I’m so glad you said this! I was so confused at their reaction to her not hanging out with them before DWTS as well. Whether it’s to her face or behind their back, they make it very clear that they do not consider her their friend or that she ever will be again. But then they got upset that she was staying at a separate hotel and was just meeting up with them for DWTS? What other obligation does she have other than that event?
Why do they make it seem like it’s so terrible that she doesn’t want to hang out with them beforehand or stay at the same place when they make it clear that they collectively hate her?
103
u/Fear_Pear
I personally want a full cover of "True Colors" because that was the funniest thing I've ever seen
57
u/Own-Ad-7201
They want her to be the polarizing villain because without her the attention goes back to showcasing their own problematic behavior.
It was comical when Taylor was like her absence puts so much pressure on us and we have to scramble. There’s like 7 of them, how is her absence making that much of a difference for yall.
50
u/jake3h7m
That part! plus Whitney is the only one whose consistently been spot on when it comes to shit like this even when her opinion may not be popular she’s usually been proven right and I just think it’s very telling that despite how much she loves momtok now and is in the show she still supports Demi and I dont think she would still bring it up or be by her side unless she felt she had a reason, especially with how important her career is to her. idk.
47
u/bephana
They wanted to bully her again, at this point they just always need a person present that they can shit talk to.
44
u/SupportPretty7228
But they don't care what Taylor does? Taylor can flirt with Chase and it's no big deal? How the girls choose who to hate on for what makes no sense. They have the maturity of middle schoolers
24
u/Sarppali
THIS!!!! Like it makes no sense. It is all just for clout to make it more interesting. Like I would NEVER go back to people like that, the way they treated her even if its somewhat justified.
23
u/karenscafe
I was thinking the same thing. I couldn’t understand why they were so pissed she wasn’t around when they made it clear they didn’t want her there? It’s weird. They should’ve been happy she wasn’t showing up and quit filming. But they’re not because they realize this is a TV and they need a villain. Which makes all their talk about who’s “genuine” sound ridiculous.
23
u/Galadrielllll
Okay sorry this message is long:
Okay, I obviously don’t know any of these people personally — I only know what’s shown on the show, social media, and what’s discussed online. I do have a Master’s in Psychology (I’m not a practicing therapist, and I finished the degree within the last couple years), so take this purely as an observation from someone who studies behavior — not as a professional diagnosis or anything like that.
Honestly, the biggest factor that people often forget with reality TV is production. Producers shape storylines every season because conflict keeps viewers engaged. Editing, selective clips, and encouraging certain conversations can amplify issues that might otherwise be small or resolved quickly in real life. So when something feels confusing or inconsistent to viewers, a lot of the time it’s because we’re seeing a highly curated narrative, not the full context of what actually happened.
From a behavioral standpoint though, I can see why tensions around Demi keep resurfacing. On the show, she sometimes communicates in ways that come across as blunt, confrontational, or dismissive toward the other women. Whether that’s editing or her actual communication style, that kind of delivery can trigger strong reactions in group dynamics — especially in tight social groups where loyalty and perceived respect matter a lot.
Group psychology also plays a role here. Once a group forms a shared perception about someone (fair or unfair), it tends to reinforce itself. People start interpreting that person’s actions through the lens of “this is who she is”, even when the behavior might be neutral or unrelated. That can create a situation where the person is “damned if they do, damned if they don’t.” If Demi shows up, people may interpret it as performative; if she doesn’t show up, it’s taken as proof she doesn’t care.
Another thing that often happens in reality TV groups is what psychologists call social contagion or group polarization. When several people share frustrations with one person, those feelings can intensify over time as the group validates each other’s perspective. What might start as a disagreement between two people can quickly become a larger group conflict.
That’s why the reactions you’re describing can look contradictory: • They say they don’t trust her or want distance, • but then they’re upset when she actually creates distance.
Psychologically, that tension often comes from unresolved conflict. People may say they’re done with someone, but emotionally they’re still reacting to the situation.
And then you add the pressure of filming, public scrutiny, social media commentary, brand obligations, and producers pushing for conversations — and it becomes a perfect storm where conflicts keep getting revisited.
So from my perspective as someone who studies psychology (again, not diagnosing anyone): it’s probably a combination of reality TV production, group dynamics, communication style differences, and unresolved conflict. When all of those things collide on camera, it can make everyone’s reactions seem confusing or hypocritical from the outside.
That’s just my take watching as a viewer though — the reality is we’re all seeing a very edited version of a much bigger story.
