into this season like kind of one of the things you want to do is sort of get on a better page with her and maybe start a new leaf with her and be friends again?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Yeah, so before the summer started, we had a heart to heart.

GIBSON JOHNS: Oh, good.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Because, again, what's good as a house if there's so much tension? And I don't want to relive what happened last summer. I just want to start fresh, start clean, and have fun. And it worked out.

We actually have more in common than not. And we can relate to each other on so many levels. I think that we had made so much progress before the shift, and then what happened with her and Lindsay, and then me getting caught in the crossfire.

And I think that we kind of picked up from that progress, canceled what happened in the middle part, and everything that happened with the wine toss, and then kind of kept going with an open mind and an open heart. And that's really all that I could ask for. And I think that it turned into something really awesome.

GIBSON JOHNS: Well, I think that that's-- I think that that's the hope I think a lot of fans of reality TV have when it comes to maybe like a friendship that might seem like it's at its wit's end and it's not going to work. But for you guys to be able to refocus, and kind of reshuffle some things, and change your perspective maybe, and I think it's always good to do that. Because there is hope, I think, in most of these relationships for some people to have some sort of connection, right?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Yeah, it would have been very easy to write each other off. It was very difficult to have the conversation that we did, but I'm proud of us for doing that.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah, totally. And then I mean, I'm speaking on behalf of myself, who's known you and Lindsay for six or seven years at this point. And also just I think-- but also on behalf of like a lot of viewers, I've just seen the sentiment that it's heartbreaking. And I know that there's a million different perspectives on what went down and we don't know everything went down yet. But just knowing where you guys are now, it does break my heart. And it's-- is that a sentiment that you are feeling from viewers and from fans that, like even though we don't all know what happens, it kind of feels like-- it gives me a pit in my stomach.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Yeah. Yeah, everyone's been sweet. But they definitely are like, get back together. Please, get back together.

GIBSON JOHNS: But it's not that simple.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: No. Not-- I wish it were simpler. I really, really do. But some things were said that I'm still recovering from.

And I just think like maybe the friendship just needed to take the time out. I hope that that's the case. But I don't know. At this point, I just don't know. I have a lot going on in my personal life. Do I wish she shot me a text? Yeah, I do. But I haven't gotten that.

GIBSON JOHNS: And so, yeah, I think it loops back to what we were saying before, which is like it-- I feel like you almost-- it'd be tough to move forward until, I guess, both of you see exactly what goes down. But I guess-- but you said you think the ball's in her court. So it's-- I don't know. I just in your position, I don't envy the position.

But I guess another question I had is like, I talked to Kyle about this. I interviewed him last week. And you know him and Carl, obviously having their thing this summer. And they seem to be in a better place now, but I think sometimes, there's this feeling, again, as somebody who's like studied these shows for years now. It's like there's sort of an air of inevitability sometimes to like a friendship, or a relationship, or something just ultimately breaking down or ultimately taking its moment in the spotlight to be under scrutiny. And for you to sort of really reflect on what that looks like and what the dynamic is, do you feel like that is the case with you and Lindsay of like eventually, this was going to be something that was going to have to be examined?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: No. I never thought in a million years this would happen, like she was like a sister to me. I just completely-- I had-- no, I would never-- yeah, I don't-- I wasn't picturing this summer to be like this.

I mean, granted going into the summer with Carl and Lindsay now being in a relationship, that dynamic change was a big one for me. And I was excited to see how it would play out, because they're in the same house as me now. So we get to spend more time together, because we weren't before.

And their love it's great. It's beautiful. I just wish it wasn't isolating or it wasn't-- it didn't change so much that I felt kind of like pushed to the side. And the stuff with Lindsay and I, I want to be clear, it has nothing to do with her being with Carl, being engaged to Carl. I love that they found love with each other.

This is-- this is Lindsay and I. I'm happy for their relationship. Did it start with their relationship stuff? Yeah. But I just really-- I've really thought that even in a really-- happy relationship, she would be there for me. But she didn't need me as much.

GIBSON JOHNS: So the way that they were acting in their relationship was sort of a catalyst for you to reflect on how you're being treated maybe?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Yeah.

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Nailed it.

GIBSON JOHNS: But it's not because of the relationship. It's just that was--

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Right, I'm happy for them. I want them to succeed. I want them to stay together forever.

GIBSON JOHNS: Right.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: But I also want to prioritize myself and what I need. Yeah. Sometimes, it sucks to be that person who like stands up for yourself. And I don't think I've ever done that with her ever before this.

