Whitney Port on Reality TV, Motherhood, and Knowing When to Accept Help

Reality TV stardom wasn’t in Whitney Port’s original career plan. The fashion designer, author, wife, and mom, known from MTV’s The Hills and The City, recently opened up on Coming in Hot with Caroline Baudino about how reality TV impacted her life and the unexpected path that led her from fashion intern to the woman she is today. 

“When you’re on reality TV you have to pretend we care about things more than we actually do for the sake of having a successful TV show,” Port says. “That got tiring for me, which is why I didn’t have a long career in it and why I was the friend and not the main character.” 

Port also opens up about her childhood, career transitions, and balancing work with family life. Tune into the latest Coming in Hot episode for a heartfelt conversation about strong family bonds, handling negativity, and navigating infertility and surrogacy.

The Early Days of Reality TV 

As a student at University of Southern California, Port knew she was passionate about fashion. After applying for a fall internship at Teen Vogue, she got a call from MTV about a reality TV show highlighting four young women in Los Angeles pursuing different industries. Port submitted a casting interview, and before she knew it, she had an on-camera interview with West Coast editor, Lisa Love. Port got the internship and the rest was history.

For young women starting their careers, Port advice is to fake it until you make it. “I was so young and naive, but ignorance is bliss,” she says. “There’s so much you may not know going into it. Come in with confidence, as a ‘yes person,’ and willing to learn. Don’t come off as a know-it-all or like you’re overcompensating. Be hungry.”

There’s currently a Reddit poll for the next Real Housewives of New York cast, and fans are voting for Port. Despite the flattery, she says she would never return to reality TV. “My family is too important for me, and no amount of money is worth it.”

A Strong Family Bond

Growing up, Port’s mom was an art teacher, and her dad worked in manufacturing and licensing in the fashion industry. Port is one of five kids, and her mom went back to work when her youngest sibling started school. 

Port credits her parents with modeling what a strong family bond looks like. “My parents were the best. I had an amazing childhood. My mom was home with us, and she was very present. My dad did drop-off, and my mom did pickup. She was cooking dinner every single night. Saturday night my parents had date night—every single Saturday night at the Cheesecake Factory in Brentwood.”

This upbringing shapes how Port and her husband, Tim Rosenman, parent their son. “They have set the stage for what is important for me and how I want Sunny to be. I want him to be an affectionate, loving person.”

It also instilled her work ethic. “My dad went to work every single day, dropped us off, and came home right before dinner. My mom was super important in seeing a woman who could do it all. That work ethic was in my blood. It’s not the norm.”

Building a Career in the Fashion Industry

Port’s mother was her first fashion influence: “She had these long t-shirt dresses that were button-down, stripped, and ribbed. She loved dressing up, and she loved dressing me and my sisters. She had four girls. We were all matching, and we were all in some variation of the same outfit. It has a color story.

Once Port started dressing herself, she loved it. “Fashion was always fun for us. I always cared about what I was wearing.” This love propelled her through roles at People’s Revolution, Teen Vogue, Dianne von Furstenberg, and working for Kelly Cutrone.

She launched her own fashion brand while filming The City. Her father helped her after she moved back home, but after he passed away, Port says she couldn’t do it anymore. 

Today, Port consults and designs for other companies, but she doesn’t miss having her own line. “I don’t want all the pressure, the rat race, the seasons. I do love designing and the creativity, and I always want that to be a part of my career.”

On building a career as she ages and as a working mom, Port says, “The truth is all we have is now. Age comes with so much more experience. I feel like I am so much more equipped to do any job now than I was at 25 years old.”

Port’s Infertility and Surrogacy Journey

Port’s son, Sonny, was born in July 2017. Throughout her pregnancy journey, Port had six miscarriages. After speaking with her doctors, Port learned that she has chromosomal issues. After trying to conceive, she got really sick and hit a rock bottom after facing the anxiety of carrying and the fear of loss. Her husband, Tim, suggested surrogacy. 

“I was like, ‘Thank God.’ I needed someone to take the pressure off me and help me get this done,” Port says. 

Her husband encouraged her to accept the help and that “it is a privilege to accept help.” Now, Port is in the process of reviewing surrogacy profiles. She is excited and grateful for this option that will protect her mental health. “I realized I did not need to force myself down a road where I was starting to lose myself in order to do this.”

Port has been open about her surrogacy decision: “I’ve been going through this process for such a long time that I really have gotten to a place of peace with it. I have a child. I have the love of my life. Anything else would be a blessing.”

Advice for Young Women

From her reality TV days, Port advises young women dealing with bullying to tune it out and focus on their happiness. “If you don’t know me, then what you say cannot have so much weight. You don’t know everything is going on, so why would I allow your words to make me feel bad?”

While the online chatter has been mostly positive, Port has faced her fair share of online negativity. She has been open, particularly on her podcast With Whit, about her personal struggles with eating, nutrition, and body issues. She has learned to set boundaries. “Now when I want to talk about vulnerable or hot-button topics, I put it out there. Then, I take some space from it before I look at the comments,” Whitney says.

She encourages women to be vulnerable and put their stories out into the world. “Put it out there for yourself, not for what people are going to say in response.”