Photo: SONIC
There’s something to be said about people who still find a way to encourage others even when they’re going through their own struggles.
Ciara Miller didn’t have to be warm. Not today.
Just hours after filming what may be Bravo’s most highly anticipated reunion ever (not just an Andy Cohen tagline) for the current season of Summer House, Miller hopped onto a Zoom call to discuss her latest partnership with SONIC. And without hesitation, she led with a compliment.
“You’re so pretty.”
I’ll admit — I’m a sucker for a compliment. But this felt different. Not because kindness is rare, but because of the timing.
This is a woman who is currently at the center of a very public betrayal — one that’s still unfolding in real time as the season airs. And yet before I ask a single question, she makes space for me.
It’s a small moment, but it tells you a lot.
When I ask how she’s doing, Ciara doesn’t overexplain. She simply says she’s taking it “one day at a time.”
Measured. Careful, but not guarded.
There’s a dance that has to happen when two strangers do an interview like this: one holds the weight of a narrative that the other only knows from the outside looking in. A bachata, of sorts.
There are boundaries — clear ones set ahead of time. And certain topics off limits.
And still, something real manages to slip through.
Because even a conversation that isn’t about drama it’s impossible to ignore entirely. Instead, we carefully navigate around it — focusing on what’s next and what’s happening right now… outside of the storm.
And right now, that’s Miller’s new campaign with SONIC — one that, to my surprise, has been a long time coming. She lights up describing childhood memories tied to the brand — one that has, no pun intended, been a truly refreshing partnership during an otherwise difficult time.
We also touch on her “manifested” casting on Dancing With the Stars, and perhaps my favorite topic, which also happens to be the most telling: the incredible support system that has rallied around her in recent weeks.
The reunion may be behind her. The public reaction is not.
But if there’s one thing that becomes clear within the ten minutes of speaking to Ciara Miller, it’s this: whatever comes next, she won’t be facing it alone.
Her tribe — her real friends — have already made that clear.
Keep reading for our full conversation.
Let's talk about this campaign. First of all, I saw a comment on your campaign video with Ariana Madix that was like, "You can't spell SONIC without spelling icons."
I saw that too. And I was like, my brain doesn't think that way. So when people do those little [wordplay], I was like, "That's actually genius."
No, literally. I'm always like, "I hate when people are funnier or smarter than me." And then, there [the comment] was. I would love to know how this SONIC collab came together, especially you and Ariana teaming up for this.
Well, I've always wanted to work with Ariana, so I feel like this was a perfect project. And I grew up on SONIC. Friday nights, when I was younger, it was a treat for us. My mom would get off of work, and she'd be like, "Okay, we're going to SONIC." And we'd go to the drive-in and basically hang out in the car and eat SONIC. I was always getting a chili cheese dog, or we could have a milkshake for a treat. And my mom was very kind of crunchy granola. So, the minute we got to have a real treat, we were like, "We're going to SONIC." So I felt like it was just so nostalgic and such a 360 moment.
I'm like, "Have I even told my mom about this yet?" I don't even think I told her about it because I really want her to see the commercial first. She's gonna be like, "I can't believe you're in a SONIC commercial. We spent so much of your childhood at SONIC." And I'm gonna be like, "I know... I love it."
Yeah, it's so full circle. With you working with Ariana, I know you both have had the public rally around you. What was it like connecting with her behind the scenes?
Honestly, so nice. I feel like she's such a sisterly figure, especially because we come from the same universe. Bravo is a small world. And so it's so nice to be able to talk to someone else who's branched out in other ways. And to get advice from them and just hear what they have to say. I think sometimes you get a little in your head with certain things, but she's really kind of re-instilling my confidence and just being like, "You know what you're doing." And reinforcing that, "You are worthy of whatever you want. You can do this, and you already know what you're doing." And even before all this sh*t, she was like, "You were on this upward trajectory." So I really feel like it was the perfect dose of what I needed to hear.
And she's always like, "Call me, text me if you need literally anything or need any advice." So it's just great to have that energy in this industry.
