Vanderpump Rules newcomer Chris Hahn says he’s nervous about fan backlash over his reality TV past

Reality TV personality Chris Hahn recently shared his honest feelings about appearing on Vanderpump Rules, having already participated in shows like Netflix’s Dated and Related and Perfect Match. 

In an interview with PEOPLE, published on December 27, 2025, Chris confessed that he felt vulnerable stepping into people’s screens once again since he was already known for competing in dating reality shows.

He feared that his past in the industry would influence how people viewed him on Vanderpump Rules.

Chris knew that irrespective of what he said people would judge him based on how they have seen him in other shows.

However, he hoped viewers would give him a proper chance, as he assured that his character on Vanderpump Rules was the real version of him. 

Chris was not the only known face to have joined season 12 of the Bravo show. His cousin, Jason Cohen, the person who participated in Dated and Related alongside Chris, also joined the cast of Vanderpump Rules and shared the same fears as Chris did. 

Perfect Match star Chris Hahn says he shows his vulnerable side on Vanderpump Rules

While reflecting on people’s perception of him, having competed on Netflix reality shows before, Chris admitted to feeling “nervous.”

He said that he knew people were “a little upset” to see him on the Bravo show, especially because of his reality TV past.

Chris also knew that the viewers judged him based on his history, “what has been shown and everything like that.”

“So, I’m a little nervous to maybe see a little bit of s**t-talking, hate, and stuff like that,” he mentioned. 

However, the Vanderpump Rules newcomer added that he understood why people thought what they thought about him.

That said, he was confident that people would find out the real him on the Bravo show. 

When asked about joining the show with his Netflix co-star Jason, Chris said:

“I’m 31, he’s 31, and I think it's a pivotal moment of our life. We’re getting to that age where things should start happening. We’ve come from very humble beginnings and we’ve been nothing but I think grateful for a lot of experiences and all the opportunities that have come up to us.”

The Vanderpump Rules star added that the two of them had “seen a lot of growth overall” in themselves.

That is why, they took pride in how they had displayed their vulnerable sides on the show without holding back or hiding their true selves. 

Jason chimed in on the matter, reiterating that he had exposed his whole life to the audience.

Although a “very hard” thing to do, he firmly believed that it would make the show “entertaining to watch.”

During his stint on Perfect Match, Chris connected with The Trust star Tolu Ekundare. He completed the show with her, but ultimately parted ways after the show concluded. 

In June 2024, Chris told Tudum that his relationship with Ekundare did not end well. After that, he appeared in another dating series called Miss Match in early 2025. Shortly after that, he joined Lisa Vanderpump in Vanderpump Rules.

“It’s hard to say you don’t care what anyone thinks, and of course, you do a little bit. Will I let it affect me? Will I let it affect my happiness? I’m going to try not to. I don’t think it will,” he said about people’s opinions. 

He concluded the conversation by saying that with the help of his journey, he hoped to “inspire people to not be scared.”

He hoped people would feel encouraged to “just put themselves out there” and not hesitate to take the opportunities because of others’ opinions. 

Stay tuned for more updates.