GIBSON JOHNS: And so their engagement towards the end of the summer-- and we'll obviously see what leads up to that. And I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves. But like, I guess, what can you sort of imply or tease for me about like how we're going to see you react to that news or that moment if you and Lindsay are not in a good place at that time?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I would have wished I could have done more to be part of that engagement. But I wasn't afforded that, let's just put it that way. I would have done anything to be there for her like most happy day. I was there, but like--

GIBSON JOHNS: Right.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I'm like someone who--

GIBSON JOHNS: But you weren't there there. Right.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Yeah. I would-- yeah.

GIBSON JOHNS: You weren't included.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Like I would have done like fireworks or like hired a band. I don't know, because this is her happy-- how many years of unhappy have I had to get through with her?

GIBSON JOHNS: Sure.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: And now she's finally in this great place, and I can't-- I can't celebrate it the way that I want to.

GIBSON JOHNS: And last thing about them is I feel like you and Carl also separately had or have-- I don't know if it's had or have-- a special connection. And you obviously have a little bit of history from way back in the day. How does this impact you and Carl's relationship? And what does that look like now?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I thought Carl and I were in a good place this summer. And it turns out I was wrong about that. I love him to death, but I've seen him-- I've seen him across every spectrum of his personality. And I love sober Carl.

But it was-- it's different sober Carl in a relationship with Lindsay-- and I have to get Kyle's back on this one, it is different. It's another side of him. And sometimes, there are moments where I just wanted to shake him, and be like, I know you're in there, like come out. And so that caused a lot of tension between us.

GIBSON JOHNS: Right, right. And I guess like the-- and I've seen that discussion play out a little bit online, just about the Kyle and Carl stuff. I feel like the number one of rebuttal to that is just that like he is sort of navigating this sober lifestyle and still kind of-- he was sober in a previous season.

But there are obviously different factors and he's trying to find how that really-- how that happiness sort of settles for him. Yeah, I don't know. I totally see how it can impact the individual friendships, and then how those-- I know, it's a really complex situation. It really is.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: It really is. But like I hate that-- I hate that people think that we're not trying to be happy for Carl or trying not to be happy for Lindsay.

GIBSON JOHNS: I believe you are, totally.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Like we've only-- I've only tried to be happy for each of them individually and together. But when you see something as a close friend, how can you not react to it or say something?

GIBSON JOHNS: Right.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I think that some of my best friends give me the toughest news or toughest feedback.

GIBSON JOHNS: That how it should be. Yeah, that's how it should be. Yeah. Yeah.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: And I just-- I wish we didn't-- I don't know. I hate that it turned out the way it did. I don't know that Kyle and I not to have an opinion about something.

GIBSON JOHNS: Sure, yeah, I get that.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: And not express it.

GIBSON JOHNS: You're too close-- you're too close to that to not express that, I think. So switching gears a little bit. So it sounds like with them, it's just sort of you view it, the ball's in their court. Let's see how this season shakes out and sort of all the conversation around that, because we, obviously, know that can impact things a lot.

The other source of speculation right now, Danielle, is where you and Robert stand. And so I have to ask, what is the status of you and Robert? What are you comfortable sharing about that?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Well, it's not good news. We are broken up. We broke up around November, right before Thanksgiving.

GIBSON JOHNS: I'm sorry to hear that.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Yeah. It's been rough. I'm not going to lie. Very heartbreaking. You know when you wish you could be angry at someone, but you still love them. It's kind of where I am right now. I'm getting a little emotional.

GIBSON JOHNS: It's OK.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: It just wasn't working out. Our lives are crazy and chaotic. Our careers are crazy and chaotic. They tend to take the front seat. So communication suffered. And I think we were hurting each other more than we should have been, and so just needed to break up and find our happiness separately. Don't know what the future holds, but I have the most respect and love for him still. But I think that this was the right choice.

GIBSON JOHNS: And do you feel like you are on that journey to finding out what that happiness looks like for you--

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Yeah.

GIBSON JOHNS: --without him? OK, good, good.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Yeah. I mean I am in Aspen, and he still works here. But like I have a share-- I have other friends here. I love this town. That's not going to change. I find wherever the happiness is going to take me, I'm just going to go and lean into it.

GIBSON JOHNS: OK, good.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: If someone wants to go to Bali, I'm like, OK, let's go.

GIBSON JOHNS: Right.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: But really the focus is more of like distracting myself, being around friends, family, burying myself in work. I tend to be really good as a single independent woman.

GIBSON JOHNS: We've seen that, Danielle.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I was great at that.

