Kristin Cavallari reveals on how the iconic phrase, “Steeepheenn,” accidentally became a thing on “Laguna Beach.

Fans of the mid-2000s reality TV sensation Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County have long cherished the dramatic highs and lows of the show’s high school love triangles, but perhaps no moment is more iconic than Kristin Cavallari’s drawn-out cry of “Steeepheenn!” Now, two decades after the MTV series first aired, Cavallari is pulling back the curtain on how that unforgettable phrase accidentally became a cultural touchstone.

In a recent episode of her podcast Let’s Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari, the 38-year-old television personality and entrepreneur dished on the spontaneous moment that turned her then-boyfriend Stephen Colletti’s name into a meme-worthy rallying cry. The revelation came during a candid conversation with a guest, where Cavallari reflected on her time as a junior at Laguna Beach High School, when MTV cameras first descended on her coastal hometown.

“It wasn’t planned at all,” Cavallari admitted with a laugh. “I was just so caught up in the moment—Stephen and I were in the middle of some ridiculous teenage fight, and I just yelled his name like that. I didn’t even think about how it sounded until it aired, and then it was everywhere.”

The infamous “Steeepheenn” moment occurred during Season 1 of Laguna Beach, which premiered in September 2004. The scene in question captured a heated exchange between Cavallari and Colletti, her on-again, off-again high school sweetheart, as tensions flared over his interactions with fellow cast member Lauren Conrad. Cavallari’s elongated, exasperated delivery of Colletti’s name—stretched out with a mix of frustration and desperation—quickly became a standout soundbite, replayed endlessly by fans and parodied across pop culture.

Looking back, Cavallari said the moment was emblematic of the raw, unfiltered emotion that defined her time on the show. “We were kids, you know? I was 17, and everything felt so intense,” she explained. “The cameras caught me being my dramatic teenage self, and I guess that’s why it stuck with people. It was real, even if it was a little over-the-top.”

The phrase’s staying power was further cemented through Cavallari and Colletti’s 2022-2023 rewatch podcast, Back to the Beach with Kristin and Stephen, where the duo revisited old episodes alongside former castmates and unpacked behind-the-scenes stories. Fans flooded social media with clips of the “Steeepheenn” call, reigniting nostalgia for the show that launched both Cavallari and Conrad into the spotlight.

Colletti, now 39 and an actor known for roles in One Tree Hill, has also embraced the phrase’s legacy with good humor. During a Back to the Beach episode, he jokingly recalled how he didn’t realize the moment’s impact until friends started mimicking Cavallari’s delivery in real life. “I’d be at a party, and someone would just yell ‘Steeepheenn’ across the room,” he said. “It’s one of those things you can’t escape, but it’s all love.”

Cavallari’s latest revelation adds another layer to the lore of Laguna Beach, a show that blurred the lines between reality and scripted drama long before the genre dominated television.

She noted that while producers didn’t orchestrate the specific “Steeepheenn” outburst, they were quick to capitalize on the natural chemistry—and chaos—between her, Colletti, and Conrad. “They didn’t tell me to say it like that, but they definitely knew how to put us in situations where stuff like that would happen,” she said. “It was all about amplifying what was already there.”

Now a mother of three and the founder of the successful lifestyle brand Uncommon James, Cavallari has come a long way from her days as the self-described “firecracker” of Laguna Beach. Yet she remains grateful for the show’s role in shaping her career. “It’s wild to think that something so random—a yell from 20 years ago—still follows me,” she mused. “But it’s a reminder of where I started, and I’ll always have a soft spot for that time in my life.”

As Laguna Beach continues to enjoy a resurgence among new generations via streaming platforms, the “Steeepheenn” phenomenon shows no signs of fading. For Cavallari, it’s a testament to the show’s enduring appeal—and a quirky footnote in her journey from reality TV villain to empowered businesswoman. “I never thought I’d still be talking about it in 2025,” she said with a grin. “But here we are—Steeepheenn lives on!”