The Real Housewives Blog

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Melissa Gorga Talks Setting Teresa Giudice Straight and Kathy Wakile Explains Why She's in the Fray

Melissa Gorga and sister-in-law Teresa Giudice look as though they may come to blows on the May 5 episode of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." But Melissa tells Zap2it that she just finally lost it after Teresa told her brother, Joe Gorga, that Melissa would leave him someday for a richer man.

"I'm really trying hard to keep my mouth shut, but what you're going to see on episode 3 is me explode," Melissa says. "I basically let her know to stop worrying about me and my family. ... I pretty much set her straight."

"I know [Teresa] gets petty," she continues. "But I had no idea how low she would go."

Teresa made headlines recently for a paid article in In Touch magazine in which she writes open-letter apologies to her castmates, including Melissa and cousin Kathy Wakile.

"You're starting to really see what's happening and what's been happening over the past years," Kathy tells Zap2it. "It's a pattern, and it's been happening for some time. You're going to understand a lot more where these feelings are coming from."

Some viewers have questioned why Kathy is involved in the battle between Teresa and Joe and Melissa.

"For me, I want to reconcile a brother and a sister," she says. "I see the hurt on both sides ... I'm a family member and I want to see them united. ... At the same time it's so hard knowing the right thing to say and how to say it."

"Teresa was like my little sister," Kathy continues. "I miss that little sister/cousin relationship that we had."

The drama continues on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" Sunday at 10 p.m. on Bravo.

Kyle Richards Opens Boutique With Alene Too, Talks About New RHOBH Castmember Yolanda Hadid

IBTimes.com:

Kyle Richards of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" is bringing her style expertise to a new Beverly Hills boutique, Kyle by Alene Too.

Richards has teamed up with Boca Raton-based retailer Alene Too - a store co-owned by Debbie Weisman and Lizzy Schwartz - to open a West Coast base. Of course, the RHOBH star, who is known as one of the most stylish of the bunch, will add her special flair.

"As someone who values great fashion, I know how difficult it is to find the newest looks and hottest accessories you want all under one roof," the reality star and mother of four told Us Weekly.

Kyle Richards decided to team up with Alene Too when she visited the Boca Raton, Fla., store for a book signing. While there, she told InStyle, she was distracted "because the store had every brand I love like Alice + Olivia, vintage Chanel and Haute Hippie."

"I have to bop all over L.A. to find those designers, so this is one-stop-shopping all under one roof," Richards added.

"I've always dreamt about this. They aren't going to be able to get rid of me-I'm bringing a sleeping bag to the store!" she told InStyle.
Weisman and Schwartz were just as excited to team up with the RHOBH alum.

"We have always loved West Coast style and bringing Alene Too to Los Angeles has been a dream of ours from the start," Schwartz told Us Weekly. "Partnering with Kyle Richards - with her incredible work ethic and amazing style is the perfect recipe for success."

Weisman added: "Our three-way love affair was instant. Kyle understands our vision and has the right profile and expertise to take Alene Too to the next level."

Kyle Richards, Debbie Weisman and Lizzy Schwartz will open Kyle by Alene Too next month on Brighton Way and Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills. The store will feature trendy, stylish brands like Haute Hippie, Vintage Chanel, Matthew Williamson, What Goes Around Comes Around, Camilla, Parker and Ramy Brook.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Vicki Gunvalson Talks Despair Over Daughter Briana's Secret Wedding

DailyMail.com:

When her daughter Briana eloped in Las Vegas last year, Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson wasn't exactly pleased at the news.

In fact, the 50-year-old reality star has revealed her emotions ran from dismay, to confusion and sadness when she learned Briana had tied the knot with her military boyfriend Ryan last October.

'When she told me she and Ryan had got married in Vegas I felt like I was in a dream, or more like a nightmare,' she writes on her Bravo blog. 'I had only met Ryan one time before and that was before he went on duty.'