GIBSON JOHNS: You're so independent. I think that's one of my favorite qualities about you, honestly. Because I'm that way as well. And I think that for-- you and Robert are both such career-oriented people. And I feel like-- I mean, it's something that I struggle with myself, is like sort of breaking yourself out of that a little bit.

But also that is your natural tendency to be like that. And if that's who you are, that's who you are. And I don't know. It's a tough thing to balance. And I'm sorry to hear about it. But you'll-- yeah, you'll find it.

And I mean, speaking of career, Danielle, last season we heard about you starting to build an app, and you had just quit your corporate job, what are you working on right now in terms of your profession, and your career, and sort of any of those moving pieces?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: We're still developing the app. I have an amazing little team-- small, but mighty, I say. We're close. A lot of it has been built. But I want to test it a bit more. I plan on testing it with a lot of the girls on the show, getting into their closets, because it is a fashion tech app.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: So I'm excited to show it to them, get their feedback, and hopefully, have something out there by the summer.

GIBSON JOHNS: Awesome.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: It is a huge undertaking, I'm not going to lie. And we're building it from scratch. It's a proper startup. Nothing is being outsourced. So it's a lot of work, but it's going to be really good.

GIBSON JOHNS: And then you-- I mean, you mentioned trying to test it out on some of the girls in the house and on the cast, and I guess like given everything that has gone down this season and sort of the mentality that you went into this season of, it's like trying to rebuild some of those individual relationships with the other girls, who are we going to see you either lean on the most or sort of build up-- you talked about Ciara, a little bit. But who's sort of number one and two for you this season in terms of who you can really rely on?

DANIELLE OLIVERA: This is a really, really hard question. Because oddly enough, every single one of them has completely like been there for me while the Lindsay stuff was going on and even now with Robert. It's-- I could cry thinking about it. But Maya, Ciara, Amanda, Paige, Gabby, Sam, like they're all like-- sorry.

GIBSON JOHNS: It's OK.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: They really helped me get through all of it. So all the girls.

GIBSON JOHNS: Well, Danielle, I love you. And I--

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I wish I could hug you right now.

GIBSON JOHNS: I know, I know, I know, I know. I wish I was in person with you and I really do love both you and Lindsay. And I know that it's a lot. Now, I'm going to start to cry.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: It sucks, man.

GIBSON JOHNS: It does suck, but-- I don't know. I think we've been in your guys's lives for like so long. And sometimes, you have to do what's best for you, but it makes me sad to see you in this place. But I know that you're going to find-- you're on that road.

You're on that healing journey. You're on that healing road. And you know, life happens. And it's going to be tough to watch. But just know that like I--

DANIELLE OLIVERA: We do still have fun, though. I just get emotional.

GIBSON JOHNS: No, I know. I know. I don't want to sound like it's like a super, all depressing whatever, but like-- because it's "Summer House." It's a share house in the Hamptons after all.

But you know, I mean, ultimately, at the core of it, though, are these relationships that we've all grown accustomed to. So is there anything else you would like to say about this season before we wrap it up in tears? [LAUGHS]

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Yeah. I don't know. It was really, really fun. It was unexpected-- shocking, as I said. But it was, honestly, like really beautiful to see how far I've come with Ciara even, like from giving her that hug when we first see each other, to where we end up and kind of like crying in all of their arms.

But it's really, really awesome. There's still a lot of love in that house. Even though a friendship breakup happened-- I don't know, I'm so full of hope if Ciara and I could get through a lot of stuff, then I'm sure--

GIBSON JOHNS: Totally, yeah.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I'm still full of hope and love. And it's unfortunate, but I think-- I don't know-- I have faith in that house. I do.

GIBSON JOHNS: Me too. Me too. And I'm going to-- I'm also manifesting hope for some sort of healing between you two, between all of you guys, but particularly you two. But, Danielle, thank you so much for being so generous with your time, and your emotions, and just being so open. It's not-- that's not easy.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Well, I love talking to you.

GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah, me too. And we'll talk-- get out of Aspen soon.

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I'll see you when I get back in New York.

[LAUGHTER]

GIBSON JOHNS: Oh, my god. Well, thank you so much, Danielle.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: I'm looking forward to that hug.

GIBSON JOHNS: All right, I'll see you soon.

DANIELLE OLIVERA: Bye.

GIBSON JOHNS: Bye.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Thanks for tuning in to "We Should Talk." I hope you enjoyed the interview. You can find out more about In The Know at intheknow.com.

You can follow me Gibson John, @Gibsonoma on Twitter and Instagram. And you can listen to all of our interviews, past and future, by searching "We Should Talk" wherever you get your podcasts. Hope to see you next time.