Tyler Stanaland is 'Selling The OC's' surfer-turned realtor who is no stranger to drama

Tyler Stanaland, who joined the cast of the Selling Sunset spinoff, Selling The OC, is no stranger to the spotlight or a mind-blowing listing. He certainly made a name for himself on the Netflix guilty pleasure, but you've probably seen him elsewhere. (More on that in a moment...)

Now that we're gearing up for Selling the OC season 2, which is set to hit the streamer on Friday, September 8, we have a feeling he'll have a *very* active storyline. 

Who is Tyler Stanaland?

Tyler comes from real estate royalty—he's the son of John Stanaland, the head of a family-run brokerage that specializes in luxury listings in Laguna Beach. 

Undoubtedly, Tyler's picked up some tips from dad along the way, considering his O Group profile states: "Tyler cut his teeth alongside his father and has since carved a niche of his own as a rising leader in the luxury market."

Even though he clearly has a knack for helping people find their dream homes, Tyler also dipped his toes into uncharted waters, quite literally, as a professional surfer who traveled around the world in search of a good wave. Like real estate, surfing was in his blood. 

However, things turned problematic for Tyler in 2012 when in Mexico for a competition. He was diagnosed with a severe auto-immune disease that caused ulcers in his large intestine, making it almost impossible—and life-threatening—to hit the waves. 

He wouldn't let this be a challenge for his love of the water: after 100+ days in the hospital and seven surgeries, he's able to hop on a board once more. In fact, he said on the show that if he had to rate what he most loves in life it would be surfing, then his wife and dog, with real estate coming fourth. 

Tyler *had* a famous wife...

Tyler's surfing career wasn't what we meant by "Hollywood". We were referring to his now ex-wife, actor Brittany Snow. You've likely seen the duo on the red carpet, and you've watched Snow in Pitch Perfect, Hairspray, and Almost Family, to name just a few. Shortly after the debut season premiered in 2022, the two called it quits over "irreconcilable differences," but we suspect his flirty behavior in the office and almost-kiss with Kayla Cardona didn't make things easier. 

The divorce was a game-changer for the actor. 

"In the past year I went through probably the hardest mental health challenge I've ever faced," Snow told Bustle. "In one day, in a matter of hours, my life turned completely upside down. I was blindsided and everything I thought I knew, held sacred and truly trusted in my life was completely different."

Since Stanaland's split, he was spotted with an anonymous female out and about, and he also sparked dating rumors with his co-star and co-worker, Alex Hall in late 2022, something she denied in an interview with People.

"I think people really want to hold onto that idea that there's something there between Tyler and [I]. I mean, at this point, we're just friends, so there's nothing more to it," she revealed to the outlet. 

She continued, "I don't think that mine and Tyler's friendship had any contribution to his divorce. Tyler is a grown man and Brittany is a grown woman. I think that people need to understand there was a life that they had way before Tyler started filming and long before him and I ever became friends."

What happens between Kayla and Tyler?

While Tyler brands himself a "reserved" guy, he's actually part of quite a bit of drama on the show. While he's one of the three married guys in the office (Sean in the only one without a ring), one of his co-workers, Kayla Cardona, tries to kiss him while they're all out drinking. 

The situation didn't go down well in the office, creating tension between some of the women (including Alex Hall). But it was especially awkward for both parties involved. In a new interview with Reality Life with Kate Casey, the surfer-turned-realtor mentioned the now buzzy incident.  

"One night, Kayla did try and kiss me. And then it happened another night as well," he revealed. "And so on the show, out of respect for her, I am just kind of trying to minimize it and brush past it so that there isn't drama. We can all focus on what we should be doing."

Though he insists that Cardona was a repeat offender, there does appear to be a decent amount of flirting on the show, throwing the notion of boundaries out the window. 

"We are a tight-knit office, and we really did, for the most part all become friends, which is a unique experience for any office," Tyler added. 

Cardona had a different take on the event in an exclusive interview with US Weekly.

"I’m not gonna flirt with someone if I don’t feel like I’m getting flirt[ed] with back. If I know that someone is definitely not interested, I have a lot more confidence in myself than to just throw myself at someone for no reason," she told the outlet. "I was definitely feeling the reciprocation back and, you know, multiple times. But nothing has ever happened."

But as far as work goes—leaving romantics aside momentarily—it's all about the journey for Tyler.

"I think we all came to the plate with a different storyline and I think you’re seeing bits and pieces of those storylines and hopefully we get more time to tell those stories as they grow. Because I think we all are maturing as people and as professionals," he told the TODAY Show. 

We'll get a better look inside both his professional and personal life shortly. Selling the OC season 2 returns to Netflix on Friday, September 8.