Newest addition! Mischa Barton is joining the cast of The Hills, Us Weekly confirms.
Barton, 32, confirmed her casting via Instagram on Wednesday, October 3. “The secret’s out… I’m joining the cast of The Hills,” she wrote. “When MTV approached me with the chance to be part of the reality show that was inspired by The OC, it felt like the perfect opportunity for an irresistibly inviting new chapter.
The actress, who made her reality TV show debut in 2016 on Dancing With the Stars season 22, rose to fame in 2003 for starring as Marissa Cooper on Fox’s The O.C. The hit drama was the driving force behind MTV’s Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, which ultimately inspired The Hills.
A source exclusively tells Us that Barton’s appearance on The Hills: New Beginnings, which MTV announced in August, “is going to document her comeback. Hopefully people will see her in a new light and not just because of personal problems in the years past.”
Barton’s casting comes one month after multiple sources confirmed to Us that Brody Jenner and his wife, Kaitlynn Carter, will appear on the reboot too. Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Stephanie Pratt, Audrina Patridge, Justin Bobby Brescia, Jason Wahler and Whitney Port are also set to appear on the show.
However, Lauren Conrad, Kristin Cavallari and Lo Bosworth have opted out of reuniting with their former costars. Port addressed Conrad and Cavallari’s decision not to return while speaking to Us in September. “I mean, they were the main people on the show. I thought it would be so fun for everybody to get together and reunite and all catch up,” she said. “So yeah, I was definitely bummed, but I totally understand the various reasons why they wouldn’t or couldn’t.”
The Hills: New Beginnings will premiere on MTV in January 2019.