Speaking of the industry. Let's talk about Dancing with the Stars. First of all, congratulations. This is huge!
Thank you!
Did it come as a surprise, or was this something that you feel like you've been manifesting?
I've been manifesting. I wanted to do it last year, and I wanted to do it the year before. And I was like, one day I'm gonna do Dancing with the Stars, and it's that day! I'm so excited. I'm a little bit nervous. I know I definitely need to start going to the gym, going to do yoga, and work on my flexibility, but I mean, I'm pumped. I'm so excited. And I feel like even though it's gonna be a lot of hard work, I feel like it's gonna be a lot of fun. And I grew up dancing, so I can't wait for the storytelling of it all. And it's a different way to express my creative side.
So what are you most excited about, and who's your dream partner?
Dream partner would probably be Val [Chmerkovskiy].
Ooh. That's a good one.
Yeah, because I feel like he will give me the tough love that I need, but it's also skill-wise. He's incredible, but I feel like he'll give me enough tough love and be able to really mold me. I'm kind of a perfectionist, so I feel like he'll be able to mold me appropriately. And I'm really excited for the music — choosing the music, the vibe, the costumes. Y'all know I love a theme. I will be putting all of these ideas into my dances.
I'm so excited to see this come to fruition! I know in your Dancing with the Stars announcement video, you checked off taking risks in 2026. What's a risk you're still a little scared to take, and what are some that you feel like you've already taken?
Well, for Dancing with the Stars, I have to move to LA for a couple months, so as a fully New York girl, I'm moving to LA. That's gonna be a risk that's upcoming. And Jasper's gonna be a new LA kitty. I mean, hopefully he doesn't wanna go outside, but we'll see. So I'm kind of nervous about that, but also very excited.
A risk that I've already taken... I feel like being on reality TV is the biggest risk that I've done.
Enough said. Now, I wanna talk about friendship, but before we even get into that, I wanna know what [your friend] Denisha [who you mentioned on Tefi Talks] has been saying throughout this time. That's who I really want to hear from. I'm like, that's what the fans wanna see.
So dead. I can't wait to call her and tell her this. She's actually here right now. She's downstairs. Here's the thing, Denisha's also a therapist. She gives you the most solid advice about life. I'm like, can you please get your New York license? You're my friend, but you're also my therapist. She just has the best takes. I told her, "You need to be on TikTok giving your opinions because the people wanna hear what you have to say."
But Denisha always has a hot take. She always got something crazy to say, and she is always just full of life, full of energy. I cannot wait to tell her this.
I know Denisha's been having all the takes. Is there anything that you can think of that she said that stuck with you throughout this time?
It's so funny because she'll send me... like our text thread is... Let me go to our text thread. She sent me this song. Do you know Monaleo, "Crossroads Freestyle?" She sent me this song, and she was like, "Good morning. Listen to this. Read the lyrics. Step into your bad b*tch energy. You're the one, not the two. You are protected and loved." She's like, "You LeBron [James] in the fourth."
And then I came home yesterday, and she had gotten me a gift, and she put it in my apartment when I got home. She blew up my Glamour cover and framed it for me.
Oh, I love Denisha.
Everybody needs a Denisha. And shout out to Mia [Calabrese] for blessing me with Denisha. They have been friends since high school. She is a main character. I love her.
Speaking of this friendship, what does friendship mean to you now, and has anything surprised you about who's shown up for you?
I feel like this has actually been such a testimony to friendship and people showing up and just breathing life into you. And for me, I think it's just created more discernment, and I feel very blessed with the people that I have in my life. Bad things do happen, but I feel like I'm a person who kinda keeps a small circle, and I definitely have been leaning on that. And I feel like [this situation has] reinforced a lot of my friendships as well.
We have time for one more question, so I wanted to ask, if you had to name the era that you're in right now, what would you call it?
You know what? A song that comes to mind is, like, No More Crying, Mary J. Blige.
Well, there you go. It's the era of no more tears. It's also giving Ariana [Grande].
No more tears. No more tears. That's it. Yes.
This article has been edited for clarity and length.