Hannah Berner claims ad for Loverboy competitor led to ‘Summer House’ firing
Hannah Berner claims she got fired from “Summer House” in 2021 because she did an ad for Loverboy competitor Truly Hard Seltzer.
During Season 5 — her last on the Bravo reality show — Berner had a falling out with once-best friend Amanda Batula and her husband, Kyle Cooke, whose journey to launching his Loverboy beverage company was documented throughout filming.
While appearing on Dave Portnoy’s “BFFs” podcast this week, the Barstool Sports founder asked Berner whether it was “true” that she got canned from the series “for sponsoring a rival seltzer drink.”
“Oh, wow, Dave is on his s–t!” the comedian, 32, let out. “The truth is beef started ’cause I did an ad for Truly [Hard] Seltzer, and I didn’t know that I, like, wasn’t allowed to.”
Berner insisted “Bravo didn’t fire” her, claiming that “some people on the cast got annoyed at [her], and then it kind of snowballed.”
When Portnoy, 47, asked whether that was because of Cooke’s hard seltzer brand, Berner replied, “Yeah, that was a big storyline on the show. I didn’t know that I wasn’t allowed to drink other drinks.”
“I think some of these shows become a lot of egos,” she continued, “and it’s like, ‘It’s my show. It’s my drink. You can’t do that.’ And there’s no rules, and it just becomes fighting over egos and screen time, and it’s not that fun after doing it for too many seasons.”
However, a source close to the situation tells Page Six exclusively that Berner’s claim is “completely false and ridiculous.”
Reps for Cooke and Bravo did not immediately respond to our requests for comment.
Berner’s explanation is a far cry from her initial one, which is that she was leaving “Summer House” to focus on her comedy career.
“This past year has been one of the most important in my life for self reflection, love, and learning a lot of s–t,” the former tennis player told her Instagram followers in May 2021.
“I’ve welcomed new career ventures, challenges and obstacles, and opportunities for growth.”
Berner shared at the time that she was looking “forward to an exciting summer,” but with “mixed emotions,” she revealed she wouldn’t “be spending it living in the summer house.”
The New York native called her three seasons on the show “a whirlwind,” making sure to note that the program “changed [her] life.”
“I will forever be thankful for the platform it has provided me,” she added, going on to explain that “making people laugh is what brings [her] joy.”
She concluded her post, “I am so excited to announce that I will spending this summer touring my standup and telling fart jokes at comedy clubs and theaters near you.”
Berner’s new Netflix special, “We Ride at Dawn,” is streaming now.
