Christine Quinn Is ‘the B*tch Whisperer’ in New Book – The Cut

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Abrams Image

When Christine Quinn the polarizing but indisputable beating heart of Netflixs Selling Sunset set out to write her first book, she didnt want it to be a vanity project or another humdrum celebrity memoir. (It so happens that her co-star, Chrishell Stause, released a celebrity memoir in February).

Instead, Quinn, whose brutal honesty and stalwart commitment to drama have made her a breakout star, wanted to create something that would help anyone who walked into a bookstore, whether they were a fan or a troll or a stranger. I went into the show wanting to be myself, showcase my personality, and to be the most organic, real version of me, an unapologetic bitch. I thought people were going to ask me about beauty secrets or fashion tips, but the No. 1 DM I was receiving was about confidence: how to talk to people, how to set boundaries, how to say yes, how to say no, Quinn tells me on the phone as she washes off her makeup in her New York hotel room. Confidence was not something I was born with. I acquired it through years and years of noes and trials and tribulations and figuring myself out.

How to Be a Boss B*tch is her self-helpmemoir hybrid that reclaims the word bitch as empowering while walking you through the snippets of Quinns life, from dropping out of high school to drinking flutes of Dom with a too-controlling sugar daddy. Peppered with financial advice, a few co-worker digs, and Quinns signature sharp (too sharp?!) humor, the book is also an effort to bring you closer to the real Christine a woman who says shes more three-dimensional than her shit-stirring-villain edit.

Why reclaim bitch?

I think for way too long, theres been a negative connotation around the word. Why is it that a woman who is outspoken who has an opinion, who can set boundaries, who can say yes and no is labeled a bitch? I felt like it was time for me to reclaim that word. If youre being called a bitch, youre doing something right because quiet, amenable women never make history. Thats Eleanor Roosevelt, by the way. Dont quote me on that.

You wrote the book after season three of Selling Sunset wrapped theres been a lot of drama over the past two seasons. Whats it like for the book to come out now?

I started on a show that I wasnt in control of the narrative, and thats why it was important for me to tell my story. If I dont do it, someone else will. So yes, a lot changed, and a lot of time went by, and I didnt get to talk about current events from the show because we already had everything written. That was difficult. Im not in control of the editing room, but I am in control of the book and what I say. We didnt know when the book was going to be released, so it actually worked out quite serendipitously.

You write about how youre living your full truth these days and how for so long youd lived in the blank space of the Christine that the writers and producers of the show wanted me to be. You say thats where your disappointment with the show took root producers didnt show you as a full person, and people came at you thinking the Selling Sunset Christine was the real Christine. Can you talk more about that?

The most important takeaway is that you have to understand were three-dimensional creatures, as human beings and individuals, and producers were pinning me in a very one-dimensional box. Thats where my frustrations lie because youre only seeing one side of me. I do have a heart, I do laugh, I do cry, I am vulnerable. Theres so many different facets to peoples personalities, and you werent seeing that. That was on the editing floor. That was in the trash can.

How do you approach writing about your relationships with co-workers (there were a few mentions of Chrishell, for instance) and sugar daddies? Were you ever nervous of what they would think reading it?

No. God, no! The process for me was just telling my story. Theres a call to action in each chapter, and theres a reason Im telling each story; Im not just filling space. It was all very intentional. Writing about my relationships set a foundation for writing about my freedom, which for me came through financial independence and job security. I realized thats what I valued most, so writing about the relationships that brought me there was necessary to telling the story as a whole.

I was interested in the character of Svetlana, the alter ego you put on at work. How is the real Christine different from Svetlana?

Svetlana: Yes, we love her. We love Svetlana. She is just the definition of an absolute boss. She never wavers. She never quivers. She never thinks twice. She is an assassin in the confidence realm, and she is what I channeled. She is who I became. I feel like Im at the point where Im comfortable in my own self, which is where I encourage everyone to be in the novel to where you dont have to fake it, to where you made it. Thats where Im at. Ive stepped into my power, and I dont need her anymore, but I used her as a tool when I needed her. My dad and my mom were the ones who gave me the advice Fake it till you make it. In my own way, I just want everyone to get to the point where they dont have to fake it anymore; theyve made it. It really is a journey of manifestation all around.

How did you pick her name?

Something about it felt really powerful, I dont know. I had a Siamese cat named Samantha when I grew up. It was a play off Samantha from Sex and the City. I said, Well, shes gotta be international, right? Shes gotta be well traveled and worldly. So thats how Svetlana came to be.

Will we get to see you next season on Selling Sunset?

Absolutely. I am not going anywhere when it comes to television, that is for sure. Will I be promoting another company? Absolutely not. Will I be promoting my own company? Absolutely. Its up to the production companies discretion to get creative with story lines, which is what they do for a living. So I just have to do whats best for my business and myself, but Im not going anywhere. Its in the hands of network gods right now.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Christine Quinn Is 'the B*tch Whisperer' in New Book - The Cut