5 Minutes With: Lynda Erkiletian

WaPo.com:

Lynda Erkiletian, who has the distinction of starring in the only U.S. “Real Housewives” franchise not to make it past Season 1, still thinks Washington could make it to the big time. Although some argue that Washington will never be more than a political town, Erkiletian isn’t buying it. Thirty-three years after opening the Artist Agency, her D.C.-based talent firm, the onetime reality star continues to push Washington into the limelight.

What was your experience like on “Housewives”?

When I started doing the show, I had already been in business 26 years, so I had my tribe of industry people who knew who I was. But it was wonderful to have the platform of Bravo and be able to showcase our industry across the nation and, in some cases, across the world.

Overall, was the experience a positive or a negative?

I won’t say it was all a bed of roses. It certainly was not. As you probably know, we had our White House crashers, and the FBI — which [“Housewives” executive producer] Andy Cohen just recently talked about — came in and seized all the film and footage. It was very uncomfortable. We were the first “Housewives” show that didn’t go forward for a second season. We knew that [before they told us] because they stopped filming, and we knew the FBI requested all the footage because they had to make sure that Bravo didn’t have anything to do with it. That’s a monster breathing down your back when you’re trying to do a reality show.

Did you have any idea that was going to happen?

Oh, no. I didn’t really film with the Salahis with the exception of being at other people’s parties, because that was part of my contract. I had done business with them in the past, and I didn’t want the association. We had done her [Michaele’s] polo event before for the fashion show, and, unfortunately, it wasn’t a very good business arrangement. We had to sue them to get our money. So, I really didn’t want to pretend that I liked who they were. But I think the “Housewives of D.C.” was certainly worth doing it. I have no regrets as far as that goes.

How do you feel about “The Real Housewives of Potomac”?

I haven’t seen this season, but I do have favorites. I think it’s great to have a reality show in D.C. I used to live in Potomac. It’s a fantastic city. It’s wonderful that they’re doing it. We need something to showcase our city on a national level. If that’s what it takes, I’m all for it.

RELATED:  ‘Real Housewives Of DC’ Where Are They Now?

Kelly Bensimon Shares Thoughts on Possible 'Real Housewives of New York City' Return

FoxNews.com:

Kelly Bensimon appeared on "The Real Housewives of New York City" from season 2 through 4.

Now on its eighth season, FOX411 caught up with the former Bravo star to ask her if she would consider returning to the reality show.

"Everyone always asks me if I would do it again and I never say no just because I always tell my kids never say never because you don’t want to, you know, put yourself out of the game," she told us at Steven Tyler's concert event benefitting his charity Janie's Fund.

"I just would have to expect more from the producers, I would want them to want their talent to be genuine and authentic."

She added that she wasn't comfortable sharing a lot of details about her life on television.

"I won’t share my life with people that I don’t know and that I don’t trust… and that’s why I didn’t show my life. I was just like ok I’ll hang out with these girls and I’m going to go home.

"[I] rarely did things with my kids, rarely did anything that was personal, rarely dated, like I went on one date, and I did that for a reason because...I didn’t feel like it was the right environment."

These days Bensimon's focus is on her new novel out next month called "A Dangerous Age" which she describes as "Sex and the City meets "Housewives."

"[It's] all about the publishing world, the art world, television world, modeling world, everything that I know a lot about...it’s jam-packed and a very, very, very sexy book. Very sexy."

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I think it's pretty safe to state that no one and I mean no one is clamoring for Kelly Bensimon to return to 'RHONY'.

RELATED: All 89 Real Housewives, Ranked

Report: Bravo Possibly Bringing Back Real Housewives of DC, But as RHOA 2.0 with African-American Cast

RealityBox.com;

The Real Housewives phenomenon has come a long way since its premiere ten years ago with Real Housewives of Orange County.

Following the success of the OC, we saw how affluent women live in New York City, Atlanta, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Miami and Beverly Hills.

The franchise has even been picked up internationally in such locations as Canada, England, Greece, Israel, Ireland, Australia and supposedly later this year Johannesburg, South Africa will premiere their first season of the successful franchise.

Real Housewives of D.C. aired in 2010 with pretty solid ratings but was not renewed for a season two because of the alleged legal issues with the U.S. government that followed when housewife Michaele Salahi and ex husband Tareq Salahi made national news when they crashed a White House dinner.

Fast forward to 2015.

