Siesta Key: Juliette Porter Interview (2024)

Juliette Porter and her Siesta Key costars have taken a giant leap moving from their hometown to Miami for Siesta Key: Miami Moves. The MTV reality series premiered in 2017 when Juliette was only 20 years old and balancing college with her on and off again relationship with former star Alex Kompothecras. A lot has changed since then. Juliette has found a boyfriend who treats her the way she deserves to be treated and has stepped out on her own to create her swimsuit line JMP The Label. The body-inclusive company has seen massive success, even appearing in an issue of Sports Illustrated.

Few Siesta Key stars believed in Juliette's dreams, but the reality star didn't let their doubt hold her back. She found herself outgrowing her hometown and realized if she wanted to expand her company, she had to move to Miami. Fans started speculating earlier this year that Siesta Key was moving to Miami after stars like Brandon Gomes and Madisson Hausberg hinted they were headed to the Florida city. The new season follows Juliette and her friends as they settle into Miami, with some of the same drama following them from last season. While Juliette is over her split from Sam, he's still making an impact in her life.

Related: What The Cast of Siesta Key Miami Moves Will Be Up To In The New Season

According to the trailer, his new girlfriend, Meghan Bischoff, who caused drama with Juliette last season, is getting in between Juliette and her boyfriend, Clark Drum. At the same time, she wants Sam to commit to her and is worried about his close friendship with Jordana Barnes. Juliette was in a similar position when she was with Sam, as he and Jordana have been friends for years. Earlier this year, they were seen kissing on Instagram, making fans question if they were in a relationship together. Luckily Juliette is no longer a part of that drama as she has bigger things on her plate. Juliette gave Screen Rant a sneak peek of what's to come from Siesta Key: Miami Moves and how much she's changed since the show's premiere.

Screen Rant: How has the move to Miami given a fresh start to the show, and what kind of changes can fans expect from the new season?

Miami is just a total different city. We're not super far from Siesta Key here, we're about three and a half hours by car, but it's a total different environment. There's so much more culture here and different types of people. You have like every walk of life basically, and it's such a big city too, so I think we were very used to that small-town life, seeing people everywhere that we know, and here it's completely different. It really has allowed us to expand our businesses. I've expanded my business [JMP The Label] a lot since we got down here. We're breaking into a new industry and becoming really established people. Whereas, when you're in a small town, you're a big fish in a small pond, and here, people don't know us. We have a lot of Instagram followers, but so does everyone else, and this is how you really make a name for yourself in the real world by getting into these big cities. So, it was a very difficult transition for sure.

Screen Rant: In the trailer, you mentioned Clark doesn’t like to be in front of the camera. Do you think it’s better or worse for you to have a partner who is more private than people you’ve dated in the past?

That's a tough one because it really all depends on how it's handled and how the person acts. I respect that he doesn't want to do it and that he doesn't like it. At least, I try to respect it. He definitely comes around a little bit when he doesn't want to, but it's refreshing because I've seen my boyfriends in the past change on camera or lie to the camera or get angry. Their personalities are different because the camera's watching them. It's been really healthy for me because [Clark] doesn't want to be [on camera], and I've seen in the past where they want the attention, and they feed off it, and they like that all the girls are following them on Instagram now. So it's very different than what I had before. I would've liked him to want to be on [Siesta Key], I think, because it definitely caused some issues for us, like tension that shouldn't have been there. It would've been a lot easier if he was more receptive to the idea. But I take what I can get, and I am grateful. I'd rather him not want to be on camera than be dying to get on camera and dying for attention or using me to get famous. I prefer it this way to the alternative, I suppose.

Screen Rant: What has it been like growing up on television for the past five years, and what’s the most important message you hope fans have learned from watching you?

It's been hard. I think something that I think about sometimes is I don't even know what my life would be like now had I not done the show because it's been so long. I had plans to go to law school and be a lawyer maybe, but I didn't even get into law school. I didn't even apply. I don't even know where my life would be had I not been on [Siesta Key], so that's kind of been an interesting thing I've realized. It has totally shaped me as a person. I'm forever grateful, and I embrace this experience, but it's not something where it's like, 'I was just on a show for a year.' Almost a quarter of my life has been on television now, which is crazy to think about. When I think about what it's been like, it's been me, it's been part of me, and it has shaped me. My producers have shaped me, my relationships, and the fans have shaped me, so it's definitely interesting. The most important lesson that I'm really focusing on now is I've been through a ton of relationship issues and friendship issues, and I've gotten into fights and done some things I'm not proud of, but what I want people to know is you can change, and you can learn from your mistakes. You don't always have to gravitate toward the negative. Just because we're on a reality tv show doesn't mean you have to constantly be looking for the drama or focusing on that. You can choose happiness, you can choose growth, and you can be the person you want to be despite the obstacles you're facing and the people around you. You can always grow.

Screen Rant: What pushed you to create JMP The Label, and how important is it for you to include body diversity in your brand?

I have always loved fashion. I love bikinis. I love that it's its own section of fashion and there are so many things you can do with it. There are so many patterns and prints. I love designing. I love the people that I've met in the industry and my partners. I've learned so much, and I'm so drawn toward making something that's inclusive, that makes everyone feel beautiful and confident, and that there is something out there for everyone. You don't have to sacrifice style and fashion because of a fit or a size that we're making. I want to make sure everyone feels beautiful and confident. So, that's a huge part of our message, and I continue to grow that even further and expand the brand in a body-inclusive way.

Screen Rant: What can you tell fans about where things currently stand between you and Kelsey, and will we get to see some of the reconciliation between you two during the new season?

Currently, Kelsey and I don't really speak. I wouldn't say we're friends, but we're in a really good place. We both respect each other. We're in a healthy spot with our relationship, and we've definitely moved on from the past. You'll see us reconnect. She's in a large amount of episodes. You'll see her walk for JMP The Label at Miami swim week, which I'm super excited about because I actually have not gone back and watched because it was such a surreal moment for me. I was like, 'I want to watch it again on the show with everyone else' and feel those emotions again. That's going to be really exciting. But we're in a good place, and I think she's happy. A lot of stuff went down this season for her, but she seems like she's in a good spot, and I wish her the best. I like where we're at now, but I don't know if we're ever going to get back to being best friends.

Screen Rant: Throughout the series, we saw you go through a lot of heartbreak in past relationships, like Alex in the earlier seasons and Sam more recently. What advice would you give to young girls who watch the show who might be in similar situations right now?

Learn from your past. Every mistake that you make is a lesson. Use that. We go through these young ages and these hard times for a reason so that we can find our happily ever after and our perfect ending. Don't let that trauma control your future. Learn from it and work on yourself. Focus on what you want. Take time to get to know yourself, take what you've learned in the past, and use it as a lesson for the future. If a guy is toxic for you or if he's treating you like sh** and you know you don't like that, then don't go back to the same type of guy. Look for those red flags. If you see them, that's because they're there. That's what I want everyone to take from this. If you've done something wrong or something's happened to you, change that in the future. You have the power to change, and you have the power to control your own destiny. You don't have to stay in the same cycle.

Next:

Siesta KeyMiami Moves premieres October 27th at 8 pm on MTV.