'Selling Sunset' star Amanza Smith defends Davina Potratz and says she has a 'heart of gold'

• Amanza Smith spoke positively about her "Selling Sunset" costar Davina Potratz during a Zoom interview with Insider.
• "I know that Davina means well. I do feel that sometimes she’ll say things that maybe... she doesn’t read the room exactly proper at the right time, but Davina has a heart of gold," Smith said.
• Potratz has been labeled as one of the show's most controversial characters after her on-air altercations with costars including Romain Bonnet, Mary Fitzgerald, and Chrishell Stause.
• "She gets named the villain a lot, and I’m like, ‘She’s really not,’” Smith said.

Amanza Smith insisted that she's "friends with all the girls" — including Davina Potratz — on Netflix's hit reality show "Selling Sunset" during a Zoom interview with Insider.

Based on years of working closely with Potratz and the Oppenheim Group — first as an interior designer and then as a real estate agent — Smith said the German broker isn't the typecast reality show villain that many believe her to be.

"I know that Davina means well. I do feel that sometimes she'll say things that maybe... she doesn't read the room exactly proper at the right time, but Davina has a heart of gold," Smith told Insider.

In a conflict-heavy series that follows a group of luxury real estate agents in Los Angeles, Potratz has managed to find herself in the center of much of the drama.

From commenting on Mary Fitzgerald's Moissanite engagement ring to insisting that there's "two sides to the story" after "This Is Us" actor Justin Hartley texted Chrishell Stause to tell her that he filed for divorce to end their two-year marriage, Potratz's on-screen behavior has left many "Selling Sunset" fans stunned.

"She gets named the villain a lot, and I'm like, 'She's really not,'" Smith said, adding, "She really doesn't mean harm. I think she sometimes just says things kind of wonky."

Because she's been around Potratz for a long time, she claimed that she knows Potratz "a little bit differently than maybe some of the other girls." That is, except for Potratz's closest friend in the office, Christine Quinn, Smith clarified.

And according to Smith, Potratz's issues with her "Selling Sunset" costars never got in the way of their friendship.

"I never missed a beat with Davina. There was never any beef after that," she said. "I'm friends with all the girls."

Potratz previously defended herself against the backlash she received for her behavior on the show during an August 2020 interview with Variety.

"I'm a very warm and sweet person and the whole cast knows that, production knows that. Of course everyone has bad moments, including myself. If you don't show me smiling or being warm and fuzzy, then it looks like all I am is the 10% where I had a bad moment," she said.

Potratz continued to say that she wishes viewers could see more of her "whole personality."

"I'm very loyal and funny and sweet, and maybe that's not as exciting or interesting," she said.

As for Smith, she jokingly referred to herself as the "Middle Manza," a nickname she mentioned for herself since she actively tries to steer clear of the office drama.

"I get along with all the girls. Maybe it's because I'm old and don't have time for the bulls---, but who knows?" she joked.