Leftfield Entertainment has been trying to get a reality show in the DMV area for quite some time now. DMV is local term that refers to DC, Maryland and Virginia metro area. Leftfield Entertainment owns Sirens Entertainment which is the production company for Real Housewives of New Jersey.

According to The Washington Post, Leftfield Entertainment is searching for “uber-fabulous” and “queen bee” type women in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Prince George’s County is the number one wealthiest county in the world for African-Americans.

Bossip, an African-American entertainment website recently reported sources close to the website told them that a Real Housewives show was being filmed in the D.C. area, mainly in Maryland, for the last couple months. This show will feature an all African-American cast.

Some of the women who are rumoured to be on the show are Katie Rost, Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon.

Katie Rost is a model and TV personality. Rost also dated Russell Simmons at one point as well.

Gizelle Bryant is another woman rumoured to be on the show. Bryant is a successful business woman who owns a woman’s shape wear company.  Move over Heather Thomson.

Robyn Dixon is a publicist who is married to former Washington Wizards player Juan Dixon. The couple divorced and then remarried and are raising their kids together. Juan is currently basketball coach at University of Maryland.

RELATED: Bravo officially pulls plug on ‘Real Housewives of D.C.’

It's Official: Real Housewives of D.C.' Is Cancelled

WaPo.com:

Ta-ta self-edit-gene-lacking Cat Ommanney!


Bye-bye, modeling agency matron Lynda Erkiletian!


So long, mom-of-five/Arthur Godfrey granddaughter Mary Amons!


See you ‘round, real estate agent Stacie Turner!


And, we think we’ll miss you most of all Michaele Salahi!


“The Real Housewives of D.C.” has been cancelled.


Though Cat confidently told The Post in late February that the deafening silence since the show’s October 2010 finale, “has made people think there won’t be one, but I’m quite confident that there will be a second season,” the fat lady sang for the show on Thursday afternoon.


Bethesda-based Half Yard Productions contacted the cast to let them know Washington’s contribution to Bravo’s hot docu-soap franchise would not be picked up for a second season.


It marks the first time in “Housewives” history that an iteration has not moved forward for a second season. The franchise got its start 2006 at the height of ABC network’s “Desperate Housewives” mania.


“We had an amazing season and we told stories that were unique to any other in the franchise. I wish all our DC Wives the best and hope to work with them again in another capacity,” Andy Cohen, Bravo’s executive vice president of original programming and development, said in a an e-mail exchange with the TV Column in response to our query on Thursday.


“In fact, Cat is booked on our April 28th ‘Watch What Happens Live Royal Wedding Spectacular’,” added Cohen – ever the showman.

This news is sad to say the least and really surprising considering that RHODC did really well in the ratings. But then maybe what with Andy Cohen's recent announcement that there wouldn't be any more 'Housewife' series', could it be that the 'Housewives' franchise has become too much of a good thing? Not that that makes any sense either considering that the survival of a TV show usually depends on ratings. Then too, what about the talk that Cohen seems to be trying to make himself bigger than the 'Housewives' himself what with all the promotion surrounding the oft-lame "Watch What Happens Live"? I don't know. But I do know that I'll miss seeing Mary, Stacie, Cat, Lynda and Michaele on TV and enjoyed watching their stories for the short while they lasted anyway. Farewell ladies, tho you can trust that I'll be keeping track of your journey here, after all, once a 'Housewife', always a 'Housewife'.

Bravo Remains Undecided on Giving 'The Real Housewives of DC' a Second Term

Zap2It.com:

There has been a lot of speculation on the state of Bravo's "Real Housewives" franchise. When once it was a force to be reckoned with, viewership shows that just because a cast is blessed with "The Real Housewives" title, it doesn't mean they're going to be a hit.


Now, Radaronline.com reports that "The Real Housewives of DC" has been impeached from the franchise.


"The show just didn't do well and it wasn't worth airing another season," a source "close to the situation" tells the site.


We contacted Bravo for a statement and a representative tells us, "The network has made no decision regarding a Season 2."


According to the report, filming for the second DC season was to begin about now, but Bravo has yet to contact the housewives about their decision to cancel the series.


The first season of the series was marred by the antics of the alleged gatecrashers, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, and several of the cast members believed the couple hijacked the season. It was a bit of a PR debacle for the network, as well, as it played coy around confirming that the Salahis were on the show to begin with.

