Ashely Jensen, Jeff Lewis

Nothing makes us more giddy than a good ole fashioned Hollywood feud, and it appears there's one brewing with insane intense Flipping Out star Jeff Lewis and Extras/Ugly Betty actress Ashley Jensen, who is trying to slap the out Bravo star with a restraining order.

Apparently, the trouble started when Jeff began improvements on the house next door to where Ashley and her husband live, and tried to build a deck that encroached on their property. When the monetary offer he made of $10,000 to buy an easement was rejected, he allegedly tried a different tack:

Lewis countered during an unexpected nighttime visit to their house with an offer of $30,000 and threatened to make their lives miserable by casting them in a negative light in front of 3 million television viewers, they said in their complaint. Named in the suit is Lewis' partner, Ryan Brown, who the neighbors described as Lewis' "supposedly relatively even-keeled" foil, and Lewis' company, Vicious Investments.

It accuses the pair of trespassing, property damage and assault, and demands that the encroaching deck be removed. Their suit says the show "involves documenting the rude, outrageous, boorish, offensive, mean-spirited bullying by Jeff Lewis of anyone or anything in his way."

Well, as someone who has seen quite a few episodes of Flipping Out, I think that description is dead on. And I can't be the only one who immediately thought "I believe every word she's saying."

But I can't help but think of Ashley's Ugly Betty character Christina. First she's impregnated with the Alien Queen's baby, then she's pushed down a flight of steps by a temporarily insane transgender woman ... and now her alter ego is (allegedly) being tormented by a Bravo reality star. I guess truth really is stranger than fiction.

Via dlisted

Last night Bravo aired the Flipping Out reunion, and like a good gay, I had every intention of watching it. But for some reason my DVR didn't recognize the reunion as part of the show and it didn't record, so after I finished catching up on Mad Men (OMGOMGOMG) I had the nasty surprise of finding that I'd missed it.

Anyway, not just sharing my sob story of OCD reality TV deprivation here (I'm sure it's rerunning 50 times today alone), as there are bigger things at hand: namely, a Zoila-off!

Yes, Bravo is auctioning off that hideous portrait that Jeff had done for his beloved housekeeper early in the season, with all proceeds going to ... Zoila! Currently the bids are at $2550, with the auction remaining open for another six days. Want to own a little piece of reality history? Head on over and bid away.

Below, check out a video of Zoila discussing what she's learned from Jeff on last night's reunion. (Hint: it involves hangovers, Daisy Dukes, and "his milkshake".)

If you've been watching Bravo's guilty pleasure OCD real estate opera Flipping Out (I know I have), you may be wondering what the deal is with New Chris, the house assistant who was hired after Garbage Chris was promoted following the departure of the old lead assistant, who was apparently tired of being mauled by Monkey the Cat and headed for greener pastures.

Turns out New Chris has a last name (it's Keslar), he is a gay, and he was kind enough to answer some of our questions about how he came to the Lewis nest, whether or not things are as nutty as they seem on the show, and just what is up with the nanny-cam sting that was teased in the latest previews.

AfterElton.com: So tell us a little about yourself, for starters.

Chris Keslar: I’m 31 years old. I’m a double Scorpio – Scorpio sun, Scorpio rising. I grew up in western Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh. I went to college at the University of Pennsylvania. I lived in Philadelphia on and off for about eight years after that and then I moved to West Hollywood in 2003 and I’ve been here ever since.

AE: Now you wanna do what Jeff does, right? 

CK: Yeah. My undergraduate degree was in English and theater, so when I moved to Los Angeles, my idea was to quote-unquote "get in the biz." And I had one of those LA stories: my first day I rolled into LA, I got a job working as a casting associate on a reality show. And so, for the next like two, two-and-a-half years I spent my time in the reality world as a casting producer and I also developed and had some shows sold and optioned. And then I took a break from that and went into scripted television and then worked on Ugly Betty for the first part of the second season, right before the writers’ strike.

So when the writers’ strike happened, I was out of work and looking for a job and I didn’t know where the writers’ strike was going to go so I was like, you know what? I think maybe exiting out of the entertainment industry for a little bit might be a good time. I’ve always loved real estate. I grew up with my Dad, who was a contractor and a land developer. ... So it had always been in my blood and I love interior design, like many a gay. ... And then I was led to Jeff through a friend and it was just one of those fated – I was looking for work and I was looking to do informational interviews with people in the field that I wanted to go into and my friend takes care of Jenny’s dog. ... He contacted Jenny and they were looking for body, so that’s how it happened.

Chris and Jeff
 

AE: So did Jeff pick you or did the show pick you? 

