We sat down with Marie Lou-Nurk, the newest member of the Selling Sunset cast from season 6, who quickly became a fan-favourite with her European flair and calm demeanor. In an exclusive candid interview with GRAZIA, Marie-Lou reveals her favourite spots in Paris, her unconventional path into modeling, and the pressures she has faced in the fashion industry. She also sheds light on her relationship with ex-boyfriend Jason Oppenheim and answered some of the internet’s burning questions. As for Selling Sunset, Marie-Lou shared her first impressions of all the cast members and gave us a sneak peek into the drama-filled upcoming season of Selling Sunset, not to mention her new friendship with Christine Quinn (yes, you heard that right). Scroll down to read our full interview with the German and South African model.
GRAZIA: We know that you live in Paris. What are some of your favourite spots in Paris and favourite things to do?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “That’s a really good question. A lot of things. I love to go jogging in the Seine. I love to go shopping, of course. Even just going to restaurants and just cafes, all the cafes are super cute in Paris!”
GRAZIA: When did you first get into modelling and how did it happen?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “So I was asked when I was 16 to model, but I was still in school. And for my parents, it was important to finish school, so I was modelling for half a year before I studied design. I didn’t always want to be a model, I wanted to study something and have a different career. So eventually I studied economics. After that I wanted to travel again, because my studies were super hard. I hadn’t gone on a vacation for three or four years. I wanted to enjoy my life for a bit so I went back to modelling. So it’s like a back and forth. You meet a lot of cool people in the fashion industry, but it’s also something which can make you insecure. You have to take care of what you eat, how you look. It can harm your mental health after a while.”
Read More: Every Major Fashion Moment From Selling Sunset Season 6
GRAZIA: Would you say that it’s personally affected your mental health?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “I mean, there’s a pressure for sure. I love to do something more creative or with my brain, and modelling is kind of a form of entertainment. It’s like a dance where you have to pose, but you dont always get to be part of the creative part, like the photographer or the art director. I feel like I also need the other parts because there’s a lot of pressure with being a model.”
GRAZIA: What would you say was the biggest highlight of your modelling career to date?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “There’s so many shoots that were super fun. I was once in New York and this photographer taught me how to model in his studio when I was super young. He really explained everything so well and was such an inspiration.”
GRAZIA: How would you describe your fashion sense?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “I hate when logos are everywhere. I like leather pants, I like oversized styles. But I also like sexy and girly stuff so it really depends. I also love vintage bags. I think it’s a mix from everything, like I wear Zara but I also wear Louis Vuitton. I don’t really care if it’s a brand.”
GRAZIA: And at the top of your head. If I was to ask you, what’s your favourite brand of the moment right now? What would you say? I
Marie-Lou Nurk: “I love Prada and I love Courrèges.”
GRAZIA: We know that you’ve lived in around 20 different places, can you name some of those places?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “I travelled a lot when I was a child, because my mum was a stewardess and she comes from South Africa. When I was about two years old, I needed a new passport, because I had too many stamps. I think I was used to it when I was a child. Also when I got older, I was studying and working so I had to move back and forth from Southern Germany to Northern Germany. I was also in London, Paris, New York, LA.”
GRAZIA: From all of those cities, which would you consider to be home?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “I love Paris. When I came here alone, for a couple of months, I was living with an old lady and that’s the first time I fell in love with Paris. The first time I went there, I was crying because I was like, ‘oh my god, what am I doing here?’ I always knew I wanted to come back.”
GRAZIA: We know that you and Jason recently announced your break-up. What’s your relationship like now?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “We’re good, we’re friends. We still talk on the phone and comment on each other’s pictures so we are on good terms. We broke up a couple of days before making it public and it was a really difficult decision I had to take because I was moving back to Paris. I knew I wanted to move back because of my family, friends and my job. It was hard for us at the beginning. We also have different opinions on a few big topics. So I knew we had to break up but it was really hard, and now we’re still friends and want to support each other.”
GRAZIA: There was a lot of speculation that you and Jason got engaged because of the professional portraits of you both together. What did you think about all the rumours from the fans?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “We did the shoot with my friend who’s a photographer and we were super excited to post it.I was in LA, it was the last day of filming Selling Sunset and I had this white dress. I didn’t even think it looked like a bridal dress or anything. So after we posted it I was like, ‘why are people saying congratulations? Did I miss something?’ Then Jason was texting me saying they think we’re getting married. It was really funny.”
GRAZIA: A lot of fans also commented on the age gap between the both of you, did that bother you at all?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “That’s a good question, I didn’t really care. Since Jason was in the public more than I was he told me from the very beginning to never read comments, and I didn’t. So I don’t even know what is out there about me. The age difference wasn’t really a thing for me because I would say I’m more mature than my age. I don’t even know if that’s a good thing! In my head I’m 30 plus, so I don’t see the age difference. Also I felt like Jason was younger than me, he was the funny immature, active one. I always wanted to stay home and he’d want to go out.”
GRAZIA: “As the new girl, it’s never easy, but especially on a show like Selling Sunset where there’s already such big personalities and a lot of drama. Do you remember the first moment you met everyone? What were your first impressions?”
Marie-Lou Nurk: “I was super nervous. He had asked me if I wanted to film with him that day and I said of course. But keep in mind that I’m from Germany and in Europe we’re not used to entertainment reality TV. I also had no styling, no professional makeup, I did everything on my own in half an hour. Whereas all the girls do their hair at like five in the morning. So we were entering the famous office with all the girls on the desks, you even see it on the show. Chrishell didn’t know I was coming so I think she was a little bit shocked, but the rest were okay. Emma is always with Chrishell so they always team up, so I got a little bit nervous around them, but the rest were super nice. I love Mary, Amanza, Chelsea and Nicole. They were all super cute. But I think Chrishell had a little problem, because her relationship with Jason wasn’t that long ago.”
GRAZIA: What’s next for Mary Lou in terms of your career, your relationships? Are you ready to start dating? What are you looking forward to the most?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “So season seven will come out in October and it’s already been filmed. We shot the last episode in March, so I know that there will be a lot of press because we were still together at this point. I’m also involved in a little bit of drama with Chrishell. When it comes my personal life, right now I’m doing my influencing, modelling and I’m just super happy in Paris. I have some exciting projects coming up in a couple of months but can’t talk about yet! As for my love life, it’s still super fresh. We just broke up and I just want to focus on myself right now. But let’s see, we never really know what will happen and you always meet someone when you least expect it, so let’s see.”
GRAZIA: Can we expect a lot of drama in season 7?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “Yes, a lot of drama. I’m not the one pushing the drama, but someone else is. I think in LA the women think the louder they are, the better they feel, which can be good in many areas of your life. It’s good to be confident and loud. But it’s not my character to be like that, I’m confident but I’m more calm. I really think it’s a European thing.”
GRAZIA: Are you still in touch with any of the other cast?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “It’s really funny because Christine Quinn, moved to Paris and I’m going to meet her pretty soon. I’m really excited about it, because this is the first time I’m going to see her. We’ll probably just have a little lunch date. As for the other cast members, I’m in contact with Amanza, we text a lot. I’m also in contact with Chelsea and Nicole. They’re really cute.”
GRAZIA: Are you excited to meet Christine?
Marie-Lou Nurk: “Absolutely, she’s amazing. She really made the show big. I feel like you really have to give her that.”
