After claiming that CBS published a negative article about him in order to support Mayor Karen Bass, aspiring Los Angeles mayor Spencer Pratt began a furious diatribe against the media source.
In an interview that aired on Thursday, the reality star who is now a political candidate joined the network.
He was not pleased, though, as the piece used snippets from his time on MTV’s The Hills in between his sit-down.
Pratt’s agenda items for his mayoral campaign were also revealed in the interview, but it created a bad impression. “They clearly got the call after CBS embarrassed Karen Bass by fact-checking her debate lies about the Palisades Fire.” He claimed on X, “After spending more than an hour filming with me on my burned-out lot, CBS gave it to Karen Bass’ PR team to edit into a hilarious five-minute hit piece with clips from the Hills.”
“They have to try to make my campaign a sideshow because they can’t defeat my ideas or me in the debates.”
In the highly blue city, the Republican mayoral candidate is vying for the top place. If he wins, he has vowed to stop talking to the outlet.
He insisted that the hour-long interview be made public by CBS because “voters deserve to hear from their next mayor.”
Spencer Pratt, a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, said that CBS had rigged his interview to support incumbent Karen Bass, his major opponent.
According to sources who spoke with TMZ, CBS did not give Bass’s team access to the film, and they want to make the entire hour-long interview available (pictured: Bass with opponent Nithya Raman).
Sources tell TMZ that the network intends to release the entire interview on Saturday. Additionally, they disputed that Bass’s campaign received the tape from CBS News.
Pratt and CBS have been contacted by The Daily Mail for comment.
Pratt and his spouse, Heidi Montag, were well-known for their roles in The Hills. While Montag was filming season one, the two met at a nightclub. Later, in season two, Pratt became a member of the cast.
During a mayoral discussion earlier this week, Pratt confronted some of his rivals, including contender Nithya Raman, whom he scathingly referred to as a “random city council member.”
According to the LA Times, Raman was so offended by the 42-year-old reality TV star’s jab that she continued to complain about it to a local KNBC reporter after the discussion.
As he challenged Raman and Mayor Bass’s progressive ideals, Pratt’s bold debate approach gained him accolades; according to NBC, 79% of viewers declared him the winner.
Following Raman’s accusation that he and Bass were working together to force her out of the race, the Republican made the comment about Raman, saying that they only want to run against one another “because they think that is what will help them win.”
Following the audience’s laughter, Pratt ridiculed the idea by declaring, “Mayor Bass and I are definitely not working together.” I hold this individual accountable for setting my house on fire.
After fact-checking Karen Bass, CBS received the call and attempted to condense my one-hour interview into a five-minute hit piece. The entire, uncut interview must be broadcast. pic.twitter.com/ff6UsWZLuA
Additionally, Pratt vowed that if he wins the mayoral election, he will never speak to CBS again.
Pratt insisted on the release of the whole, uncut interview.
Pratt and his spouse, The Hills actress Heidi Montag
Pratt has been an outspoken critic of Bass’s response to the January wildfires in Los Angeles, which destroyed his $3.8 million home and 11,000 others in southern California.
“All the unions support Mayor Bass,” the prospective politician stated, adding that he would much rather run against Raman alone in the election. “Do you think it’s easier to run against a random city council member who has been a failure for six years, or the current mayor with all the unions?”
According to recent surveys, the election is tied before voters cast their ballots on June 2. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will take place on November 3.
In a poll conducted last month by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, Pratt received 14% of the vote, trailing only Bass (25%) and Raman (17%).
Pratt now has a 22 percent probability of winning, up from less than 10 percent a week prior to the crucial debate, according to prediction market Kalshi.