First, I won't buy news of anybody being canceled I hear it from Bravo. Second, was RHODC really that bad or are all the blogs and such talking about this just hating to Michaele Salahi? Third, if Bravo execs really think the first season of RHODC was crap, why not just get rid of the lightning-rod Michaele (who honestly has become more and more of a joke) and 'save' the show with a couple of new 'Housewives' rather than give up on the rest of the cast and cancel the show after only one season? I mean DC certainly has a popular and well-to-do base and it wasn't like RHODC did that bad in the ratings (despite what the haters tell you). Then too, certainly there are enough DC fans who want ton continue hearing the stories of Lynda, Stacie, Catherine, Mary and yes, even Michaele. I know I do. Thus, Bravo would be better served bringing RHODC back for another season.

Alex McCord: Salahi's Ruined Real Housewives of DC

People.com:

After watching the second hour of the Real Housewives of DC reunion, I have to agree with Mary – this season was hijacked. The antics of the Salahis and their absolute refusal to take responsibility for any of their actions, was amazing.


Now that we've all seen the sit-down, now that there has been an opportunity for Tareq and Michaele to open up and try to redeem themselves, can we please pull the plug on them? When faced with direct statements from the Redskins, the Congressional Black Caucus, the White House, etc., this couple stated that everyone lied. You know, one person could lie. Perhaps even multiple people connected to one event could all stick to a made-up story. But when every single story you hear about a couple is dismissed as a lie or a smear, you stop believing them. I know I stopped a good while ago.


It's really sad that an entire season can be overshadowed by one couple's bad behavior. I wanted to see more fun events, more interpersonal drama, more of the minutiae of these women's lives. That's what makes the Real Housewives shows fun. I want to see more of Lynda and Ebong's relationship, and Rich and Mary dealing with the closet, the dog and the daughter. Let's watch Erika go after Cat, or Cat torture Republican lobbyists – all of that is much more fun than watching someone lie over and over again.

Of course, I wholeheartedly disagree. In fact in my opinion the Salahi's probably saved RHODC from being canceled because the other 'Housewives" stories just weren't that interesting. Cat, Mary and Lynda can hate on Michaele and Tareq all they want, but I watched the whole season and without the Salahi's it would've been a bore (tho' Cat's hatred for just about everybody would've surely supplied some good theater regardless). The Salahi's brought controversy and attention to RHODC, most viewers probably don't like them, but they sure as hell are interested in knowing what's going with them or what crazy stunt they'll pull next.I hope Bravo execs have the good sense to bring the Salahi's back.

DC Reunion Sneak Peek: "DC Housewives Are Ready to Talk"

"At least I'm married Cat"! Damn, Michaele went for the jugular with that one.

'D.C. Housewives' Ranks As Second Most-Watched Freshman Sesason For Bravo Franchise

This should end the speculation on whether or not there'll be a second season of RHODC. I just hope that Bravo has the good sense to bring back the Salahi's no matter what Mary, Lynda and Cat think:

The Real Housewives of D.C. concluded its rookie season run as the second most-watched freshman series in the Bravo's franchise among total viewers.

The D.C. edition averaged 1.36 million total viewers during its first season, which ended its run on Oct. 7, according to Nielsen data. That compared with the 2.17 million watches for the first season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Included in the D.C. average audience tally were 843,000 persons 18 to 49. BravoTV.com's showsite for the D.C. series generated 19 million page views, 1 million unique visitors, and 775,000 video streams during the course of the season.

Bravo will give fans of The Real Housewives of D.C. a double dose of drama, when it airs the two-part reunion special on Oct. 14 and Oct. 21 at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)

Lynda Erkiletian Speaks On The Salahi's, D.C. Finale

CNN.com:

As one of “The Real Housewives of D.C.," Lynda Erkiletian completely understands why so many people are fascinated by her fellow cast members, Tareq and Michaele Salahi.


The owner of a modeling agency told CNN the buzz surrounding the Salahis – who became well known last year after they made it past security to shake hands with President Obama during a state dinner for the prime minister of India – is more than warranted.


“I don’t think it was just our show that had to set its sights on the Salahis,” she said. “It was the entire nation who had set its sights on the Salahis given their alleged lack of invitation. It’s impossible to do a show in the nation’s capital and have a national breach of security involving one of our cast members and not have it shake our world.”


The Bravo reality show will have its finale tonight, and viewers will get a behind the scenes glimpse at that fateful night when the Salahis became arguably two of the world’s most famous party guests.

