'Hills' Off the Air, but Drama Drags On

June 9, 2008 — -- "The Hills" may be off-screen for now, but the drama's so not done.

Though MTV's reality soap wrapped its third season May 12, what's going on in the stars' "real" lives is arguably more interesting than what's covered by the cameras: long, meaningful looks exchanged over Pinkberry and vodka Redbulls set to soaring pop ballads.

When we last saw them, Lauren Conrad, 22, and Lo Bosworth, 21, were wondering what to do with removed roommate/third wheel Audrina Patridge, 23. Audrina was back together with on-again, off-again boyfriend Justin Brescia (aka Justin-Bobby) and contemplating moving into her own apartment away from the girls. Villains Heidi Montag, 21, and Spencer Pratt, 24, reunited in Las Vegas after being on a "relationship vacation" (her words) for most of the season. In the previews for season four, Whitney Port's boss suggested the 23 year old may want to leave laid-back Los Angeles for high-strung New York if she really wants to make it in fashion PR.

While the cast churns out more drama for next season, blogs and tabloids are fueling the "Hills" frenzy by reporting on the gang's daily moves, no matter how vapid or inconsequential they may seem. The show is MTV's most profitable franchise, and its fans are rabid for new dirt. Believe it or not, inquiring minds want to know why Audrina didn't invite Lauren to her birthday party and whether Heidi's really ready to marry Spencer.

Below, catch up on what's gone down on "The Hills" since the show went off the air:

May 15: Blogger Perez Hilton suggests the rift between Audrina and Lauren is for real -- she may be getting nudged off the show because the two aren't as good friends as they used to be.

May 16: Paparazzi capture Audrina preparing for her first big film role in "Into the Blue 2." Whether or not she can act takes a back seat to her more obvious assets -- she's rumored to have gotten breast implants, and topless photos of her auditioning for Playboy were leaked on the Web earlier this year.

May 18: Audrina Patridge celebrates the big 23 but doesn't invite roomies/frenemies Lauren Conrad and Lo Bosworth to her bash at Las Vegas' LAX nightclub. (While the three technically live at the same home in Los Angeles, Audrina sleeps in a guesthouse, removed from the gossip and girl-time.) According to In Touch, the roommates celebrated her birthday earlier in May at a low-key L.A. barbecue.

May 22: Paparazzi catch Lauren out on the town with on-again, off-again boyfriend Stephen Colletti. Apparently, they're on again.

May 23: Whether or not she plans to move out, for the time being, Audrina's staying put with Lauren and Lo. Paparazzi capture her leaving her digs smiling and relaxed.

May 25: Brody Jenner (Lauren's one-time love interest and Spencer's ex-best friend) reveals that he and Spence won't go back to being BFF. Their friendship died when Brody took Lauren's side after she accused Spencer and ex-roommate Heidi of spreading a sex-tape rumor about her. "Obviously our friendship will never be the same as it was, but I've never had anything bad to say about him. I love Spencer, and I always will as a friend," he tells People magazine.

Brody also defends his dating habits. "Just because I date just like everyone else does, for some reason they say I'm a serial dater," he says. "I think that's very disrespectful to say because I was raised by my mother and I treat women with respect."

May 26: Asked about the supposed feud between Audrina and Lauren, Whitney refuses to jump into the fray. "Living with girls can be really difficult and it's inevitable that you aren't always going to get along," she tells People magazine.

May 27: According to Fox News, Heidi surprised staffers at West Hollywood's Ona Spa when she walked in wearing a see-through sundress and insisted on a full body wax. During the painful process, she was overheard talking loudly about her love for Spencer. At the end of the treatment, she left a "very generous" tip, perhaps to combat the bad press she and her boyfriend received when he left $16 on a $783 dinner bill the week before.

May 28: Heidi reveals to Us Weekly that after calling off their wedding last year, she's really ready to marry Spencer now. A Mexican getaway convinced the couple to seal the deal. "Heidi read me biblical passages like 'Honor thy wife,'" Spencer says.

May 29: Paparazzi spot Heidi and Spencer stocking up on home goods, presumably for their lifetime of married bliss.

May 30: At a birthday party for a mutual friend, Lauren and Brody share a kiss on the lips. He later tells Us Weeky, "I wasn't making out with her ... we're just friends."

May 31: TMZ.com reveals a possible reason for Audrina and Lauren's rift: She's now exclusively with Justin-Bobby, and Lauren likes him about as much as she likes Spencer (which is to say, not at all).

June 1: The MTV Movie Awards brings together the catty "Hills" cast. Heidi and Spencer drink and take pictures with Brody, according to E! online, and Whitney hangs out with the soon-to-be married couple.

June 3: Now that they're re-engaged, where are Heidi and Spencer gonna go? Disneyland. The couple take on the theme park with Spencer's young nieces, don a pair of bride- and groom-themed Mickey Mouse hats, and pose for photo-op after photo-op at the happiest place on earth.

But could there be trouble in paradise? Audrina tells Us Weekly magazine that Heidi and Spencer aren't ready to tie the knot. "I think she's still young, and I just feel like she shouldn't get married right away," she says. "They should be together and see if they can actually live together for a year without fighting. Once you are married, you're married."

June 4: Allure magazine reports that Lauren's luscious blond tresses are not all that they seem. She's addicted to hairstylist Kristen Ess' brand Norwegian hair extensions, which she secures to her scalp with medical tape.

June 5: One coast is not enough. Us Weekly reports that a "Hills" spinoff is in the works, and it'll star Whitney finding her way in New York City while working for fashion PR firm People's Revolution.

June 6: In Touch magazine reports that Heidi and Spencer have more reasons than true love to stay together: They've made an estimated $3 million from their TV salaries, club appearances, photo shoots and business deals, thanks to "The Hills."

And apparently, the girls who live together can't bowl together. Orange County's OC Register reveals that at the opening of a Newport Beach bowling alley, Lauren and Audrina picked lanes as far away from each other as possible.