Bre Tiesi has reached a truce with Johnny Manziel, but she does not look back fondly on their marriage. “We were very toxic. It was not a healthy thing,” the Selling Sunset star said while discussing her former husband on The Viall Files.
Tiesi, 35, spoke with host Nick Viall during the podcast’s November 3 episode. The conversation began with her experience on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test before moving into the lessons she took from her divorce.
She recalled meeting Manziel through mutual friends while working in Las Vegas. They were friends for approximately a year before dating and became engaged in 2017.
Tiesi and the former Cleveland Browns quarterback, now 33, married in 2018 and separated the following year. Their divorce was finalized in November 2021.
Bre Tiesi Says Married Life Did Not Suit Her
Asked what the relationship had taught her, Tiesi said she had little interest in another commitment with the same expectations. “I didn’t like anything about being married,” she told The Viall Files.
She described struggling with the responsibilities involved, particularly feeling that she had to answer to her husband while he was dealing with difficulties of his own. Tiesi said she had been unhappy and wondered whether she was simply better suited to being on her own.
The experience also prompted her to examine her childhood, choices and behavior. She described that self-reflection as part of recognizing what she wanted to avoid in future relationships.
Johnny Manziel Apologized During a Selling Sunset House Tour
Viewers saw the former couple revisit their history during Selling Sunset’s eighth season in September 2024. Tiesi showed Manziel a Los Angeles property priced at approximately $4 million, and their conversation turned to his behavior during the marriage.
As PEOPLE reported, Manziel acknowledged cheating and expressed regret. Tiesi welcomed his recognition of what she had experienced but questioned his maturity during a separate interview filmed for the show.
On the podcast, Tiesi explained that they had gone years without speaking after their divorce. She said she was willing to move forward when someone took responsibility, apologized and could discuss what had happened. She eventually accepted Manziel’s apology, acknowledging that they had once loved each other.
Manziel Encouraged Tiesi to Join Special Forces
That renewed contact proved useful when Tiesi considered joining the Fox competition’s fifth season. She called Manziel, who had competed in season four, and former NBA player Dwight Howard, a participant in the first season.
Howard questioned whether she should put herself through the experience. Manziel encouraged her to participate, although he predicted that she would become angry at some point. Tiesi acknowledged that his warning turned out to be accurate.
She voluntarily withdrew during the October 29 episode after fellow contestants Matt Barnes and David Charvet became lost during a mission in the Malaysian jungle. Directing staff member Rudy Reyes led them back to camp in the dark, according to TV Insider.
Tiesi told Entertainment Weekly that seeing their condition unsettled her. Safety and her approaching return to filming Selling Sunset contributed to her decision. In a separate Us Weekly interview, she also discussed weighing the risks as a mother.
She later regretted leaving, believing she should have slept before deciding. Still, she remained proud of the challenges she completed, including confronting her fear of heights.
Tiesi Describes a Different Arrangement With Nick Cannon
Tiesi now shares four-year-old son Legendary Love with Nick Cannon. He was born on June 28, 2022, with his arrival announced the following month. She has publicly described her relationship with Cannon as nonexclusive.
During the podcast, Tiesi emphasized the importance of making her own decisions. She also described practical ways Cannon supports their family, including caring for Legendary when she needs help.
As one example, she said she could ask him to look after their son for a Saturday when she did not have a nanny available. She added that Cannon makes an effort to arrange date nights and birthday plans.