I think that Bravo has done a greatt job in not just focusing on the Salahi's this season, each cast member of RHODC have certainly gotten their equal share of the storyline. However, yes, the media attention towards Tareq and Michaele's extracurricular hijinks can certainly be overwhelming for everyone, esp. the other cast members. But will Lynda, Cat and Mary ever admit that they too have played a part in the extra buzz surrounding the "White House Gatecrashers"? Lynda just won't acknowledge her own mean girlness in how she's treated Michaele this season. Cat hates her (and pretty much everyone else's guts so at least she's consistent) and Mary's passive-aggressiveness is just unmoving at times. Stacie seems to be the only one who can take a straight-up, call-you-to-your-face-on-your-BS approach with the Salahi's and not let them get under her skin. Maybe the other women outta take a cue.

'Real Housewives Of D.C.' Recap: 'It was Awkward and Horrible'

BuddyTV.com:

Cat has finished Inbox Full (in tv time, in real life the book won't be out until December). It's interesting to hear Cat say that her marriage with Charles "not all as rosy and sparkly as it may seem" with the revelation of her recent divorce (two months after filming ended). It would be difficult, as Charles's schedule is so crazy that he only has hours in DC at a time.


Speaking of crazy, Michaele is talking about being a Redskins cheerleader again, which is completely unconfirmed. It's an enticing mystery, as Michaele seems to know some of these women at the former cheerleader event. She doesn't seem to know the routine, though. We learned on Watch What Happens Live that the Redskins Organization has confirmed that they have no record of Michaele being a cheerleader. You can buy your way into the alumni association.


Meanwhile, Stacie hosts a party for some of the Housewives (Cat, Mary, Lynda, plus Erika) and their kids. Erika calls Cat mean and pretends to strangle her in that way that's "a joke" but not really a joke at all. Erika's son asks "who's the oldest mommy?" and stupidly, the mothers have them guess. Gew. But the ladies have better things to do than feel old, they need to discuss Michaele's pathological lying, and gay marriage. Mary brings it up, so it turns out she does like to talk about people.


Mary mentions that Lolly quit her job because she was miserable and Stacie brings up that if you had rent to pay you wouldn't do that (Lolly lives at home). The barbs are out tonight!

See 'The Real Housewives of D.C.' Before They Were Famous

TVSquad.com:

Before they were crashing parties at the White House and rubbing elbows with politicians and celebrities alike on 'The Real Housewives of D.C.,' the ladies were singing backup vocals, making headlines in London tabloids, hanging out with the Kennedys, posing for cameras and leading sorority meetings.

Life & Style has exclusive photos of Lynda Erikiletian, Cat Ommanney, Mary Amons, Stacie Turner and Michaele Salahi before they were stars.

Take a peek at photos of Lynda, Mary and Cat before they took America by storm on Bravo's hit reality series. For a full gallery of the 'Housewives' before they were stars pickup Life & Style Weekly, on newsstands now!

Alex McCord Disses "Real Housewives Of D.C."

TVWatch.com:

In season 3 of The Real Housewives of New York City, fans applauded when Alex McCord finally stood up to her costar, Jill Zarin. “When you’re dealing with someone who only understands when you hit her in the face with a verbal two-by-four, then that’s what you have to do,” McCord says of the famous “mean girl” confrontation. Now, McCord, who says, “It is absolutely crucial and necessary in reality TV to let people know how you feel,” is bringing her outspoken attitude to a blog about Bravo’s newest chapter in the hit Housewives franchise, The Real Housewives of Washington D.C. Each week, McCord will share her thoughts on and advice for her D.C. counterparts. “It is a great ride to take in life. It’s so much fun,” McCord says of the reality TV spotlight. “Maintain your sanity in whatever way you need to.” Here’s McCord’s first post about Thursday’s series premiere:



My opening line on New York City series goes like this: “To a certain group of people, status is everything.” But in D.C., we learned, “the currency is proximity to power.” Both are sweeping statements but both scratch the soft white underbelly of what everyone who is honest thinks, at some point, of either city. So far, most of the D.C. Housewives seem to be sitting in the balcony — about as close to power as Sarah Palin‘s ex-stylist’s manicurist. 