The star, who has a reputation as a control freak on the show, star says she had no idea her daughter and her boyfriend were in love or even serious about each other.

'She told me she was nervous about putting both feet into their relationship because she didn't want to be crushed if anything happened to him while he was away,' adds Vicki.
'I left the restaurant after the "bomb" was dropped on me, went to my car, and broke down in uncontrollable tears.

'The tears lasted for more than a week. In my idle or quiet time I would cry. In my busy time I found myself crying. It was all the time because I was so confused and sad.'

Unable to understand why her daughter had married in such a rush, Vicki thought she may have been vulnerable after undergoing thyroid surgery last year after a cancer scare.

'This is not typical of Briana in any way, shape, or form, and I was worried that she may have just been vulnerable due to the health issues she had been dealing with for the past two years,' says Vicki who was relieved when Briana was given the all clear.

However, the twice divorced Housewife says she was embarrassed to reveal the news to any of her friends and family.

'I didn't even know how to begin to discuss it, and, quite frankly, I was embarrassed,' she writes. 'All of my dreams for my only daughter's BIG DAY were taken away from me in an instant (and for that matter taken away from HER.

'More importantly, the family had not met him or his family. I knew very little about Ryan and now I had an instant son-in-law.'

Vicki now says she managed to get through the shock through her religious beliefs.

'After a lot of prayer and soul searching I was able to look at the big picture and not be angry anymore,' she says.

Kathy Wakile Talks Parenting, Her Relationship with Teresa, Joe Giudice's Black Eye and Joining RHONJ

RealityWanted.com:

When Kathy Wakile joined the cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, she seemed a little quieter than the rest. Now, with a full season under belt, she has proven that she's more than capable of holding her own. Today, she sat down with us to talk about her philosophies on parenting, her relationship with Teresa, and whether or not joining the cast of The Real Housewives was a good idea.

Q. Jessica, RealityWanted: One thing that I admire about you and Rich is your really grounded approach to parenting. When deciding to do a reality show, what concerns did you have and how has that been working out for you?
A. Kathy: Well, that's a great question. We were very concerned because as parents, the most important thing in our lives is our children. We looked at the way we were moving forward as a family and how it would affect our privacy. As you see, they catch everything - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm really glad it caught us, as we are, as a family. We discuss everything over and over again. Things are working out great for us. Our children are old enough to know what's happening in the world. They have a really great ability to see things for what they really are and form their own opinions.

Q. Jessica, RealityWanted: You used to have a really close relationship with Teresa. Does it hurt you that you two are no longer close? You seem to stay positive about it.
A. Kathy: Well, first of all, being positive and trying to be optimistic is just in my nature. There are so many people out there who have seen so much worse than I have or anyone on the show for that matter. Teresa is going through a tough time right now. Whether or not I have an opinion about what she says, I have it in the back of my head that she's going through a tough time. I get mad and I say things out of anger or frustration. The cameras are catching that and if I didn't care, I wouldn't let it affect me. I want the best for her and her family. I'd like to think that we will get back and have some sort of reconciliation. I continue to hope for that. If we don't have hope in life, what do we have? On the same token, we have to be grownups also and recognize that there are repercussions to our actions. I'm a grown woman and I have feelings, too. Hopefully, that day will come and we can talk things out.

Q. Jessica, RealityWanted: On the last episode, we saw Joseph receive nude photos. What was going through your mind when you discovered that?
A. Kathy: Well, when I first saw it, it was a photo of a girl with her back to the camera, but her face was showing. It was really shocking to me and it was an important thing to deal with. That's why I was so glad that I had the foresight to know that I needed to have an email in place for anyone who wanted to contact my children when I allow them to have Twitter. It prompted me and my husband to be involved in Twitter as well and monitor them. If he had forwarded that to his friends, he would've been guilty. If we didn't have the discussion, he wouldn't have even know what he did wrong. As parents, it's our job to pay attention to what's going on with kids today. Who is going to watch over them? It's not the school's job to watch over our kids. It's our job! We can't expect schools to do damage control when we haven't done our job at home.

