Alex Hall from Selling the OC Discusses Split from Ian Young and Allegations of Gaslighting

Two months after Alex Hall announced her breakup with boyfriend Ian Young, she is sharing the details of what truly occurred — and why it’s been her “hardest” breakup yet.

“I’ve been crying on and off all day,” Hall, 35, told Selling the OC stars Fiona Belle during the Tuesday, January 6 episode of her “Pretty Dirty With Alex Hall” podcast.

The reality star admitted, “That’s been my life lately,” revealing her intention to explain what led to her separation from Young last year. (Hall confirmed in November 2025 that her relationship with Young had ended after he made his Selling the OC debut in season 4.)

“It comes in waves,” Hall described her emotions over recent months. “This has definitely been one of the hardest seasons of my life. It’s been the hardest breakup, which is wild because I was divorced with two kids.”

She pointed to their brief cohabitation, Young’s alleged messages with his real estate agent, and other factors as reasons for their split before the holidays.

“The gaslighting was intense,” Hall revealed.

Us Weekly has contacted Netflix for a response.

Scroll down to discover everything Hall shared about the end of her relationship with Young:

Why This Split Hurt More Than Her Divorce

Hall explained that her divorce from Neil Flores was “so hard” due to their two children, but she noted that she was no longer “in love” with her husband.

“Experiencing a breakup with someone for whom I envisioned a future was painful — it felt like the start of love,” she explained, comparing her relationship with Young, whom she had just moved in with before their breakup, to her ex-husband. “Having been married for seven years, that chapter had already concluded for me.”

She recalled feeling shattered by her divorce because “I was breaking up my family which led to overwhelming guilt.”

In contrast, with Young, they were moving towards an engagement, and a fairy tale ending. “But my heart is utterly broken over the breakup with Ian,” Hall confided.

The House Contributed to Their Strain

During season 4 of Selling the OC, which premiered in November 2025, viewers saw Hall and Young finalize the purchase of their house in Temecula, California. They were ready to move from Orange County to their new home, with Hall’s children expected to live with them full-time.

Once filming concluded, Hall realized that the house served as a superficial fix to deeper issues she hadn’t noticed initially.

“I have overanalyzed every detail of our relationship,” Hall admitted on her podcast. “When we reunited for the third time and bought the house, it felt like our honeymoon phase.”

She mentioned “love bombing” from Young, recalling how he constantly praised her. Hall remembered, “[He would] compliment me and he liked me. Those were the moments I clung to.”

While she could sense his love, Hall claimed, “He reacted differently as the relationship grew deeper and more vulnerable, ultimately pushing me away. Which is messed up.”

Hall expressed being “committed” and “excited” about their house, but felt that his level of commitment was lacking.

“I took it seriously in my heart; I thought he was too, but everything collapsed when it became real,” she alleged.

Recognizing the Patterns

“Before we even moved in together he began to change,” Hall noted on her podcast.

She expected Young to “appreciate” her decision to change her life, but felt it “backfired.”

“I’ve known him for years,” Hall said, revealing she recognized a “pattern” with Young after all their breakups and reconciliations.

She claimed, “A significant shift occurs with him after three months. He completely changes. It seemed like he didn’t like me anymore.”

As she observed Young’s transformation, Hall noted she began altering herself to keep him “happy.” She remembered, “I would diminish myself. I was the only one compromising.”

Young Allegedly Had an Inappropriate Relationship Before the Split

Before their breakup — and prior to moving in together — Hall uncovered that Young was involved in an “inappropriate relationship” with his real estate agent, whom she had referred to help him sell his house.

Hall shared with Belle that tensions peaked when she found deleted messages from a woman named Brittany on Young’s phone during a mountain trip with her kids.

After Young took Hall’s son out and left his phone, she grew concerned and unlocked it to find a friend’s number to check on them.

Hall discovered “101 deleted messages from Brittany,” feeling her heart “sink.” “I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I started shaking,” she recalled.

She had already been uneasy about Young’s interactions with the real estate agent, mentioning that once, while driving together, he quickly insisted that Brittany was on “speaker phone” and Hall was in the car, which alarmed her.

Upon realizing their texting exceeded typical realtor-client communication, she was nauseated.

Young eventually told Hall that he “didn’t f*** her,” so he couldn’t understand why she was upset. However, Hall admitted she lost trust in him. (Young allegedly told Hall’s mother in an inebriated state that he did hook up with the woman while he and Hall were on a “break.”)

The Trust Was Shattered

Following the incident with Young’s real estate agent, Hall moved in with him, hoping they could salvage their relationship. “It spiraled from there,” Hall said of their dynamics once trust was broken.

“I questioned everything,” she mentioned, adding that she began monitoring who Young followed on social media, noticing “all these OnlyFans girls.”

She Allegedly Faced Verbal Abuse

Hall recounted an incident after they began living together when Young answered a call from an unfamiliar woman. When she asked who it was and requested to put her on speaker, it made her feel “insane.”

Once the woman was on speaker, Hall asked when she last spoke with Young “out of curiosity.” The woman allegedly replied, “I don’t want to get into the mess of this.”

After the call ended, Young allegedly “screamed” at Hall, calling her a “f***ing c***.”

“He would say, ‘You’re a psychopath. Get the f*** out of the house. I’ll give you your money, just leave,’” Hall claimed.

Eventually, she realized, “I don’t feel safe,” prompting her to end the relationship.

“I wanted him desperately. I hoped he would change so I wouldn’t have to leave. But he wasn’t changing,” Hall confessed. “I’d have done anything to save it.”