NEWSDerek White Takes 'The Hills' to New Heights
April 30 2010, Published 10:10 a.m. ET
Derek White's days on The Hills and rumors of dating Audrina Patridge are over, but he's still getting a kick out of watching the new season and is working to take his career to new heights.
OK! NEWS: AUDRINA PROMISES "LOTS OF LOVE TRIANGLES" THIS SEASON ON THE HILLS
Derek was once rumored to be dating Audrina, who then started dating Justin Bobby.
"Well Justin and I go back 13 years now, Audrina about four years and the rest only for two years," Derek told OK! about how knows The Hills cast. "I worked in the surf community when I first came to California, and Justin was one of the youngest kids surfing on our surf team, that's where we first met."
OK! NEWS: THE HILLS' LAST SEASON CONFIRMED
Now Derek's former rumored girlfriend has moved on to Ryan Cabrera.
"Well, to be honest I don't know Ryan well at all, but I know that for the first time Audrina is actually happy. And from what I understand he treats her really good and they are really happy," he explained to OK!. "I am stoked for her. She is a good girl with a good heart."
And Derek is happy working on his business LiftKits, a height-increasing shoe insole.
"I first started modeling and acting when I first moved to California at 19. I was going to school at the time for finance. Shortly after, I started working in the real estate finance arena for nine years as a mortgage broker," Derek explained of how his business came to be. "
"After a short time back in L.A., I was up and going again booking acting and modeling gigs, and studying with Chick Vennera at Beverly Hills Playhouse. At this time I booked a few modeling gigs, one in particular in Miami for fashion week, I was modeling for Marceau jeans when I saw another one of the guy models backstage with a homemade lift in his shoe. I had never seen anything of the sort before," he explained. "That's where it all started, the idea to start a business soon followed after I realized that there was no one out there making anything like this. I saw an opportunity to make accessible something that could change people's lives."
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
OK! GALLERY: KRISTIN & AUDRINA ARE SHOPPING SHOE-INS
In Hollywood, it sometimes helps to be tall.
"At 5'11 , I am very comfortable with my height. I am also very honest with the fact that society has placed a status quo on being tall, that's also always been associated with men over six feet. So yeah, there were times I'd wear my dress boots out at night because they had a bigger heel on them pushing me to that 6 foot mark," he admitted. "I couldn't help but to think how many other guys out there do the same thing."
OK! NEWS: THE HILLS SAY GOODBYE AFTER 12 FINAL EPISODES
But while Derek is working on his LiftKits business, he's also enjoying watching his former cast-members wrap up the show!
"I am definitely eager to see what transpires here between the whole group. These people have been under a spotlight for a few years now. Some have stayed true to their roots and some have not," he told OK!. "I can't really speak for anyone other than Audrina and Justin. Those are the only two that I actually talk to and I know what's going on with them. The rest of the cast, I just hear through the grapevine just like everyone else, and by the sounds of it, some of the other aren't doing to well."
"I am excited to see what MTV has thrown together," added. "Yes this is a reality show, but yes MTV also helps to influence situations, so it will be interesting to see what they have prepared for The Hills audience."
Reporting By Michelle Edgar