Q. Jessica, RealityWanted: Last season, we saw you toying around with the idea of opening a restaurant. Do you have any plans to revisit the idea?
A. Kathy: Well right now, I just feel that it would take too much time. My son is still home. He's trying to figure out what he wants to do with his career. Victoria is going to start college soon. She's probably going to stay local. They still need me around and if I start a restaurant, the only time I'd see them is if they came to work to see me. It's just very, very time consuming and demanding. At this point, I don't think I'm ready to take on that amount of responsibility. If I could find a partner I could share the workload with, it wouldn't be out of the question.

Q. Jessica, RealityWanted: Are you happy that you are a part of The Real Housewives, the friendships you have formed, and everything that's come of it?
A. Kathy: Well, first of all, Melissa and I have been friends since the day I met her. She married my cousin and I get to see him on a regular basis. The fact that we're doing Housewives together has been wonderful. We do things together and it's another area to be together all the time. So far, the relationships with Jaqueline and Caroline have really developed. They've been welcoming after initially meeting me and getting to know me. They formed their own opinions based on the experiences that we've had together. I've been having a great time doing the show. Bravo really treats you like family. It's been a really great experience so far. The issues that came up with Teresa and I... maybe it was a catalyst, maybe it was something that would've happened sooner or later but this brought it to the forefront. It just happened in front of the cameras but I don't think the cameras caused it.

Brandi Glanville’s Real Housewife Full Time Gig Over Before It Started

Thank goodness:

Easy come, easy go!

Brandi Glanville was all set to become a fully fledged Beverly Hills Housewife , but her ex-husband Eddie Cibrian and his new wife LeAnn Rimes managed to scrub her plans!

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Brandi was to graduate from ‘friend’ to a full-fledged ‘Housewife on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned Bravo yanked the offer after Brandi was forced to tell the network that her kids couldn't appear on camera.

“Bravo wanted her to have her kids on the show in order to expand story lines,” a source tells Radar. “But Leann and Eddie wouldn't allow it.”

Eddie and LeAnn started an affair while married to their respective spouses, filed for divorce and married each other shortly after and LeAnn has often spoken about her love for Brandi’s two sons, Jake and Mason. However, despite the multiple photo-ops where the exes are seen smiling at the children’s events together, everything isn’t so rosy beneath the surface.

“Brandi didn’t expect that LeAnn and Eddie would have objections since the kids have been on the show before, but they did,” the source says. “Eddie said they did not want the children on camera on a regular basis. So Bravo said that Brandi would have to stay ‘friend' and not become an official ‘housewife.’"

Brandi will be on season three of the hit reality show along with Taylor Armstrong, Lisa Vanderpump, Adrienne Maloof, Kim and Kyle Richards and the newest ‘Housewife’ Yolanda Hadid, music mogul David Foster’s ultra-rich wife.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Jill Zarin Talks Skweez Couture, Jewelry Collection Line and "Leaving" Real Housewives of New York City

Typical Jill Zarin, still claiming that she didn't get the boot from RHONYC:

TV personality, author, designer, mom and wife, Jill Zarin knows how to juggle it all. From her new ventures and evolving style to how she spends Mother’s Day, I’m pleased to kick off May with an interview with Jill.

S: As busy as you were filming RHONYC, you seem to be crazy busy now!
J: I still wonder how I was able to take care of Allyson in high school, film a reality show and work at Zarin Fabrics. After leaving RHONYC, I thought I could kick back and soak up all the positive energy around me. That lasted for a few weeks and then I went back to work full speed ahead because that is what I truly enjoy!

S: Have you found your style to change through the years?
J: My look has certainly evolved over the last few years, but I still always love a little glitz and glamour! I remember going onto AOL.com (which I do everyday!) and seeing a box on the homepage, “Jill Zarin’s Fashion Style Through The Years”, as if I was Coco Chanel and they were doing a retrospective. I took a screen cap and almost passed out.

