Interview With Jeff Lewis of Flipping Out

AE: Your business partner Ryan is also your ex-boyfriend. Has that been difficult to work together after dating? Were there any challenges you had to overcome in order to have a successful business relationship?
JL: Yeah, there was certainly a lot of tension, a lot of resentment. It was a friendly, civil breakup. I haven't had too many of those. [laughs] This one in particular, it was a good relationship. Ryan was always a good friend. I always completely trusted him. I probably couldn't be business partners with anyone else, because there was that complete trust. I rely on Ryan to make really important financial decisions and I don't have to worry about that with him. I don't think that I would have a business partner if Ryan weren't around.

AE: Trust is a big issue for you, something you've brought up numerous times in just the first two episodes. Who do you trust the most in your life?
JL: It is difficult. I'm sure other people can relate, but it is difficult for me to trust. A lot of people have let me down and disappointed me. I try very hard to get through it. I try very hard to give people the benefit of the doubt. That said, I do have a close-knit group of friends that I trust. I do generally trust my employees, the ones that are working for me presently, until they give me a reason not to.

AE: Speaking of your employees, they almost serve as a sort of surrogate family for you. Chosen family is a common experience for many gay people. What drew you to the people in your life?
JL: I've been through a lot of assistants, and I've certainly been through many, many interviews, but there were some redeeming characteristics with these people that work for me now. I felt like, ultimately, at the end of the day, I needed someone in my home that I could trust, and that had my back, and were good people.

I'm not sure we didn't come together out of dysfunction, [laughs] but I do — and I think they know this — I really do care about the people who work for me. I do want the best for them. I am flexible with their career goals. They're all pursuing other careers — except for Zoila — and I'm very flexible with that. I'm very supportive. I move their schedules around the best I can so they can pursue their dreams and goals. It is difficult for me to manage. I don't want to hold them back. I don't feel like they're going to be working for me forever, and I don't want them to be working for me forever.

AE: Have you watched the show at all since it began airing?
JL: I have.

AE: How did you feel when you heard Jenni or Chris call you crazy?
JL: When I first heard that, I was a little thrown back, but I'm self aware enough to know that my behavior isn't always so normal and that most people would consider it crazy.

That said, when Jenni finished that sentence, she went on to say that all geniuses are crazy. Which really, I found the second half of that sentence to be a huge compliment. I thought, wow, this is a girl who really respects my work. She knows how hard I work, and how much I put into this, and how much I care. It's very hard to shut off. As much as I'd like to shut it off at 7 o'clock and continue with my evening, I'm always thinking about it — thinking of ways to make the houses better, important changes that could take the property to the next level. I'm always thinking.

AE: Are you single or are you seeing someone now?
JL: I am seeing someone now. It's been a long-term relationship. Although we don't live together, it's been about five years.

AE: Does having OCD affect your relationships?
JL: Oh yeah. Absolutely. It's difficult for him. I'm obviously extremely neat and organized, and he is not, and that creates a lot of tension. Although, he's gotten better, and I've gotten a lot better. By that, I mean I let him keep his house messy. [laughs]

AE: Sometimes it almost seems as if you like your pets more than people. True or false?
JL: [long pause] True. [laughs] True. I love animals. I love my pets. They changed my life for so many reasons. I just care about them so much. I'm responsible for them, they depend on me. I hate to say it, but I do. I care more about my animals. [laughs]

AE: In the first episode, Jenni mentions that you have a pet integrator. Pardon my ignorance, but what is that, exactly?
JL: This is somebody who is very much like the Dog Whisperer. I rescued Oliver, the little dog. Somebody had just abandoned him at the dog park and we brought him home. The cats were not happy, so we hired the integrator to work with the cats and dogs so everyone could live together harmoniously. It actually really worked. We probably had four or five different sessions with this guy. He worked with Oliver, and Oliver learned to respect that the cats were there first, and ultimately, the cats run the house. [laughs] They're in charge.

AE: Jeff, thank you so much for talking to us. I hope you come back for a second season.
JL: Thank you. I really appreciate it.

Flipping Out airs Tuesdays at 10 P.M. on Bravo.