Final blogs of RHoNYC – interesting

The last blogs..well there is a lost footage episode so who knows? Some people posted multiple blogs so sit back. I’ve got it semi-covered.

I wanted to say a few words about part II and III of the reunion. I still haven’t seen all part III…Kelly said that Bravo forced her to go on the trip. Hmm, probably not. But did they strongly suggest it? YES. If you listen to the LuAnn and Kelly conversation about choices you can tell that Kelly did indeed feel pressured and LuAnn was telling her she could have gone and laid low or not gone at all. At least that was my interpretation. Of course Bravo wanted all the women on the trip. That’s why they paid for it!

As far as Kelly goes, I think it is helpful (if they care to get her) to understand that she doesn’t communicate well and never engage with her in a group setting. I don’t think the Kelly thing is all that serious. As far as I know, she’s great when with her kids and that is all that matters, not what happens on some reality staged trip. And I wouldn’t call what happened on the trip bullying because she was (understandably) on the defense but she was being the aggressor a lot of the time. However, I think it is great that she is doing anti-bullying PSAs.

Onto the blogs:

Alex talks Bethenny’s new show, Jill’s change of heart, and Kelly’s bullying claims

Do I think Jill was happy for Bethenny when she got her own show? Yes, actually I do. I also think she was jealous as h-e-double hockey sticks, because she wanted it to be a show for the two of them, like Laverne and Shirley. Yes, she really did tell us to boycott Bethenny. Yes, even recently Jill also called places like the Wendy Williams show to complain about Bethenny getting airtime and not her. She made that call this spring – a couple of months after the season was filmed. That leads me to believe that all this remorse and change of tune is based on the viewers’ reaction, not a real change of heart about the loss of a friendship.

Onto the (alleged) bullying. I was very disappointed that Kelly chose to diminish a real problem that exists in our schools, and more recently on the internet, in order to deflect criticism of her own behavior. We all wanted to have fun with her in St. John with the best of intentions, but from the very moment we landed at the airport she kept saying contradictory things and getting randomly aggressive. It’s as though she has a threshold of what she considers inappropriate conversation that is different from anyone else in the cast, and once she is uncomfortable she will do anything, rational or not, to stop the conversation.

Alex explains why she’s tired of playing nice with co-star and “mean girl” Jill Zarin.

Next, Jill says I hate her, and that she can’t film with me in the future. She’s attempting to play chess with me and with Bravo here, which is typical – she’s done it with Bethenny and with Kelly in the past. There have been a few people recently who have asked me why Jill gets me so upset, and tonight we saw an example. Because Jill was angry with me, when the subject of nude photos and hypocrisy came up, she started shouting that I had “spread eagle pictures in the hallway of my husband’s hotel.” Number one, that is not true and she knows it. Number two, she chose her words specifically to cause trouble for Simon, because perhaps someone out there would wonder whether it was true and ask his business associates about it.

This is an example of the way Jill plays. Jill is a mean girl, not a stupid girl, and she knows exactly what she is doing. Every time she goes on the attack against me or anyone else, she says something that she hopes will damage her target’s life or career. It’s really, truly dirty.

Jill: after the storm

There are still things I wish I could have said and things that were cut out. For example…Alex had NO PROBLEM asking Bobby and I to give her $2000 worth of fabric for FREE for her fashion show. Why did Bravo cut that out?? Because it would make me look good? Because it would show that I was trying to be her friend and the audience would see through her plan? Alex’s plan was to make noise to stay on the show. Jen Gilbert was cast to be a potential replacement. I didn’t do it. Bravo did.

I really thought B and I were friends. I think I was the last to know that we never were. A real friend, not matter what, would have let it go and made up. B never wanted to make up. It was all for a TV SHOW and that’s what I was saying last night. I wanted to talk off camera at Ramona’s house. She wouldn’t. It made me crazy in that moment so no, I was not ready. She said on Andy Cohen’s show that I never asked her because she didn’t know that it was filmed and they were ready to show the footage last night. When she found out, she admitted it. Then changed the subject.

