MTV’s ‘Siesta Key’: Juliette Porter on Making Big ‘Miami Moves’
Q&A
Juliette Porter is taking her talents to South Beach on Siesta Key: Miami Moves. For season 5 of the MTV series, she joins Brandon Gomes, Chloe Long, Madisson Hausburg, Amanda Miller, Sam Logan, Jordana Barnes, Cara Geswelli, and other hot twentysomething cast members. And fans have come to expect from the reality show, this is not just a day at the beach.
Relationships and friendships are tested while these young adults look to put it all on the line to grow their businesses and succeed in the Magic City. At the center is Porter who left everything she has known behind back home in hopes of taking her JMP the Label swimwear business to the next level. We caught up with the star to talk about her and the show’s next chapter.
People have made the Siesta Key comparison to Laguna Beach. Would you consider this season more like The Hills?
Juliette Porter: It is pretty similar. It’s funny because I’ve been rewatching The Hills because I was kind of too young to watch it back then. My parents tried to not let me watch anything bad, even though now I’m on these shows. I think they were a lot younger than I was. I think they moved when they were like 21, which I could not have imagined. Even at 25, moving from Siesta Key to Miami was definitely a struggle. You kind of see that play out at the beginning of this season. Moving to a big city is hard, especially when you are from a small town. It’s quite the transition.
What kind of challenges do you face when it comes to your swimwear business?
I launched in 2021, so it was still very much COVID. I was kind of very used to being on my social media and Instagram, just interacting with people I knew. You see this season people are excited to be outside and in person again. You see me doing in-person events. It gave me a little bit of anxiety and stage fright. Switching and getting back to the normal of in-person and interacting with people was a little bit of a change for me. This season JMP does a swim show for Miami Swim Week, and I was freaking out the whole time. That was the real deal. I’m so grateful and happy it happened, but I was definitely having a hard time going outside my comfort zone. I think that is part of my growth.
Chloe and her husband Chris Trautman have gotten married, and we find have invested everything in their own business.
It’s relatable for a lot of young couples. Weddings are super expensive. They wanted a big wedding. Their wedding wasn’t huge, but it was definitely pricey. It was gorgeous. Then you go into investing all your money in this new business, and you are tied up a little bit. You can see the struggles they are dealing with. When you start any business, you are taking a bet. There is no guarantee it will become profitable, so it’s scary. When your funds are lower than you’d like them to be, you struggle. You’ll see that struggle for them as newlyweds play out this season.
How would you describe your friendship with Chloe at the start of the season?
I think I struggle sometimes getting wrapped up in my own life and problems. Moving for me was hard because I like to be comfortable. This took me out of my comfort. I think in that feeling and situation where I’m trying to grow a new business and get used to living in a big city I neglected my friendships, which is something that is the most important to me. Those relationships have taken years to be as strong as they are. That’s going to be something people find really relatable. Where you don’t realize you’re falling into that vicious cycle. They needed me, and I needed them at that time. That was a huge lesson for me. You’ll see how that is shown and the dynamic of our relationship at the time.
Guy Aroch courtesy of MTV
On top of everything else, there is a blossoming relationship between you and Clark Drum. How was it managing the fact he initially didn’t want to be filmed for the show?
I think Clark and I missed the part of our relationship where I sit him down and say, “Hey, I’m on a TV show.” He knew that, but he didn’t know that meant he had to be involved because it is very much a relationship-oriented show. It was a struggle. He was supportive of me and my career, but he didn’t want to do it. He was happy being in the back. The producers were like, “You are a very important character. We need to see your relationship.” That is what the show has been based upon for years. You just don’t start feeling comfortable immediately being on TV. It’s not something you get used to quickly. It’s still a struggle for us honestly. He didn’t feel like he got a say in what he wanted. You’ll see how that causes us a lot of tension.
Then you have your ex Sam still around. He is busy in his own relationship situation involving his girlfriend Meghan Bischoff and close friend Jordana who lives with him.
I wish I didn’t have to be around my exes so much. I really do. I could tell that Sam started to be invested in filming, and it became his job. A passion of his. I knew he wasn’t going anywhere. I feel like that door is so closed for me that I have had nothing to say to him during filming. I don’t think he is at the same stage as I am. I got my closure. I don’t know if he quite got that. I think he has a weird dynamic with those two. I don’t make weird decisions like that. It’s asking for trouble. I feel like I’m in a different phase of my life and want different things than him. You can tell from that situation it is not going to end well. I wish them all the best, but I’m just in a different spot in my life. I make decisions differently.
What else can you tease about this season?
The most exciting thing for me is Miami Swim Week. It was one of the best weeks ever. It was also one of the most stressful. It was hard for me to struggle. There is definitely growth in my business. It will definitely be fun for the viewers to see the drama. For me, it’s not fun when you are living it, but things get a little crazy. It’s the same drama fans come to expect. It doesn’t go away just because we moved to a different city. If anything, it gets worse.
What do you see for the future of the show?
I really don’t know, but to be fair I never know. We don’t get signed on for six seasons or anything. I know what we’ve always done in the past is follow the real and included changes happening in people’s lives. There is always something going on. I’m excited about the future of the show. Whatever happens, I’m okay with it.
Does that mean staying in Miami or returning to Siesta Key?
I mean I’m not moving back there. I won’t say ever, but I have no plans of moving back. If we go back to Siesta Key, I might not be in it. I don’t know.
MTV’s Siesta Key: Miami Moves premiere, October 27, 8/7c, MTV
