Chanel West Coast Leaves ‘Ridiculousness’, Launches New Reality Show on MTV

GIOVANNA SCHLUTER NUNES

For years, Chanel West Coast has wanted her own show. While some may know her for her unique, infectious laugh heard on 38 episodes of “Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory,” followed by over 700 (!) episodes of MTV’s “Ridiculousness,” she’s so much more than that — and she’s ready to prove it.

“A common comment I get is, ‘You’re just the girl laughing on the couch.’ They have no idea how hard I work outside of ‘Ridiculousness,’” says West Coast, 35. VarietyNot only did she welcome a daughter, Bowie Breeze, in 2022, but she’s also a recording artist, as music is her true passion. “I’ve toured the country twice. I’ve opened for so many great artists, like Lil’ Wayne and Cardi B. I’ve done a lot of amazing things in my independent music career, and a lot of people don’t know about it because it’s been kind of overshadowed by ‘Ridiculousness.’ I can’t wait for people to see it. I work really hard and handle most of it myself.”

After learning she was leaving Ridiculousness, she announced her overall deal with Paramount, which included a new reality show. “The West Coast Hustle” premieres with two back-to-back episodes on MTV on July 18, chronicling her life as a mother, girlfriend, swimsuit designer and independent artist.

“I’ve been trying to put my own show together for years. I’ve done a million trailers and nothing has really stuck. I took a break and matured a little bit,” says the TV personality, whose real name is Chelsea Chanel Dudley. She wasn’t sure she was ready to let the cameras in completely, as it felt “a little invasive.”

But when MTV approached her with the idea at the right time, she saw all the benefits. The platform, for her, her model boyfriend Dom Fenison and their daughter, was the reason she said yes.

“I grew up in Los Angeles. There are a lot of nepo babies here, and I realized this could change my daughter’s life,” she says. “I had my hesitations, but I knew it would bring a lot of great things.”

But leaving “Ridiculousness,” the comedy clip show that debuted in 2011 under the direction of Rob Dyrdek, wasn’t an easy task. “There were a lot of tears and emotions and a lot to go through mentally,” she says of the decision. But when she welcomed her daughter, she knew it was time to go: “It would have been almost impossible to continue doing ‘Ridiculousness’ and being a mom and having a career in music — and at the end of the day, music is my passion, and that’s what I really want to take to the next level.”

Letting the cameras capture all the elements of her life was a challenge. For example, she had a hard time looking back on certain parts of her life because of her weight. After welcoming her daughter, she had liposuction, but she still wasn’t where she wanted to be when filming began.

“Being very transparent, the hardest thing for me was not being in the best shape of my life. On top of having a baby, I had extra bloating from lipo. I was still 40 to 50 pounds overweight. I’ve lost all that weight now,” she says. “I wish I had been a little bit thinner before filming the season, but I’m glad people see it and can relate to it… I went from being on a show where I sit there and look perfect.”

West Coast also had a habit of always looking very glamorous in front of the camera. At first, she was worried that this wouldn’t be the case on her reality TV show.

“I asked myself if I wanted the world to see me on camera without makeup. I don’t want it to hurt my career. Maybe I’ll never get acting work or anything if they see me like that,” she says. “But I realized that at the end of the day, I have to be who I am… You see my workouts without makeup. I was in the pool with my baby without makeup. I was hungover, without makeup. It was tough!”

This was the first time she was able to fully participate in every aspect of the project, controlling what was shown and what wasn’t. Nothing was off limits when it came to letting the cameras in, but having her be a part of every conversation was a big and necessary change.

Although she appeared on 30 seasons of “Ridiculousness,” she never became an executive producer.

“I wish I could do it. I’m very creative and I have so many ideas, but it’s Rob’s show. It’s his baby,” she says. “When something belongs to someone, I’m not going to put my head in it. I’m so grateful to have been on this show and the journey and what it’s taken me to do, but I would never want to be that type of person who tries to take control of what someone else has to do.”