Kelsey Owens has had one of the most drama filled storylines on Siesta Key, from fights with Juliette and Chloe, breakups with Garrett, hookups with Alex; we've even seen her mom’s health journey. Kelsey has been a staple on the show since day one and has been generous about sharing her life on camera, but I'm getting the vibe that maybe Kelsey wants to leave Siesta Key, and Siesta Key.
Now, I know I wasn’t the only one to notice that both Kelsey and Madisson were missing from the premiere. Madisson lives in LA now, so obviously she can’t be on the show as much as she was before, but Kelsey still lives in Florida. So where has she been and should we be concerned?
In Thursday night’s episode (Episode 2 of Season 5), we finally got to see Kelsey. And she was being totally Kelsey – she had heart to hearts with quite a few people, and one awkward encounter with Sam, but that was completely on him. He invited Kelsey over for a pool party and the only reason Kelsey showed up was because she wanted to make amends with Juliette, but to Kelsey’s surprise, Juliette wasn’t even there. Juliette was in LA doing work for her swimsuit line JMP.
Kelsey immediately texted Juliette to make sure it was okay she was there at her house with Sam, which was actually a really thoughtful and mature move. God, Sam, why would you invite Kelsey over knowing it would piss Juliette off? Oh, is it because Juliette wants to move out? Yikes.
Now, before the pool party scene, the first time we see Kelsey this season is with her mom. Fans love Momma O, she’s definitely the favorite mom next to Juliette’s. Throughout the scene, Kelsey admits that not only is she struggling with her swimsuit like By Kelsey Owens, but she is also struggling with living in Florida and is thinking about moving. Would this mean the end of Kelsey on Siesta Key?
She told her mom that the supplier turn-around time was taking months, but her customers, understandably, didn't want to wait. So, there's are answer as to what happened with By Kelsey Owens: the company just wasn’t ready for the demand.
In January, fans noticed that the By Kelsey Owens website was down and that the Instagram page dedicated to the brand had removed the images, and changed the handle to "travelwithko_". The removal of By Kelsey Owens' brand online didn't seem like a good sign for the business, and now, we're learning why: the ole supply and demand Econ problem set reels its ugly head.
As for Kelsey moving out of Florida, she told her mom that she just feels like she is alone now that Madisson is in LA and she doesn't really have any friends in the group anymore; she doesn't feel like she is meant to live here anymore.
It was so sad, even I cried, you guys. You all know Kelsey has always been a top favorite of mine on the show, so if she leaves… No, just no! The show would not be the same without her.
As for the “making amends” tour, it really wasn’t a tour. The only person Kelsey had any issues with was Juliette. When Jordana had her incredible art show in memory of her brother (who was tragically a victim of a hit and run) Kelsey and Juliette came face to face and it was honestly pretty nice.
Kelsey brought Juliette a shot, which of course got my anxiety going because we all know what happens when this cast has too much to drink, but Juliette thanked her and Kelsey immediately explained that she would have never shown up to Sam’s had she known Juliette was out of town and that the only reason she went was to actually talk to Juliette.
Juliette then admitted that she knew Kelsey probably wouldn’t have known she was out of town because they don’t really talk anymore and that it meant a lot when Kelsey texted her and was honest.
Now that the bad blood is behind them and they’re civil, will our favorite friendship be back?
I mean, as I noted when writing about the trailer, Juliette actually opens up to Kelsey about her relationship with Sam. So, maybe last night was just the beginning of sweet and civil moments from these two and they’re building their friendship back up. That is... if Kelsey sticks around.
Honestly even if she talks about leaving, I can’t see her actually doing it. At least, I hope she doesn't. Do you all get the sense that she wants to leave the show?