West Wilson assumed I had seen his balls. About a month before we were going to meet for dinner in New York’s Chinatown, he posted a TikTok at a bad angle of himself eating soup dumplings, and you could see his dumplings. ("It's not the skin of my testicles, they're just sticking out of my shorts," he clarified.) Once I let him know that no, my suggestion of Chinese food wasn't half-joking—all I knew he was one fan - who further explained the now-deleted video.
"I had [my phone] on the dining room table, and as I was unpacking all the Chinese food, I didn't realize I was just unfolding mature men on camera," the Bravo Summer House star told me. "I posted it, no comments, then put my phone down to watch Iowa women's basketball and eat. Then a friend of mine sent me a photo and said, 'There's no way you're posting this on the Internet.' "Those are my two fucking lunatics."
Rather than shy away from the incident, Wilson doubled down, posting a redo video with the caption, "I adjusted the camera angle higher #dumplings." TikTok has more than 300,000 views.
It's this affable, tongue-in-cheek sensibility that made Wilson the breakout star of Season 8 of Summer House — network guru Andy Cohen dubbed the reality star "the next big thing on Bravo" — —and this was on full display over dinner. When our menu came, he asked if we could "mess with it" and then went on to order everything from oxtail buns to Sichuan chicken. When our fish sauce and shrimp spring rolls arrived, he warned me that he was a "double spooner." As we started eating the dandan noodles, he said he needed "a little soy sauce to lubricate everything."
A former Division I football player at Montana State University — who maintains the physique of a Midwestern-raised defensive back, with the carefully groomed scruff and vintage T-shirt collection of a Lower East Sider — Wilson has never considered himself “interesting.” people". Guy," he said. "I think my success with women comes from being sexy. "
However, after co-star Lindsay Hubbard invited him to join Summer House — they met at an East Village bar the previous year — cast members and fans alike attributed Wilson's romantic attraction to His rich charisma. "I hate playing football guy, but I've been in a very masculine, alpha environment my whole life. I don't think a lot of people can make it in that world without having some fucking presence," the said the 29-year-old, who works as a producer at Complex outside of the show, making sports-focused social and commentary videos.
"When we broke up, I thought our conversations were mutual because they were so polite and respectful. But looking back after getting back together, [I realize] I blamed a lot of external factors for my lack of preparedness so far."
Whether it's his appearance, his presence, or a combination of the two, there's one actor who finds himself particularly fascinated by the Missouri native: 28-year-old model Ciara Miller. The two began dating casually early last summer, and Miller's reluctance to have sex with Wilson and define the relationship became a major plot point this season. However, while Wilson repeatedly discussed his desire to sleep with her, he never appeared to be aggressive or entitled to sex—a tightrope to walk with a new partner, let alone in front of a camera. "Why would you want to have sex with someone who's not ready to have sex with you?" Wilson, the son of an ob-gyn mother, asked, and to his credit he seemed genuinely confused. "If there are people who want it and people who don't want it, you obviously should respect those who don't want it."
Wilson and Miller have kept quiet about their relationship status since filming wrapped on Season 8 last summer. But ahead of the two-part reunion on June 6 and June 13, he can speak freely — Here’s what happened, according to him: After leaving the Hamptons, the two continued to see each other, but had to do so in private because the show didn’t air until February. This put a strain on the relationship, which ended in December.
"We never officially made it a 'thing,' but we might as well do it. So it was weird to me, too, because how can you be boyfriend and girlfriend with someone when you're supposed to keep it a secret ?" Wilson asked now. He taped the reunion a few days ago and said he sounded like a "fucking idiot" when talking about the breakup.
"One, I was nervous because I hadn't seen her in a long time. Two, we never had hardcore closure. We just agreed to maybe not talk, and then I didn't really know where we stood." Three, I was trying to react to what other people were saying [instead of] saying what I wanted to say. It was a disaster.”
Now, over our second round of martinis, Wilson says he has a new understanding of Miller's point. "When we broke up, I thought our conversations were mutual because they were so polite and respectful. But looking back after getting back together, [I realize] I blamed a lot of external factors for not being ready to date," he said, interrupting his thoughts of eating scallop toast and burning his mouth for the umpteenth time tonight. "The more I think about it, the more it makes sense how she felt [at the reunion]."
He has been secretly dating for the past few months. "I would go out in groups, like tons of guys, tons of chicks," he said of how he met women. "My dad has always been very critical of me needing to be around the kids. It would be annoying to date me because I'm always doing things with my brothers."
After finishing our meal, Wilson asked the waiter for a to-go bag and planned to finish our leftovers later. But when I checked in the next morning, he said he'd been out and, much to his dismay, had left the leftovers at a friend's apartment.
"When you're approaching 30, there's this weird stigma that going out is immature and childish, but I love the chaos and unpredictability," he said, adding, "I'm afraid I There are still a few years left in his life.”