CK: No. My involvement with Jeff and Jenny was totally separated from the actual production of the show. Again, it was just like one of those fated coincidences. Ugly Betty ended, I worked up until the end of December and then we went on indefinite hiatus. And then I started working for Jeff at the beginning of February and so I had about a month down time and it was during that time one of their current assistants who you don’t see on the show – his name is Josh – he was leaving ... so it was just one of those things. My first day was the first day of filming, so the timing worked out perfectly, for them and for me.

AE: Are you still working for Jeff now? 

CK: You’re going to have to wait and see. I can’t talk about that right now.

Lots more after the jump!

Flipping Out Marathon (Bravo) starting at 4:00 PM EDT
If you want to take another look at the first season of gay, obsessive-compulsive house flipper Jeff Lewis before tonight's season premiere, here's your chance to catch up on the series. Also, if you missed our interview with Lewis last season, you might want to check it out.

Flipping Out (Bravo) 10:00 PM EDT
Jeff is looking to expand his business of flipping six-figure homes ... but have you seen what the housing market is like right now? (Trust me, it isn't pretty.) Does the added stress make him flip out more often and make more OCD-inspired demands on his employees? After the break, check out a preview clip of Jeff's new assistant, "New Chris", adjusting to the demands of his job.

Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood (Oxygen) 10:00 PM EDT
Budding gay icon Tori Spelling and her husband Dean McDermott return for another season of their reality drama. After two seasons at the Chateau La Rue, Tori and Dean are returning to Hollywood, which means we'll also get to see Tori hang out with her gay BFF.

Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC) 11:35 PM EDT
Conan's guest list tonight includes Will & Grace fave Megan Mullally, who is currently starring in Young Frankenstein on Broadway (aptly taking over the role played by gay icon Madeline Kahn in the movie) and has an appearance on the D-List coming up in the next few weeks.

Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC) 12:35 AM EDT
As is typical for a season of My Life on the D-List, we're seeing Kathy Griffin make her talk show rounds with Carson Daly being her latest stop.

As the World Turns (CBS) Check local listings
Luke and Noah continue to get a good amount of screen time this week as Luke reacts to the news about Noah asking Maddie to move in with him (which was Noah's reaction to kissing Luke ... this is what a soap should be like, chain reaction emotional roller coasters) and Noah's dad starts to suspect that Luke holds a secret about Noah.

Flipping Out (Bravo) 10:00 PM EDT
Jeff (with whom we are running a fresh new interview today) gets a visit from his father this week. I hope that goes more smoothly than the time ... oh, what am I talking about? When a parent stops to visit the dramatic personality who is the focus of a Bravo show with "Out" in the title, there's always some drama.

Laughing Matters: Gay Comedy in America (Logo) 8:00 PM EDT
A comedy special featuring Alec Mapa and Bob Smith, among others? I am so there.

Flipping Out (Bravo) 10:00 PM EDT
Jeff Lewis continues to deliver the drama as he considers the value of having a psychic bless a house and fights with his business partner (not to mention ex-boyfriend) about who gets to live in the biggest estate they've worked on so far. For a preview of the episode, check out below the jump.

Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in all the World 10:00 PM EDT
Has this comedy only been on a one-week break? Because I feel like I've gone without this hysterical animated comedy for much longer. This week's episode finds the characters enjoying a gay cruise with the boys attending the Seamen Dance, while Kirsten and Dana attend Mommy Boot Camp class. After the jump, check out a video on how the puppets are created, courtesy of the series' website.

The View (ABC) Check local listings
Mario Cantone is scheduled to guest host today as Joan Rivers shows up to dish. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that we don't have to hear his story about the friend's daughter trying to play peek-a-boo under his glass coffee table. I know Barbara loves it, but I've heard it enough times.

Big Brother (CBS) 9:00 PM EDT
The drama is ramping up right now thanks to a bit of outside interference. Judging from what I'm hearing, there's reason to (finally) give Dustin some attention in tonight's episode, as he tries to keep his alliance (and his prospect of winning) from falling apart. It'll be interesting to see if the show's producers find his actions interesting enough to put on the show.

Without Prejudice? (GSN) 9:00 PM EDT
Tonight's episode includes a married gay man as one of the contestants with a gay man also on the panel that decides who will win the $25,000. I'm curious to find out how much more there is to learn about these two gay men, as this game show is all about unpeeling layers, even that of its panel.

Flipping Out (Bravo) 10:00 PM EDT
More house-flipping, hair-flipping and general flipping out in Bravo's newest reality offering. For a preview, just look down...