Not sure about that last paragraph. B did admit that Jill may have asked her to talk off camera. I don’t know or care…eh. I do believe Alex knew she had to make a presence this season or she may be replaced. I don’t understand it though. I really enjoyed Alex & Simon during season 2.

Kelly says a final farewell to fans and is ready to finally move on.

We fought, we moved on. This season was cathartic. We fought, we talked, we moved on. We are all unpredictable and that’s what makes us fun to watch. Season 4 is going to excite you even more. Happy summer.

After a wild and crazy reuinon, Ramona reacts to Jill’s apologies, Kelly’s “wackiness,” and more.

I found it very sad that Kelly does not realize her problems and tried to spin it as though we bullied her, four against one. Bullying is a very serious issue that is happening to young children and young adults and she is making a mockery of it by her claims. I always knew something was off with her, but now all of America can see how really out there she is in “Kellyland.” I do only wish her the best and one on one she is quite lovely. When she is in a group situation something snaps.

Sonja talks reunion drama and the evolution of her castmates this season.

I am very self-conscience about seeing myself on television but I do feel people relate to me so it’s worth it. If I can share something that is helpful, enlightening, make someone laugh, and maybe even make someone laugh at themselves, then I am happy. At least at this point! I have really mixed feelings about the show, but I have picked my poison and took it, and now I will see where it takes me. I say that with gratitude.

Whatever defenses Kelly had up during the reunion, I like and agree with what she said at the end. She said she grew. Besides, I also liked her switching the words to describe us from aggressive to assertive. So maybe I was right in the beginning. Real Housewives of NYC is the best of the franchise because we EVOLVE!

I will post blogs from BMG? later

Jill tells the truth

She had to! I never doubted it but if you can’t wait to see it tonight, watch the clip from US mag’s site.

The claws come — again — on part two of The Real Housewives of New York reunion (airing tonight on Bravo).

After Jill Zarin denied she was jealous of Bethenny Frankel for getting her own reality show, Ramona Singer calls out Zarin, 46, claiming that she asked her not to film any scenes with Frankel, 39, so Frankel couldn’t “ride on our coattails.”

“Are you KIDDING me?!” Zarin snaps. “You are such a liar!”

Kelly Bensimon then chimes in, saying that Frankel asked the other castmates not to film with her last season.

“Yeah,” Frankel admits, “I didn’t want to film with you.”

In the end, Zarin apologies for her behavior, telling Frankel: “It was wrong.”

Nothing shocking there. I forgot part two comes on tonight.

Bethenny blah blah Kelly

Bethenny Frankel never got an apology from Kelly Bensimon who called her a “ho-bag” during a freakout in a recent episode of Real Housewives of New York, and she’s not expecting one, either.

“Kelly doesn’t recognize her behavior, so in her eyes, there would be nothing to apologize for,” the supersvelte new mom to baby Bryn tells me. “Kelly doesn’t need Bravo. She has her own reality show going on in her own mind.”

As for former BFF Jill Zarin, who she’s been feuding with all season, Bethenny says that chapter of her life is closed…

“Jill isn’t in my life,” she explains. “I really wish her the best of everything. I have released any angst or feelings about that situation. Marriage and motherhood put everything into perspective.”

And it seems there’s no room for a reconciliation later down the line, either. “I’m in a new place and I like it here,” Bethenny says of her newlywedded baby bliss. “I don’t want anything or anyone in it to change.”

One person she’s thrilled to have in her life is husband Jason Hoppy. “Marrying him was the best decision I ever made,” she swears.

The new parents even got to enjoy their first night out last night, when they had dinner (and probably Skinnygirl margaritas) at Stanton Social. “It was really great and really necessary,” Bethenny says of their date night.

Tonight is the season finale of Housewives, and it could be Bethenny’s last appearance on the series.

