After mostly keeping her comments to herself, LuAnn de Lesseps is finally throwing all that etiquette stuff out the window and as one of the only remaining originals of Real Housewives of New York, she is speaking out on the firings and the future of the show!
Get ready – it’s juicy!
In an exclusive interview with OK!, LuAnn publicly admits she is disappointed by who Bravo decided to fire, specifically Jill Zarin, but she is excited to still be included in the show! “I was happy because I wanted to do the next season, and sad at the same time, because Jill’s the one who initially started the show with me, and is the one who brought me onto the show,” she reveals.
“I really felt bad that she wasn’t coming back. And Kelly [Bensimon] – I’m going to miss the girls, I really am, but I’m excited about the new season and missing the girls. I have great memories with all the women. We made that show what it was from the beginning,” LuAnn muses, waxing nostalgic. Hey, at least one person will be mourning for Jill!
And since she is on a roll, LuAnn continues by reiterating that she’ll really miss Jill! Like a lot. LuAnn, you guys can still do things outside the show. “We’re like a weird, sick family,” she says of relationships to her former co-stars. “Jill and I started the show together with Ramona and Alex. Kelly came on later, but It’s really sad to see them go because it’s something we created and made successful together.”
If you noticed LuAnn has not mentioned Alex McCord being part of the “family,” it’s because LuAnn still hates her! “There was no reason [for her to attack me],” LuAnn quips referring to the argument after Morocco and other comments Alex has made about her in the press. Also noting that she also does not feel bad that Alex was fired.
As for the new cast, LuAnn is “looking forward to the new season,” except for one thing: Ramona Singer! “Ramona is Ra-mean-a,” LuAnn explains. “I see Ramona, and I run the other direction!”
LuAnn hasn’t seen Pinot Singer since the reunion and that’s fine with her! “She invited me to her party and I’m like ‘hello? Come on. Really?! You say that to me, and you expect me to show up and say ‘hi’?’ No. Not after you go after my kids.”
And a furious LuAnn then makes some jabs about Ramona’s drinking habits, after expressing that she is still (yes, STILL!) disappointed that Ramona declined to be in her music video for Chic C’est La Vie! “Turtle Time, Pinot Grigio – but that grossed me out.”
“There’s part of her I love and part of her I hate,” LuAnn continues. “She says the damndest things – it rolls out of her mouth, and she thinks she can get away with it. She’s not going to get away with it, because it’s ‘on’ for the next season,” LuAnn challenges.
As for a very re-vamped Season Five, according to LuAnn filming begins soon! “I’m really excited about the upcoming season, and I will look forward to the girls.” The expected new cast members are Carole Radziwill, Heather Thomson, and Aviva Drescher.
Well, the next season better be an improvement over last year, especially considering the pay raise Ramona and LuAnn allegedly received! the Huffington Post is reporting that Bravo inked a contract with LuAnn and Ramona (who let’s be frank, really know how to bring the dramz and the snippy comments) paying them a whopping $500,000 each to film Season Five!
“In the fourth season, LuAnn, Ramona, Jill and Alex all earned $275,000 for 16 regular episodes plus a one-day reunion taping that was shown as two episodes. “So in total it was $275,000 for a total of 18 episodes,” an insider states. “But now that Jill and Alex have been fired, LuAnn and Ramona are getting $500,000 to tape 18 episodes. That’s almost $28,000 an episode.” Come again?!
The reason for Bravo upping the ante? “Nothing causes drama more than asking all the ladies to do the same amount of work and paying some more for it than others,” one of the real housewives themselves reveals!
“Sonja [Morgan] and the new ladies are not earning anything like the money LuAnn and Ramona are and that is already causing tension — plus, a very unlikely friendship between past enemies LuAnn and Ramona,” the housewife insider details. Perhaps LuAnn and Ramona got together in the contract negotiation process! “It’s way too early to know how all this is going to play out, but early meetings have gone great!”
Bravo declined to comment on the upcoming season and the alleged pay raises, but I wouldn’t put it past them to resort to unscrupulous measures to cause drama (See: New Jersey, Housewives, “Real”)!
Thoughts on LuAnn’s interview and comments about Ramona? Obsessed with Jill, much? Are you as surprised as I am that Ramona and LuAnn will be earning half a Mil to be part of RHONY?