S: Tell me about Skweez Couture, your shape-wear and hosiery line.
J: Skweez Couture was designed to fill a need that I saw in the marketplace. 18 months ago, I said I wanted to design fashionable and feminine shape wear for women of all ages, shapes and sizes. The collection was inspired by old Hollywood glamour for the modern woman. It’s been very well received, but most importantly, it is when your husband tells you how sexy you look!

S: Speaking of your husband, how’s Bobby?
J: Bobby has never been happier. He wanted me to leave housewives last year and his dream finally came true. It doesn’t mean we’ll be off TV forever, but he didn’t like the way I was presented. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook where I post photos with my family this summer!

S: Tell me about your newly launched Jill Zarin Jewelry.
J: I’ve always been a fan of jewelry, specifically Elizabeth Taylor’s collection. As a present before my launch, Bobby bought me a ring from her collection that was auctioned off at Christie’s. My collection looks very expensive but is very affordable with statement pieces that can be worn everyday or to a gala. As part of my research, I read all the European Fashion Magazines, Daily trade papers, subscribed to trend reports and traveled around the world, sitting in outdoor cafes “people watching”.

S: Mother’s Day is coming up. How do you celebrate?
J: I love when we go away with both sides of the family, the more the merrier. I am blessed to have both my parents, my sister and her family, my incredible husband and most precious daughter and step children, 2 grandchildren and of course the love of my life, Ginger. so I will celebrate with them in person or in my heart!

Taylor Armstrong Denies She Has A Drinking Problem

RadarOnline.com:

Taylor Armstrong is firing back at critics who claim she is an alcoholic, something she vehemently denies, even in the face of her ever increasingly erratic and inappropriate behavior, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

As previously reported, Taylor got drunk at her co-star Kyle Richards' daughter Portia's fourth birthday party over the weekend, and it was all caught on camera for the upcoming third season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. There has been increasing concern among the ladies about Taylor's drinking problem and that has only been intensified following her weekend behavior.

"Taylor is in absolute denial that she has a drinking problem," a show insider tells RadarOnline.com. "She is telling her close friends and fellow housewives that she isn't an alcoholic. Taylor says she can quit drinking at anytime, that she only drinks at night and that she has it under control. However, Taylor did get absolutely wasted at a four-year-old's birthday party and her daughter Kennedy saw the entire thing. No, Taylor doesn't ever drink and drive but she clearly has a problem and her daughter is witnessing her mother's sad downward spiral, just months after her own father killed himself. Taylor always says she will quit drinking and take her vitamins, but then she resumes drinking within a few days. Taylor doesn't realize that she can go into liver failure and die from drinking, it's truly sad to witness."

Even though Taylor's fellow cast members and friends have voiced their concern about her drinking, her mother, Marla Taylor, and half-brother, Dwight Coates, don't think she is an alcoholic. Further complicating matters, Dwight is filming with Taylor right now and refuses to even acknowledge she has a problem.

"Dwight is filming with Taylor and really enjoys being on camera with her and I don't think he's going to want to do anything to rock the boat or piss her off," the insider says. "Both Dwight and Marla are absolutely enabling Taylor and aren't doing anything to help her, which could have dire consequences."

A source says Taylor is hitting the bottle even harder as she faces an uncertain financial future after learning that Bravo is planning on phasing her out of the show after the current season. "Producers don't feel she's particularly a sympathetic character and that she lost a lot of people's respect by bringing out a book about the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her late husband Russell Armstrong following his death, and that she basically cashed in on his suicide," a source previously told RadarOnline.com.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Caroline Manzo: 'Mama Bear Is Always in the Background!'

Bethenny Frankel Talks About Writing 'Skinnydipping'

She's a reality star, natural food chef, author and founder of Skinnygirl products but Bethenny Frankel never dreamed she would be a media mogul. Now, her new book 'Skinnydipping' has come out and Bethenny is dishing all about her novel and what it takes to make it in the spotlight!

