Noelle Hughley on Filming "Real Drama" on 'Summer House: MV' Amid Bravo Lawsuits (EXCLUSIVE)

Season 2 of Summer House: Martha's Vineyard is proving to be a bit different than its inaugural season. Several Season 1 cast members, including Jason Lyke, Mariah Torres, and Silas Cooper, aren't a part of the show for various reasons. Their absences made room for a new "Southern Belle" named Noelle Hughley to join the fold.

Noelle is an Atlanta-born and New York-based future entertainment lawyer who came into the house "single and ready to mingle" and was prepared for anything production threw at her.

Although Noelle has a "bubbly" personality fit for reality TV, anyone working in the genre for the first time knows it isn't easy having the cameras around 24/7. And with Bravo facing several lawsuits against its production teams, filming can be even more daunting.

In an exclusive interview with Distractify, Noelle shared her filming experience amid the controversies surrounding her new network home during her first season.

Noelle joined Summer House: MV through her friend, Summer Marie Thomas. As Summer explained in the Season 2 premiere, they met through Noelle's roommate, whom Summer was dating.

Eventually, Summer asked Noelle to come to Martha's Vineyard with her, which was an easy "yes" because she was a fan of Season 1 and felt the show "left its mark and was going to stay."

Noelle became the only newbie of the season and said coming on the show after being a fan provided a "deeper aspect" of how filming can shift and said she's already realizing how "the audience only sees one side of you basically."

However, despite the editing changes, the legal IT associate exclusively told Distractify she's "blessed" to have the team she did in her first season and said she's "loving" her time on the show — especially since she knows how rare the experience can be.

"I definitely feel like God blessed me to be a part of a great cast, and a production that I feel like really does care for us," Noelle said, adding she has "friends in the entertainment industry" who didn't have a great time filming a reality series.

"I felt like we really were a family," she continued.

While Noelle's experience filming Summer House: MV worked for her, her Season 2 debut came after several former Bravolebrities took legal action against the network's production.

In January 2024, former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Caroline Manzo sued Bravo and its affiliated companies — NBCUniversal, Shed Media, Forest Productions, Warner Bros. Entertainment, and Peacock TV for allegedly “encouraging” and “allowing” Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Brandi Glanville to sexually harass her while they filmed Season 4 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.

Brandi also wrote a legal letter accusing Real Housewives executive producer Andy Cohen of sexual harassment, which Andy addressed on X, formerly Twitter, in February 2024.

Additionally, Leah McSweeney sued Andy and Bravo for "disability discrimination, hostile work environment, retaliation, sex and gender discrimination." Her case stated that, despite knowing she had a history of alcohol abuse and bipolar disorder, the network's producers encouraged her to drink on Real Housewives of New York City and Season 3 of RHUGT.

While Noelle admits "nobody's perfect," she can attest that no one on Summer House: MV's production team made her or the cast do or say anything they wouldn't do themselves. She confirmed to Distractify that every dramatic moment — including the double whammy arguments we saw in the season premiere from Bria Fleming and Preston Mitchum and Summer and Alex Tyree's drama — were 100 percent real.

"Everything you see is the real drama, which surprises people," Noelle said. "They're like, 'How could you have this much energy?'"

Noelle explains that the cast's "energy" comes from under the same gorgeous roof for "15-20 days," allowing authentic tension to rise.

"You're around this person you could've avoided seeing for the past six months," she shared. "So everything is there; everything is just raw emotion."

Although Noelle promises there will be even more tense and "raw" moments between her and her cast members as Summer House: MV continues, she said the show's team kept her at ease during her time there.

"With our staff and who we were with, I felt like they provided a great shield," she declared. "Because I know how easy it is for false perceptions and how things can be conveyed. But that wasn't the case with my experience. And I'm very thankful for that."

Catch Noelle on Summer House: Martha's Vineyard. New episodes air on Bravo on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST.