Selling the OC 's Alex Hall Addresses Relationship with Costar Tyler Stanaland After His Split from Brittany Snow

Jeff Kravitz/Getty, Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Alex Hall is setting the record straight about her relationship with her Selling the OC costar Tyler Stanaland.

The Netflix reality star and real estate agent, 33, opened up about the situation surrounding herself and her colleague, 33, at the Oppenheim Group's new Orange County office following his split from his wife Brittany Snow.

The same day Snow, 36, and Stanaland announced their separation in September, Hall and Stanaland were spotted together having dinner at SOTA Sushi in Corona Del Mar with friends, including costar Polly Brindle. TMZ first reported the sighting.

According to the outlet, Stanaland and Hall both were not shy about touching each throughout the night. In one of the photos, Stanaland can be seen apparently sniffing Hall.

RELATED: 'Selling the OC' Star Married to Brittany Snow Speaks Out About Costar Who Tried to Kiss Him

TMZ

Hall addressed what happened during the outing while speaking to PEOPLE to promote her latest partnership with Keurig and her coffee-based cocktail collab, the Salted Caramel Martini. "We were literally at our favorite sushi restaurant right by the office and somebody snapped a picture on their iPhone of us," she says. "And we were out with more than just us."

"There was definitely all of us friends, but at the end of the day, Tyler was going through a really, really hard time," she adds.

Nino Munoz/Netflix

Speaking about her costar's split from the Pitch Perfect actress, Hall says, "It's something that had been long coming. His close friends know a little bit more about his personal life than the audience knows. So anybody in their right mind, I mean, who do you call when you're going through issues? You call your friends. I think people really want to hold onto that idea that there's something there between Tyler and [I]. I mean, at this point, we're just friends, so there's nothing more to it."

Hall also believes her friendship with Stanaland did not play a part in his breakup with Snow. "I don't think that mine and Tyler's friendship had any contribution to his divorce. Tyler is a grown man and Brittany is a grown woman," she says. "I think that people need to understand there was a life that they had way before Tyler started filming and long before him and I ever became friends."

A representative for Snow did not immediately reply to PEOPLE's request for comment.

netflix

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

As for her relationship with Snow, Hall tells PEOPLE she and the actress were only "acquaintances."

"I've met her, we've been in social settings together. I went to his birthday party. But there's no friendship there," she says, adding: "I mean, obviously my loyalty lies with Tyler."

Brittany Snow Instagram

Snow and Stanaland — who got engaged in 2019 and tied the knot in March 2020 in Malibu — announced their separation via Instagram on Sept. 14 with identical statements.

"After time and consideration, Tyler and I have made the difficult decision to separate," wrote Snow at the time. "This decision was made with love and mutual respect for one another. We have realized we need to take some time and make sure we are each living our most fulfilling and authentic lives."

RELATED: 'Selling the OC' Stars Get into Heated Argument Over Rumor in New Season's Dramatic First Look

Nino Munoz/Netflix

Aside from the complications that come with having her personal life in the spotlight, Hall says being on the show has made a positive impact on her life and business.

She tells PEOPLE, "My life has definitely changed, but I don't feel like it's because of being in the public eye. I think it's just, I've gotten so much busier and I'm one of the few cast members, I've got two children and I'm a single mom. And I know I sell; I've been doing this for a long time now, selling houses. This platform of being on the show has just opened so many other doors."

One of those new developments is a partnership with Keurig, which Hall has teamed up with to co-develop her own co-branded cocktail recipe: a Salted Caramel Martini, which is one of the drinks that can be brewed with the new K-Café SMART. Caramel was America's top-brewed flavor in 2022, according to recent data published by Keurig.

RELATED VIDEO: Brittany Snow Reached 'Final Straw' with Husband Tyler Stanaland After 'Selling the OC' Drama: Source

Calling the collaboration the "perfect match," Hall says, "I have an Italian background and so I've been drinking coffee from a shamefully young age. My mom used to make me macchiatos and all of that in third grade when I would wake up and there was no problem. I know that's highly looked down upon now, but back in the day, it wasn't a problem."

"So I've teamed up with Keurig and we co-developed this specialty salted caramel drink recipe, which I love. The K-Café SMART Brewer allows the user to create these craft drinks from home," she explains, noting the beverages can be made in less than three minutes.

Hall says she appreciated the space to be creative, and jokes that the collab was a perfect fit for her big ideas. "I love that they allowed me to have a lot of say, especially in this specific drink," she says. "They give me a lot of freedom to express my own personality. Obviously, that's right up my alley."