Mary Amons Divorcing Husband Of 26 Years

NYPost.com:

Mary Amons of the defunct Bravo reality show "The Real Housewives of DC" is seeking a divorce from her husband of 26 years, Rich Amons.

Amons confirmed today that she has filed divorce papers with the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia.

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my 26-year marriage. While I have the deepest respect for my husband and wish him the very best, we have grown apart," Amons explained in a statement. "My primary focus is an amicable process, ensuring the well-being of my five wonderful children and their happiness, which has been, and will always be, of paramount importance."

Meanwhile Rich Amons, a telecom exec who refers to himself a "HouseHusband of DC" on Twitter, has yet to respond to the split.

Mary Amons gained notoriety on the Bravo show for saying in the series' credits, "I don't make money, I spend money." She is the granddaughter of broadcaster Arthur Godfrey, and helped found two well-known DC charities, Labels for Love and The District Sample Sale.

She is only the latest star of the Bravo franchise to file for divorce after her marriage was documented on the popular reality series. Others include Vicki Gunvalson, Countess Luann de Lesseps, NeNe Leakes, Tamra Barney, Sheree Whitfield and Camille Grammer, as well as Amons' co-stars Cat Ommanney and Michaele Salahi.

Damn, that means that in a span of like two years every married couple from DC Housewives (The Salahi's, Ommanney's, Turner's and now the Amons') have seen their marriage go kaput right alongside their old show. Makes you wonder if Lynda Erkiletian is still with that African guy?

RELATED: Real Housewives’ Mary Amons Getting a Divorce

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Camille Grammer Returns to 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'

EOnline.com:

Guess Camille Grammer couldn't say farewell to the drama forever!

A source confirms to E! News that Grammer, who left her role as a series regular on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills earlier this year, is heading back to the reality show.

So in what capacity is she returning?

Our source tells us Grammer is doing cameos for next season, including an appearance at Kyle Richards' birthday party, which she attended this past weekend. Over the coming weeks, Kelsey Grammer's ex-wife is expected to continue to shoot scenes for next season.

Last month, Grammer refuted claims that she'd been fired as a Real Housewives regular. "I didn't want to expose my personal life so much anymore," she explained. "I had done that and was over that. I care very much for my family and children, and that show tends to take me away from them. I really want to focus on them right now."

Looks like this way, she gets the best of both worlds.

Teresa Giudice Earns $6K To Pen Apologies To 'Housewives'

HuffPo.com:

The Real Housewives of New Jersey were no doubt surprised to learn that fellow cast member Teresa Giudice was finally accepting responsibility for her wrongs against them. Teresa went so far as to write heartfelt letters to Jacqueline Laurita, Kathy Wakile, Caroline Manzo and sister-in-law Melissa Gorga. But instead of mailing or emailing the notes, Teresa sold them to In Touch magazine.

"Why send a private letter when you can have In Touch deliver the news to everyone?" an editor at the magazine told me. "It’s so emotional to read that Teresa missed her friendship with Jacqueline and that she has nothing but love in her heart for Kathy. It's a fantastic story that any magazine would love to have as an exclusive in exchange for only $6,500."

But when I saw Caroline just before the story hit newsstands, she told me that a public apology wouldn't mend their broken friendship.

"I have nothing to do with her and that's my decision," Caroline said.

Melissa, on the other hand, may be more receptive to Teresa's attempt to work her way back into the group.

"I just recently went to the kids' birthday party," says Melissa. "So I will do anything that has to do with the kids. The adults have some things to work out right now."

Beyond that, the ladies aren't saying much about their relations with Teresa. You'll just have to tune in to watch what happens.

"I think this season is cut and dry," Melissa says. "You will see it. There's nothing being hidden. It's all laid out for you to make your own decision."

A word of advice, Teresa: Next time you need to make an apology, hit the phones, not the newsstand.