Vanessa Villela manifested her dream man in fiancé Nick Hardy — it's just too bad he didn't come with a more convenient location. Throughout Season 5 of Selling Sunset, the former soap star struggled with juggling her career and her relationship with photographer Hardy (whose professional name is Tom Fraud). As a result, the last shot of Season 5 left Vanessa's future with The Oppenheim Group up in the air.
While the former soap star lives and works in Los Angeles, her photographer beau is based in London, which meant the two were constantly forced to spend time apart. In the Season 5 finale, Vanessa discussed her thoughts on potentially leaving The O Group with Davina Potratz. Then the final shot of the season saw her preparing to board an international flight.
But did Vanessa really leave Los Angeles and her broker job behind for good? Her Instagram tells a different story. Most of the recent photos she posted in 2022 have featured sunny locales and focused on her modeling career. This could suggest she's prioritizing modeling instead of real estate for the time being, but her most recent post shows her alongside her Selling Sunset costars Davina, Emma Hernan, and Chelsea Lazkani at an April open house.
It seems more likely that Vanessa simply needed a break after a tough year. Although it's not mentioned on the show, the 44-year-old missed five weeks of filming due to COVID. In a December 2021 interview with Page Six, she revealed, "I had a very strong COVID case. My case, it's still going actually. It's called long COVID. I'm still dealing with it."
Meanwhile, she and Hardy officially announced their engagement in a January 29 Instagram post. According to People, the photographer officially popped the question on the steps of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles — which hints that the two are either still splitting their time between LA and London, or they've settled in LA.
Add in the part where Vanessa is still listed as an agent on the official Oppenheim Group website, and it becomes even more unlikely viewers have seen the last of the telenovela star just yet. Netflix has yet to officially announce Selling Sunset Season 6, but in January, a source told Us Weekly, the show would return for Seasons 6 and 7. However, unlike Seasons 4 and 5, which filmed back-to-back, the agents are expected to get some time off between seasons this time around.
That makes Vanessa's continued involvement with the show even more likely. Even though it's unclear where she and Hardy have decided to live, she's still spending time in California and supporting her fellow real estate agents. If she has left The Oppenheim Group behind, then she's doing an excellent job of keeping it a secret. For now, all signs point to her appearing in Season 6, as long as Netflix gives the reality show an official renewal soon.
Image: Netflix