Jason Oppenheim Says Clash Between Exes Chrishell Stause and Marie-Lou Nurk Gave Him 'Anxiety' (Exclusive)

"I think Chrishell has already told me that she's not going to lunch with any of my future girlfriends," Oppenheim tells PEOPLE ahead of season 7 of the hit Netflix series

Chrishell Stause and Marie-Lou Nurk face off in the trailer for season 7 of Selling Sunset — and their tense exchange was "difficult" for their mutual ex Jason Oppenheim to watch.

In the trailer, below, Nurk, who was dating Oppenheim during filming, suggests to Stause that there are "feelings left" between the two. Stause, who was in a relationship with the Oppenheim Group founder for 5 months in 2021, replies, "I’m losing brain cells on this conversation."

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Oppenheim reveals what it was like navigating the tension between his two exes. (Oppenheim and Nurk ended their 10-month relationship in May.)

"Living through that was very difficult because I obviously care about them both a lot," he says. "And so it was just a complicated and very difficult situation for me. And honestly, watching it back, when I watched this season, was also difficult. I really felt anxious. I got a lot of anxiety watching it, which is odd."

"I would think that I am usually pretty good at watching this stuff calmly, but that gave me a lot of anxiety," he adds. "Watching the trailer, I mean, I knew about this scene because I was on the phone during the scene, so I don't think it made it any better or worse. It just reminded me that I need to live through this again when the show [airs]. Because you live through it once in real life, then you live through it again when you watch it for the first time and then you live through it when the audience watches it."

Oppenheim, 46, also reflected on how the experience might impact his future relationships.

"I think Chrishell has already told me that she's not going to lunch with any of my future girlfriends," he says, adding Stause is important to him and their ongoing relationship as friends and colleagues is something that will "need to be traversed with my new relationships."

"It definitely caused some concerns and some hurdles in my relationship with Lou," he adds. Oppenheim and Nurk called it quits in May 2023, citing the difficulties of maintaining a long distance relationship while she was based in Paris and he in L.A.

He learned an important lesson from the split, however.

"I think I'll do a better job on the next relationship," Oppenheim continues. "I think I'll be a little bit more sensitive to the difficulties that come with that and try to be a little bit more understanding. I think I could have handled it better with Lou, but the next time, I think I'll be obviously careful and just try to listen a little bit more."

Related: Chrishell Stause Makes a New Enemy in 'Selling Sunset' Season 7 Trailer: ‘I'm Losing Brain Cells’ (Exclusive)

Oppenheim says he and Nurk still keep in touch via text.

"I care a lot about her and she's doing great," he says. "It's not easy to go through this process. I mean, most of us have been around [the show] for a while, I think. So for Lou, this is really new and I think that comes with a certain level of anxiety. So I'm trying to calm those concerns. Sometimes that's what our conversations are about. But we're still good."

Oppenheim also maintains a supportive relationship with Stause, whom he calls "a wonderful person."

Related: G Flip Reacts to Partner Chrishell Stause’s ‘Losing Brain Cells’ Comment in Selling Sunset Trailer

"We were very close friends before we were boyfriend-girlfriend," he says. "And I think that that relationship only strengthened our bond and our friendship and created a deep connection. And that continues. I think our friendship is stronger today because of it."

Stause tied the knot with Australian musician G Flip at a Las Vegas ceremony in May (though they've since clarified they're not legally married) and Oppenheim says the singer "brings the best out of Chrishell."

"I think I've seen Chrishell happier with G than maybe ever before," he says. "So, sometimes you find a partner that just makes you a better person. I think that's what she found with G."

Their love triangle is hardly the only drama fans can expect from Selling Sunset. Oppenheim describes the new season, which hits Netflix Friday, as "complicated."

He says viewers will get to know the agents "in different ways" and "see some different dynamics play out that maybe they didn't expect."

"I also think that the relationship and dynamic with my brother is explored more in this season, which I personally liked," he notes, referring to his twin, Brett Oppenheim.

One highlight of the season is seeing the O Group’s Los Angeles office undergo a seven-figure expansion — which Oppenheim says was worth the money.

"It's hard to place a value on being happy, and the office makes me happy and I hope makes the people that work here happy," he says. "And I honestly don't think you can undervalue that. You can't."

"One of the reasons that I own the Oppenheim Group and work with my best friends and sell luxury real estate is because I absolutely love that," he adds. "It makes me really, really happy and I place happiness over the bottom line. And I will, forever."

Which, he clarifies is not to say he hasn't found significant financial success in doing so. "Oddly enough, placing my happiness and the happiness of those around me as the most important thing above making money has serendipitously made me money," he notes. "So it ends up that I can spend nearly $2 million on an office and somehow it will not end up being a bad idea. Maybe it's luck, I don't know. Everything seems to work out."

It’s been an exciting year for the O Group, which also opened a San Diego office in June, and one in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in late 2022.

Related: Who Does Chrishell Stause Give a ‘Genuine’ Smile in 'Selling Sunset' Trailer? A Body Language Expert Weighs In

In 2021, the brokerage opened a Newport Beach location, which is the focus of the spinoff Selling the OC. Cast members from that show, which released its second season in September, appear on some of the new Selling Sunset episodes.

What keeps Selling Sunset feeling fresh after seven seasons? Jason gives the credit to his co-stars: It's "a never-ending supply of very interesting dynamics between the women."

Season 7 of Selling Sunset premieres on Netflix Nov. 3.

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