21
u/Sea_Papaya_419
They all, including Demi did the same thing to Whitney. They don’t think you should come and go into mom tok/ decide when you’re going to be friends with the girls whenever you want something. I also think a lot of it is edited especially the confessionals because they all follow Demi except Jen on socials so🤷♀️
19
u/Greedy_Bit8650
Their tryna bring her back for a storyline
tbh the whole Marciano thing would work if they didn’t broadcast and try to create a storyline with the sa accusations, they wouldn’t have much of an controversy bringing her back
14
u/LittleBabyOprah
I was hoping to tune in this season and finally see the problematic ass storyline left behind but no, Hulu just haddddd to revamp this beef that no one cares about except Jessi because it distracts from her own actions and her weird sad marriage, and Jen because she has the maturity of a zygote.
Calling Demi on speakerphone gave me middle school flashbacks, that was so cringe.
11
u/haleykat
They want her to be the villain so they can be catty and not get any hate.
10
u/Inevitable-Past-4069
These women equate showing up for any and all events to how much worth they think someone has as a friend, but only selectively. They barely shit on Jen for not making maycis book launch because she was sick (not because she was, you know, busy rehearsing for DWTS 6-8 hours a day everyday) but they DRAGGED Whitney for not coming when she was doing the same thing as Jen??? Also Taylor has missed plenty of events but I never hear them shitting on her, she's always excused for her absences and her atrocious behavior...
8
u/shay_shaw
I’m watching the episode with the reunion and it’s even more clear that Jen fucking lied about what she saw. And Jesse is out of her mind for being so judgmental when she was the one who actually cheated on her terrible husband. I don’t think she went hard enough on Jen, I would’ve lost my mind. That kind of betrayal on national television, I would’ve hit below to belt too.
7
u/libreotus
i am sure a lot of it has to do with them feeling like it isn't fair that she is being paid under contract when she isn't "working". i'm sure they're all tired of the cameras 24/7. i know the moms on dance moms would get pissed at melissa for not "doing her job" and participating in the drama the producers were orchestrating. the show makes them all look bad and they probably think that if they have to keep showing their asses on TV then demi does too if she wants the benefits. though really they should consider how hated demi is even without the screentime lollll they really don't need to go so hard on her at this point. i'm not a demi fan but good lord some of the scenes were intense
6
u/whydoyou_caresomuch
I think a lot of the issue is all the shit Demi was posting online during this time. The comment sections too. That’s what is hard about the show coming out later on. I was legit so confused when it started out with them all being cool. In my mind filming started after the Reunion, but as we know, it didn’t. Hahah
6
u/Rosemary-Sea-Salt
Probably to disappear but the producers said 🙅♀️
3
u/bigtimechip
Demi is the biggest cry bully ever and was piggy backing off of Macy and Mikayla's abuse situations to garner sympathy for herself. Low key disgutsing behaviour
2
u/Hollinsgirl07
I think it’s the hypocrisy of it all. She chose not to go to Whitney’s event for mental health but couldn’t accept that from anyone else as a valid excuse. She got upset after the reunion and “quit” but still wants to go to on camera events with the girls. I think they feel like if she wants to leave she should fully leave or fully stay. Which I get. Like pick one and really show up or don’t ever be on the show again. If she wants to stay for the clout fine but like own up to that and move on.
2
u/CaterpillarNearby422
They all need therapy lol
1
u/KLC_B
It really feels like Demi is in an abusive scenario. If she’s saying different things in private I feel she just doesn’t want anything on camera than the story she may have fabricated to her geriatric husband
1
u/lquintel
I thought they were mad she went to DWTS? Why would she go and sit with them and play nice for the cameras when they aren't speaking? Doesn't make sense. Thats how I took it anyways, that they didn't want her there at all
1
u/snipsnap987
what demi said in the reunion crossed so many lines, and to girls that are less confrontational or good at confrontation (miranda, mayci, and jen). i really don’t think demi should come back to the show after that, and i think the girls are annoyed demi is pretending to be part of the group but doesn’t show up. and in a way that’s hypocritical since demi has bullied the other girls (whitney, taylor, and jen) when they didn’t show up to film for mental health reasons
u/Few_Essay_5197
they want accountability and for to just own up to her BS. also this a scripted reality show as well as they are influencers who get views for drama. I don't think they don't want to be her friend, they just want her to be a better her.
-2
u/OppositeSpare2088
Demi is still a snake I wouldn’t trust her or Whitney actually I wouldn’t trust anyone on this show lmao. I think Demi doesn’t want to be seen as the villain anymore and wants to get on everyone’s good side again. Imo she’s also doing it to try to get more people to side with her with the Marciano situation.
-3
u/CreepyRelation968
They don't want anything from Demi, that's the point. No one wants to be around Demi so they are rationalizing their thoughts by discussing it.