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Hollywood actress Rachel Bilson was a victim of the infamous Bling Ring, and it has since changed her view on safety.
"The O.C." star was among the celebrities whose homes were burglarized by a group of teenagers between 2008 and 2009. The Bling Ring members, later identified as Rachel Lee, Nick Prugo, Courtney Ames, Alexis Neiers and Diana Tamayo, broke into Bilson's home five times when she was out of town, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of belongings, including her mother's engagement ring.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, the 43-year-old actress recalled how she felt about the thefts then and shared how her perspective has changed over the years.
"I remember at the time, it was pretty jarring, you know, and a lot of stuff was taken," Bilson said. "And being in my youth, it was probably harder to swallow."
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"But I will say my mom always taught me to not have such an attachment to material possessions or really anything for that matter," she added with a laugh.
"But it was hard," Bilson admitted. "And I had a nice collection going of things I really loved and enjoyed. And I didn't understand how anyone could wear size 5 shoes. I didn't know what they were doing with all of my shoes, but it was definitely hard. But as the years have gone by, it's kind of like it's important to be able to let go of things like that."
"I remember at the time, it was pretty jarring, you know, and a lot of stuff was taken. And being in my youth, it was probably harder to swallow."
-- Rachel Bilson
Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom and Audrina Patridge were other targets of the group, which stole a total of $3 million from the celebrities' homes. The perpetrators, who were 18 and 19 years old when the crimes occurred, received prison sentences of varying lengths, probation and community service.
Bilson told Fox News Digital that her fears lessened once more details about the thieves emerged, but she did make some changes to protect her safety.
"I will say, because of the nature of those burglaries and knowing they were kids, there was something that didn't feel as scary or threatening once that came to light," she said. "But I for sure started locking my doors and setting my alarm."
On an October 2022 episode of her podcast, "Broad Ideas with Rachel Bilson & Olivia Allen," "The Last Kiss" star confronted Alexis Haines née Neiers and her younger sister, Gabby, who also took part in the robberies.
During the episode, Haines and Gabby, who was 15 at the time of the robberies, became emotional as they apologized to Bilson.
Bilson told Fox News Digital that becoming a mother impacted how she reacted during her sit-down with the sisters. The actress shares daughter Briar Rose, 9, with her ex-fiance, "Star Wars" star Hayden Christenson.
"It was almost like it's such a maternal thing for me because these girls still had a lot of feelings towards it," she said. "And I found myself being more nurturing as a mother. Like, it's important to let things go."
"I mean, look, I'll never be like, 'It's fine.' Because it was still something that was very violating and not OK," Bilson added. "But I just found myself more in that position as I've gotten older, looking back.
The story of the Bling Ring was dramatized in a 2013 movie that was based on Nancy Jo Sales' 2010 Vanity Fair article "The Suspects Wore Louboutins," which delved into the background and actions of the real-life group of robbers. Directed by Sofia Coppola, "The Bling Ring" starred Emma Watson, Israel Broussard, Taissa Farmiga, Katie Chang, Claire Julien, Georgia Rock and Leslie Mann.
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Bilson recently announced a new partnership with the home security company SimpliSafe. The California native told Fox News Digital that the collaboration was a "natural fit" after dealing with her past home invasion incidents at the hands of the Bling Ring.
"I guess it's like, unfortunately and fortunately at the same time, that I've had experiences with break-ins and burglaries in the past," she said. "I'm a big advocate for a safe home and protection, and I just love Simplisafe."
Bilson continued, "Honestly, their whole technology and everything else is really to prevent the break-ins before they happen. And if I would have had Simplisafe back then, I could have been traveling, and it wouldn't have happened because I would have had the Simplisafe system."
"So I was a big fan, and it was just a natural fit."
Bilson added in a statement, "The ability to feel safe and secure in your home is critical and to have a product like SimpliSafe's Active Guard Outdoor Protection and Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 that is able to proactively protect against break-ins before they happen is so important."
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Bilson also reflected on how she and Christenson are raising Briar after their 2017 split.
Bilson and the 43-year-old actor began dating after they co-starred in the 2008 thriller "Jumper." The former couple announced their engagement in December 2008 but briefly split for a few months in 2010 before reuniting. Bilson and Christensen welcomed Briar in October 2014 but went their separate ways three years later.
"The Hart of Dixie" alum revealed she "always" says that their key to a successful co-parenting relationship is "communication."
"If you can talk, that's all you really need," Bilson said. "And we have done really well. And our daughter is happy, confident, loved. I mean, there's nothing better than all of that."
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Bilson gushed over the special relationship that she shares with Briar and shared that the most rewarding part of motherhood is "just being a mom."
"I mean, raising this little human who is my obsession," Bilson told Fox News Digital. "She's my best friend. And I love her so much. Even saying 'bye' to her for like one day, it was so hard. Like, we wouldn't let each other go."
"But, you know, it's just the best thing in life, and it's No. 1 for me," she continued.
Bilson also weighed in on what she has found to be the most challenging aspect of parenting Briar.
"The hardest thing, I think, as she gets older is just kind of navigating life and how to prepare these people to live life and deal with things that might come up or friendship things that might come up, which starts to happen," she explained.
"And she's doing a really good job. I'm really proud of the person she is. And what I love is most people, what they say first about my daughter is that she's kind, and I'm like, 'OK, well then we're doing something right, because that's the most important thing.'"
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Bilson rose to fame starring as Summer Roberts on the hit teen drama series "The O.C." from 2003 to 2007. The show followed a group of teenagers living in the affluent city of Newport Beach in California's Orange County.
During her interview with Fox News Digital, Bilson joked that what she remembers most from her time on "The O.C." was being cold in a bikini at night on the beach."
"No, it was such an amazing time and I feel so nostalgic for it," she said.
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Bilson shared that she became "so emotional" when she rewatched the series for her podcast "Welcome to the OC, Bitches!" which she launched in 2021 with her fellow "The O.C." alum Melissa Roberts.
"It's like you watch yourself at 21 years old while you're 40, and it's such a trip," Bilson said. "But it was such a great time and I love everyone, still do. And it was a really cool experience to go through together."
Despite the prevalence of reboots of popular TV series from the past, Bilson told Fox News Digital that she was uncertain if "The O.C." would ever get a revival.
"I don't think so," she said. "I mean, truthfully, I don't know the answer to that. I think that it was really special."
However, Bilson said she would be on board to reprise her role as Summer if the show did get a reboot or reunion episode.
"If it were to happen, would I say yes? Of course," she said. "But, you know, sometimes it's like leaving something where it was is the right move. So I don't know."
