Did Alex Hall claim that Tyler Stanaland emotionally shut down during ‘The OC’s’ hot tub kiss?

One of the biggest storylines on Netflix’s Selling The OC in seasons 2 and 3 has been the close friendship between Alex Hall and Tyler Stanaland. Speculation has swirled about whether these two attractive real estate agents have ever been more than just friends, especially after they shared a steamy kiss in a hot tub during a party at the end of season 2. In this article we talk about: Did Alex Hall claim that Tyler Stanaland emotionally shut down during ‘The OC’s’ hot tub kiss?

In the season 3 premiere episode, both Hall and Stanaland opened up about their perspectives on what happened after that passionate kiss. According to Hall, Stanaland completely shut down emotionally afterwards, leaving her confused and hurt.

Hall Claims Stanaland “Swooned” Her During the Kiss

Speaking to their costar Polly Brindle, Hall described how Stanaland grabbed her aggressively and kissed her during Brindle’s birthday party. She said he showed a whole different side of himself that night – one that totally “swooned” her and caught her off guard.

“That night on your birthday, I saw him in a whole different light. He literally grabbed me by the back of the neck. I was like ‘Just take what you want,’” Hall recounted. “I’ve never seen that side of him. He totally swooned me, he melted me.”

So by Hall’s account, the kiss was extremely passionate and initiated forcefully by Stanaland himself. She says she welcomed his advances and saw him in a new romantic light after the surprise makeout session.

Stanaland Then “Emotionally Shut Down,” Per Hall

However, according to Hall, Stanaland did a complete 180 after the steamy encounter in the hot tub. She says he “emotionally shut down” almost immediately and barely spoke to her afterwards, leaving her confused and wondering if he regretted kissing her.

“Tyler laid it all out on the table and a week later he kind of just emotionally shut down and went off to Fiji and Australia and we didn’t really talk,” Hall explained. “It made me feel like he regretted what he said, but part of me thinks that Tyler is absolutely marriage material.”

So despite feeling an intense connection during the kiss, Hall claims Stanaland quickly became distant and cold shouldered her in the aftermath. His travel schedule conveniently gave him an excuse not to communicate, but Hall was left feeling hurt and rejected wondering if she’d done something wrong.

Stanaland’s Perspective on the Kiss Aftermath

Stanaland shared his own perspective on what happened post-kiss in a later conversation with their Selling The OC costar Austin Victoria. He confirmed that after the makeout moment, he started evaluating whether he and Hall could be more than friends.

“We kept each other in the friend zone for so long and everybody was convinced we were dating,” Stanaland told Victoria. “So that is what opened up our conversation. ‘Is there something more here?’ And then we’re hanging out and we ended up making out at Polly’s party.”

However, while he was initially open to exploring a romantic relationship with Hall, Stanaland says he then began feeling uncertain about the timing and what he truly wanted.

“I think it’s a little confusing where Hall and I stand at the moment,” Stanaland admitted. “In a perfect world, I would love to jump into a relationship with Hall. I want to get married, I want to have kids, I want a house and puppies and all the things, you know. I just think at this point in my life, dating in your 30s is weird. Dating post divorce is weird. I’m just kind of trying to take it one step at a time, and see where the cards fall.”

So Stanaland confirms that after the hot tub kiss, he did begin to pull back from Hall and question whether they should date. He cites feeling confused about the timing and what he wants so soon after his divorce.

Where Do Hall and Stanaland Stand Now?

Unfortunately for fans rooting for Hall and Stanaland to become a couple, they remain completely estranged as of the season 3 finale. In fact, Hall revealed at the Selling Sunset reunion that Stanaland has her blocked on social media.

“I’m actually blocked on Instagram. I’m excommunicated,” Hall told reunion host Tan France. “Polly actually told me.”

So while their hot tub kiss clearly impacted both of them emotionally, it did not bring Hall and Stanaland closer together. If anything, Stanaland’s post-kiss withdrawal only drove the two friends further apart.

Going forward into potential future seasons, it remains to be seen whether Hall and Stanaland will ever rekindle any kind of relationship, platonic or romantic. But at least now fans have a better understanding of why Stanaland seemingly shut down emotionally from Hall’s perspective after their steamy moment last season. I sincerely hope you like reading this “Did Alex Hall claim that Tyler Stanaland emotionally shut down during ‘The OC’s’ hot tub kiss?” article.