The closest two seem to be Cat Ommanney, whose husband has a security-clearance-level job, though for how much longer once this series airs, we’ll see, and Mary Amons, who was born there and grew up socializing with the families of political icons. She and I have a few things in common, which is one of the reasons I wanted to blog about the show. I was born in D.C., spent my first couple of years in McLean, Va., and whether there or back in Highland Park, my dad played poker the guys everyone knows, who would never in a billion years be on a reality show other than C-SPAN. My father was in D.C. due in part to members of the Bush family — yes, they ruled school even in the ’70s. (Mary and I also share the same annoying strings for intro music. Sorry, darling.) Next season (if there is one), she’ll learn not to say the word “connections” and to know that by name-dropping her neighbors, she has outed them, since her address will be all over the Internet by next week. I did enjoy watching her drunkenly try to integrate Washington’s hair salons, and her husband Rich trying on pants. The only place Simon would wear those pink pants is to a dinner with someone he wanted to annoy. They call them “f— you” pants for a reason, and every man should have a pair.

Having heard forever about what pleasant people the Bushes all were, I understood where Cat was attempting to go at Stacie‘s party. I remember having a heated argument with my mother in 2000 about not allowing your rosy memories of someone’s family to color the way you vote. You can be the nicest guy in the world at parties, which might get you elected, but it doesn’t make you a good leader. Cat lost me when, in her husky Wiltshire voice, she proceeded to brag about her husband and show cell phone photos of Vice President Biden. Ugh. By going so far as to tell people that your husband’s photos elected a president, you’ve shown the world that you are insecure and need to jockey for position. Badly played, Cat, though not the worst offender.


Probably I’d like Stacie off camera, but on camera she bores me. Kudos to her for being lovely, articulate and a hard worker, but she showed her naïveté when she defended someone she doesn’t know. Don’t ever do that; you’ll get burned.

She goes on to call Lynda "two-faced" and equates Michaele to a "talking Barbie"--blunt talk to be expected from the new and improved Alex, but I like in particular how she went after Stacie being "boring" and naive because that conversation about Tyra Banks in the kitchen still irks me. Again, I get where Cat was coming from dissing Tyra and to go out of your way to defend Tyra Banks of all people, really now?

Real Housewives of D.C. Opens To 1.6 Million Viewers

WaPo.com:

More than 1.6 million people checked out the unveiling of "Real Housewives of DC" Thursday night at 9. That's slightly shy of last year's "Real Housewives of New Jersey" premiere which copped 1.7 million.

On the other hand, "New Jersey" premiered in May (of '09) while "DC" is opening in August, when the number of Homes Using Television -- the so-called HUT level -- is down.

On yet another hand, none of the "Real Housewives" iterations has enjoyed the kind of pre-premiere publicity as did the "DC" version, thanks to the antics of cast member Michaele Salahi and her husband, Tareq who have managed to turn the ensemble reality series's other housewives into unwilling supporting cast members, including include Catherine Ommanney, the British divorcee who was married to a Newsweek photographer at the time of shooting; Mary Amons, the self-described super-mom who lives in a McMansion in McLean; real estate agent Stacie Scott Turner; and modeling agency owner Lynda Erkiletian.

In the most recent Salahi stunt, their lawyer is saying they are considering their legal options in re Whoopi Goldberg and "The View." The Salahis are unhappy that the show called them "White House gate crashers" when Michaele and the other housewives were on the ABC daytime talk show and are also mad that Goldberg touched Michaele Salahi during the show and yelled a four-letter word at then backstage. 

"Real Housewives of DC" came in laps ahead in the ratings of all of the franchise's other iterations.

That includes "Atlanta" which opened to an audience of 656,000 in Octover of '08, "NYC" which logged 824,000 in March of '08, and the very first episode that started it all, of "Real Housewives of Orange County" which attracted 430,000 viewers back in March of 2006.

I actually enjoyed the first episode of RHODC. Finally got to know all of the ladies, they certainly have distinct personalities and there looks to be more than enough drama upcoming to keep viewers watching throughout the season. Already my favorite DC 'Housewife' is Lynda because she's a straight-shooter who clearly isn't afraid to speak her mind. I like people who are naturally real and authentic, but who can have fun and laugh at themselves too and Lynda seems to be all that--plus it's about time we had an interracial relationship on one of the 'Housewives' shows.

America's Polo Cup On "Real Housewives Of D.C."

This prestigious event founded by Michaele and Tareq Salahi is the kick off to the season of galas, balls, and parties in DC.

Andy Cohen Talks "Real Housewives Of D.C."

