Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have become icons of reality television thanks to their iconic run on MTV‘s The Hills. The storyline between the couple and Heidi’s best friend Lauren Conrad made them huge celebrities. After six seasons on the show, they appeared in a reboot of the hit series in 2019.

The couple recently made news when they lost their home and almost all of their belongings in the horrific Los Angeles wildfires. Things took a turn when it was later announced that Heidi and Spencer were suing the city of Los Angeles in the aftermath.

But what were Heidi and Spencer up to before this horrible event impacted their lives? For starters, the couple had two children. They also launched a podcast, where they promised to deliver behind-the-scenes secrets of the reality television world.

Spencer And Heidi Lost Their Home In The LA Wildfires And Sued The City Of Los Angeles

After losing their homes in the Los Angeles wildfires, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag have sued the city of Los Angeles and the Department of Water and Power (LADWP). The lawsuit was filed in California’s Superior Court in Los Angeles County on January 21 and the couple argue that the fire was “an inescapable and unavoidable consequence” based on how Los Angeles and LADWP were allegedly managing water supply in the area.

Janet Pratt, Spencer’s mother, is also on the list of plaintiffs, in addition to someone named William Pratt. While he did live in the same house, it hasn’t been confirmed what his relation was to Spencer, if any. Spencer’s sister, Stephanie Pratt, revealed in a post on her Instagram Stories that it wasn’t just Spencer and Heidi’s house that was destroyed by the fires. According to her, her parents’ home was also destroyed just hours later.

The plaintiffs argue that as a result of the fires, they have suffered damaged homes, insurance coverage shortfalls, mandatory evacuations, medical expenses, business interruption and emotional distress. They are suing for inverse condemnation, as they allege that the “Defendants’ operation of its water supply and related infrastructure was a substantial cause of Plaintiffs’ damages.”

According to the suit, those damages include the costs of repairs to their properties, the loss of enjoyment of their properties and even the loss of wages and earning capacity. The amount the family is suing for remains undisclosed. They are also asking for attorneys’ fees and trial by jury.

In an interview with People in early January, Spencer said that he and his wife remain active on social media because they depend on the income from the platforms.

“If we were rich, I wouldn’t be on an app,” he told the outlet. “I’d be buying a new house and starting to order things. So, I don’t think we would’ve shared anything vulnerable. [Social media] is how we already made money before. That’s our way of life. Heidi and I have been Snapchatting every day probably for eight years, our whole life.”

When speaking to E! News, Spencer revealed that he only made ten cents for every 10,000th view on TikTok until recently. “I screenshotted my RPM that shows how much I made on Tiktok,” Spencer told the outlet. “Everyone thought that was $3.5 million in the week.”

However, Spencer admitted that his actual salary was $3,500 for the week. This was from the 5,000 videos on his profile. He explained that a lot of the views on his posts aren’t monetized by TikTok’s content creator program. “If it was true,” Spencer said laughing, “We would be in Bel Air right now shopping for our new house.”

He also responded to the perception that he is “rich and famous.” He told the outlet that he only earns 12 cents per 10,000 qualifying views.

“I’m not against the brand,” Spencer remarked. “So, soon as I am rich and famous, everyone will really know so quick.”He also shared what his Snapchat income is as well. “I made $25 in one day,” he admitted, “off lots of snaps.”

Spencer And Heidi Launched A Podcast Two Years Before The LA Wildfires Began

In August 2023, Heidi and Spencer launched a podcast titled Speidi’s 16th Minute. The theme of the podcast was to give listeners a peek into the behind-the-scenes world of reality television. In July of that year, the couple spoke to People about the podcast and what they hoped to achieve from it.

“Heidi and I have always wanted to do a MasterClass on being famous,” Spencer told the outlet. “But since their people never call us back, we’re taking it to this podcast which will be both educational and free for you to listen to. A win for everyone! We can’t wait to share this with you!”

Spencer and Heidi promised listeners they would “dive into the stories behind notorious paparazzi photos, reality TV villains, and unexpected celebrities that rose to fame as well as revisiting nostalgic moments cherished by pop culture enthusiasts,” according to The Ringer network.

In the podcast’s trailer, Heidi is seen saying that fans “may know us as being the villains from The Hills,” where Spencer then says, “Villains? What? Who wrote this? The heroes from The Hills, the people that carried the show.” Both Spencer and Heidi starred in the famous MTV reality series from 2006 to 2010 for six seasons. They later made a return for the revival series, The Hills: New Beginnings in 2019. When it comes to their podcast, the pair promised to bring reality show secrets to the new podcast.

“We’ll explore what’s happening off camera and on reality TV, what’s happening outside the fame of a paparazzi photo and more from the side of Hollywood and entertainment that you don’t get to see,” Heidi said. Spencer added, “And, we’ll talk with some of our friends — gonna have to find those — insiders and media personalities to get all the dirt on how some of our favorite pop culture moments came to be.”

And they definitely brought the guests to the show as well. Their first episode saw them talking to anonymous gossip blogger DeuxMoi. They chatted about how her fame grew, stories she had about fellow celebrities and why she covers the topics she does. Spencer joined The Hills in the second season and became famous when he was clearly against Lauren Conrad, Heidi’s best friend. Lauren had blamed a sex tape rumor on the couple, thus ending her friendship with Heidi. This led to Lauren delivering the show’s most famous line, “You know what you did!”

In 2019, Heidi spoke to People about how her relationship with Spencer evolved through the years. “We have a much deeper understanding and love for each other now,” Heidi told the outlet. “We’ve been through so much.” Spencer added, “When we started, it felt like everyone was trying to break us up, or they thought we were together to be famous. But here we are, ten years later. The [best] thing we ever did is be together.”

Spencer And Heidi Brought Two Children Into The World Prior To The Wildfires

One of the important additions to their lives prior to the fires was the birth of their two sons. Heidi and Spencer have a 7-year-old son, Gunner, as well as another son, Ryker, who is two. Heidi recently shared with E! News what she told her son about the tragedy. When it comes to the horrific events of the recent LA fires, Heidi wants her kids to know that it’s okay to be upset.

“To be able to let him feel his emotions is really important and to feel that loss and not to compartmentalize it and have to unpack it later,” Heidi told the outlet. “That’s why he’s doing so well, as he’s been able to really vocalize that and feel that loss in the moment.” Heidi says Gunner is “old enough to understand that.” She said that because of this, she is able to get him to focus on what is coming in the future.

“We encourage him [that], you know, there’s a new life and there’s new things, and try to highlight him moving forward in his world and help him to do that step by step,” Heidi said, explaining that she won’t encourage him to “covering his feelings ’cause that’s not what would be helpful for him.”

The LA fires have seen over 40,000 acres burned down since they started on January 7. It’s also not just Heidi and Spencer who were among the stars who lost their homes. Other celebrities whose homes were destroyed include Paris Hilton, Milo Ventimiglia, and Miles Teller.

And while they do want their kids to be open about their feelings, they are careful not to reveal too much about the fires to them. Particularly the information Heidi and Spencer don’t believe their kids are ready to handle. “The most important thing that we did throughout this was not let him see any TV, any interviews, any photos,” Heidi explained, “Because there’s no reason to have that trauma and to associate it with an image. So, we just really have kept that between us.”

Spencer not only agreed with Heidi on this point, but revealed that he had one big goal throughout this whole experience.

“We’re going to find the good in this,” Spencer said. “And that’s all I try to focus on 24 hours a day, even when I’m sleeping. It’s definitely just a survival energy.”