‘RHOD’ Star Stephanie Hollman Saw a ‘Softer Side’ to LeeAnne Locken This Season

It’s a Lone Star State miracle! Real Housewives of Dallas star Stephanie Hollman has mended her longtime feud with LeeAnne Locken in the third season of the Bravo reality series, she told PopCulture.com exclusively prior to Wednesday’s premiere.

Locken alienated pretty much everyone in the cast last season with her explosive outbursts and violent temper, but Hollman told PopCulture.com she made some major changes to how she approached Locken while filming the season, finding some common ground between the two very different women.

“Looking back on the last two seasons, I think that both of us could agree that we’ve never really given each other a chance,” she said. “I wanted to go into this year with a more open heart and mind. When I did, I found that LeeAnne and I have much more in common than I originally thought. Just like any relationship, it is a building process. I really enjoyed the time that we have spent together and appreciate her willingness to open up to me.”

Locken also appears to have changed, she added, saying, “I saw a much softer side to LeeAnne this year and because of that, I let my guard down,” she said. “We both left our baggage at the door and opened up to each other in a way that I never thought we would. I can only speak from my personal experience, but I saw a change this year. The change definitely opened the door for a relationship.”

Fans of the series who have seen the trailer for Season 3 may be questioning how genuine that change is after seeing a very Locken moment during her fight with D’Andra Simmons. (“I’m exhausted,” she screams. “My weave is exhausted. The pantyliner on my underwear is exhausted.”) But Hollman believes in her ability to improve herself.

“Does she have her moments where she slips back into past behavior, yes!” she explained. “However at the end of the day, I feel that she genuinely wants to make a permanent change. I want to be her cheerleader, not her judge and jury. So, I am rooting for her.”

Just because Hollman has decided to make peace with Locken doesn’t mean all the Housewives are feeling the love, with Brandi Redmond calling Locken “toxic” in the season trailer. It’s not a situation Hollman is trying to find herself in the middle of.

“When it comes to Brandi and LeeAnne, I give my opinion to both of them and then step away,” she told PopCulture.com. “At the end of the day, it is their fight and their relationship. The middle is the last place I want to be so, I make every effort to let them handle their differences. I do try to give my input when asked.”

She added, “One thing I can say about Brandi is that while her and LeeAnne were not always seeing eye to eye, I never felt pressured by Brandi to choose a side. This says a lot about her character.”

The Real Housewives of Dallas Season 3 premieres Wednesday, Aug. 15 at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

Photo credit: Instagram/Stephanie Hollman