Other RHODC Castmates Insist: It's 'Not All About The Salahis'

WaPo.com:

White House party crashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi are not the stars of Bravo's upcoming "The Real Housewives of D.C.," and their White House-partying ways are, in fact, "one small snippet" of the first season, two of the non-Michaele cast members said Thursday with all the certainty of people who have not yet seen any of the episodes.

The "one small snippet" line was Mary Schmidt Amons's. She's the wealthy granddaughter of '50s broadcaster Arthur Godfrey-cum-McLean mother of five. She's the one you're going to see in the first episode telling Stacie Scott Turner -- a real estate agent and the show's only African American cast member -- that Washington hair salons "need to integrate" because "we have different hair, different needs, but why do we need to be in different salons?"

On a conference call with The Reporters Who Cover Television, Amons wanted to make sure everyone understood that the show "is not all about the Salahis."

"We spent five months together, and we spent a lot of time sharing our stories, and I think that the American public is going to be really interested and inspired by our stories," Amons said, sounding very much like someone who's none too happy about having been upstaged by Michaele Salahi.

"I think viewers are going to be so surprised to find out the White House party crash is not the crescendo of the show," noted Turner, who was the other housewife on the call. 

I have to admit that I'm not all that excited about watching RHODC only because I've already had enough of the 'famewhores' that are Michaele and Tareq Salahi what with all the attention the White House party-crashers have already gotten from the press. Therefore I hope that the other women do have interesting stories of their own, enough to keep viewers watching anyway, but so far none of them have created enough buzz about themselves for me to notice.

StyleSpot Interviews Paul Wharton: "6th Real Housewife of DC"

WaPo.com:

This city may snooze in the depths of summer, but reality TV never sleeps.

During a week when our dance card had dried up, we got a last-minute invitation to a cocktail fundraiser for MenzFit, a nonprofit that gets struggling fellows into proper suits to compete in the job market. And, as with so many invitations lately, the grim warning was: "This event will be filmed for TV."

The cameras were there all right, on the rooftop of the Donovan House hotel Thursday, circling one partygoer in particular. Paul Wharton, a local stylist and occasional TV personality (VH1, CW), hasn't been highlighted in the promos for "Real Housewives of D.C.," but he's poised to emerge as the unofficial "sixth Housewife." The flat-ironed, high-cheekboned fashionista is all over the premiere, debuting next month -- cackling as Lynda Erkiletian declares Michaele Salahi to be anorexic, then telling Michaele what Lynda said. Fun! And Thursday, a camera (labeled "HYP" -- for "Housewives" producer Half Yard Productions?) rolled on around him . . .

Now wait: It's too late for the first season of D.C. "Housewives," and too soon to shoot a second season. . . . Do we smell spinoff? Will the madness never end? We pried Wharton (pinstriped skinny pants, pointy shoes) from his frenetic airkissing. "I am in the business of TV, and D.C. is the place to be these days," he told us cryptically. "I've found a great partner in Half Yard . . . and the rest you'll have to see.".

Tareq And Michaele Salahi Talk 'Puzzle Pieces' In DC Housewives

Get the feeling that Tareq Salahi is going to be the new Simon Van Kempen.

Real Housewives Of D.C. Promo

SNEAK PEEK: Watch A Preview of The Real Housewives of DC!

Examiner.com:

DC is about to “Get Real” according to Bravo. Here’s your first look at The Real Housewives of DC which will make its debut on Thursday, August 5 at 11/10 central.


Bravo’s "Real Housewives" franchise goes to Washington to bring us a slice of life amongst intelligent, rich and busy women who are raising kids, driving careers and mixing it up with their friends and family with the “unwritten social rules of the Beltway.”


Viewers will get to know these women through a Washington DC lens and Bravo promises “a compelling combination of politics, society and race, as well as how the proximity to political power dictates where one fits within Beltway society.” Watch these DC “power players” navigate the most important events, galas, gallery openings and fundraisers in Washington society.


The cast includes: Mary Schmidt Amons, described by Bravo as “the true Washingtonian” and the granddaughter of radio and TV personality Arthur Godfrey. Lynda Erkiletian, “mother hen” and owner of D.C.’s top modeling agency. Catherine Ommanney, model, married to a White House photographer; model Michaele Salahi, the founder of D.C.’s America’s Polo Cup, but who most people know because of the White House state dinner incident last November; Stacie Scott Turner, Harvard graduate, active political fundraiser and philanthropist.


The Real Housewives of D.C. went into production shortly after the historic election and inauguration, reflecting D.C. almost as its own character in the series.