The Big Picture

Selita and Julian balance work and reality TV commitments on Grand Cayman.
Selita reflects on gaining confidence and overcoming insecurities during the show.
Both Selita and Julian learn important life lessons while filming the reality series.

Former Victoria’s Secret model Selita Ebanks is no stranger to reality television. She’s appeared on shows like The Challenge, Celebrity Apprentice, and even Catfish. However, being no stranger to the cameras does not mean being in front of them gets any easier. Especially when living on a small island in a community close to Grand Cayman. Fellow cast member Julian Foster also understands this, even with being new to the TV game. Julian may be a new person to non-islanders, but his family name runs deep on the island of Grand Cayman. His family founded Foster’s Supermarket, the first supermarket chain on Grand Cayman, meaning everyone from the island knows exactly who he is.

The pressures of being a public figure might be too much for the average person, but people like Selita and Julian are well equipped to handle the pressure of filming series like Grand Cayman: Secrets In Paradise. The series follows a group of Caymanian locals and expats as they navigate their interpersonal issues while dealing with island rumors and other problems. Selita is a producer on the new Freeform series alongside Elizabeth Chambers, the other well-known name featured in the cast. Collider had the opportunity to speak with Selita and Julian about the experience of doing the show, as well as how they maintain their group sanity in the midst of the chaos of the group.

Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise (2024) A group of uber-rich and on-the-rise locals and expats navigate the rocky waters of their relationships, friendships, and careers in the paradise of Grand CaymanRelease Date April 9, 2024 Cast Elizabeth Chambers , Selita Ebanks , Courtney McTaggart , Craig Jervis , Julian Foster , Aaron Bernardo , Cass Lacelle , Victoria Jurkowski , Chelsea Flynn , Teri Bilewitch , Trevor Coleman , Dillon Claassens , Connor Bunney Main Genre Reality Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) Freeform

The Challenge of Work-Life Balance Julian and Selita Face On ‘Grand Cayman: Secrets In Paradise’
Image via Freeform

Often, when watching a reality series, it’s easy to forget the people on these shows also have careers beyond the series unless the show itself is about work. Grand Cayman is an island paradise, but people still have to live and work, and Selita and Julian are no exception to the rule. In fact, in the first few episodes alone, it’s clear that Selita has a lot of passion projects on her plate. She shared, I think as an entrepreneur, She shared “I think as an entrepreneur you have to work towards all of it a little bit a day, and eventually you’ll get to that point.”

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Selita has her hand in a lot of different projects. Fashion, writing, and producing are all hats she currently wears. She also added, “I am trying to stay optimistic, trying to stay focused. I am faithful that all of my projects will come to fruition and will be fruitful.” Much like Selita, Julian has his own business to run, and now he also had to factor in filming a reality TV show.” Julian shared, “It was fun. It was difficult. I mean, obviously, I have an agency that I have to run. And I have employees relying on me, and now we’ve added this humongous commitment where you have to show up and be who you are.” He added, “It requires you to be very focused, and when you’re not focused, and you’re having a mental breakdown, you’ve got to pull yourself together real quick.”

When asked about how they handle balancing their regular work lives with the show, both Selita and Julian have their own ways of centering themselves. Julian touched on grounding himself in the midst of conflict with the cast. He said, “Just be very aware of what’s happening and be able to focus and be cool. ‘This person’s having a mental breakdown. Do I need to be there to support them? Do I need that in my space at this moment?’” These are important questions to ask, especially as the support system for this colorful cast.

Selita and Julian Learned A Lot About Themselves On ‘Grand Cayman: Secrets In Paradise’
Image via Freeform

Being a reality TV fan means being able to easily point out who “the drama” is. Equally important to that is understanding who the advice-givers are, as they are often in orbit of the drama, without ever being directly involved. Selita and Julian could be seen as the pillars of the cast, but being the pillars doesn’t mean that they gained nothing from the experience. Selita is often called the “mom” of the group, likely because of her ability to see situations clearly while connecting with everyone in a spirit of empathy. After being in that “mom role” for a season. Selita was not only a stable voice for the cast, but the show also gave her the opportunity to reflect on her own life.

She shared, “I get like, ‘You’re such a mom!’ A lot of people don’t know that I have a lot of insecurities, and it took a lot for me to do this show. I suffered [from] PTSD from my previous career. Being in the limelight and having to deal with people’s opinions– I was very young and I didn’t know how to navigate it, and I was very much alone.” Moving home to Grand Cayman, where her roots are, definitely helped in doing the show as well.

She added, “I think the show did help me find more confidence in myself and just being able to say I am who I am and I am enough.” Selita’s statement is simple but one that many struggle with on a daily basis. She also said, “I used to cringe watching myself on TV before. I would nitpick and break myself down. It just wasn’t healthy. So, now I feel, I just feel more confident in saying this is who I am.” Julian also learned more about himself after experiencing filming a show like this for the first time. He shared, “If you’re not learning, you’re just repeating the same things over and over again. I think we had a lot of opportunities this season to learn from things. Myself personally, but I think the entire cast has come out stronger from the season as a group, and a lot of friendships have really thrived from this.”

Grand Cayman: Secrets In Paradise airs weekly on Tuesdays at 10 PM ET and 9 PM CT on Freeform and is available to stream the next day on Hulu.

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