“Right now, coming back wouldn’t be the best choice for me,” she says. “Bryn is so good and pure, and all that garbage feels so vile right now. I may want to walk out the door right now. I wouldn’t put money on it yet, thought.”

The show won’t be the same without her. But why should she come back? She will hopefully have better opportunites more best sellers etc.

real blogs of NYC reunion/bethenny

Only two housewives have blogged about the reunion so I decided to post BGM (Bethenny Getting Married) and the reunion blogs together.

Reunion of NYC part I
Kelly speaks to the insecurities of her costars.

You don’t look better when you try to make other people look worse, you just look insecure.

Compete with yourself, and cooperate with others.

(full entry)
Alex talks ‘Housewives’ teams, Jill’s insincere apologies, and more.

From the beginning of the season, LuAnn and Jill had a ‘team” that they tried to recruit others to join – Jill on the phone Labor Day weekend and LuAnn asked me on camera at Ungaro in September which “team” I was on. Ramona, Bethenny and I didn’t form a team with Sonja joining later. We didn’t make jackets; it’s not like we’re in the Pink Ladies. We just understood each other.

Bethenny Getting Married
Bethenny thanks fans for their support of her new “reality sitcom” and talks walking the runway at five months pregnant.

Thank you so much to my fans who have taken this journey with me. You are the reason why Bravo gave me a show and why I am so successful. I put my heart and soul into this show and left nothing on the field. I am trusting you with my personal life.

Bethenny Getting Married? is a complete departure from Housewives. It is emotional and dramatic, yet very cute and funny. I think of it as a reality sitcom. I’m so proud of it, and I can’t get over all of the incredible reviews. This really is so exciting.

Julie shares behind-the-scenes deets on what it’s like to work for Bethenny!

A lot of people ask me what working for Bethenny is like. It is most likely exactly what you would imagine it to be. She is a tough boss, with a lot of quirks, but very kind and encouraging. She wants me to succeed and is very thankful for everything I do – even if things sometimes move too fast to stop and smell the roses.

When Bethenny decided to hire another assistant, I was of course thrilled to have the help. Although sometimes I can be a control freak and want to do everything by myself, I knew with all that was going on that it would be nice to have someone to lean on. Although I did not directly interview Max (I was listening from the office) – he gave a great interview and won Bethenny and Cookie over.

Max talks about his first day on the job as Bethenny’s new assistant.

Fist pounds are a staple in the bro community, and this is something Bethenny will have to get used to. I think Jason realized the upside of having me around – he would get a piece of his manhood back, something I’m sure he’d been missing as a result of being around Julie, Bethenny, Cookie, and Skinnygirl Margaritas all the time.

heh.

reunion & B getting married

Jill & ramona

Part 2 of the reunion airs on Monday. I thought part 1 reunion was pretty tame. The one thing we (?) learned was what Jill did to Bethenny off camera. Telling the others not to film with her! At least that is what I think the main “off camera” incident is. There is probably more. That is pretty unforgivable. Who can blame B for not wanting to mend their friendship after she tried to ruin her “career”. I put career in quotes because she’s an author and chef and didn’t even need to film season three. She doesn’t need RHoNYC anymore. I hope she stays on Bravo though.

And Jill. I do feel bad for her. Who wants to be called out like that in front of millions? The whole season was humiliating for her. She can’t backtrack and apologize for all that. I think quick fame would change everyone a little. Plus she was the star of season one and she helped with casting. So she probably felt like RHoNYC was her show. Her idea. Her baby.

I don’t see how J and B can be friends anymore given all that happened and B mentioned that Jason doesn’t care for her. That’s tough….

1 point for Kelly for sitting there for the first part of the reunion even though she must have been bored out of her mind. All that talking about “stuff”. I loved her dress.

I didn’t see all Bethenny Getting Married? (why the question mark?) because I was watching the NBA finals of course. But Team B when it comes to Bethenny and Jason. WHY DO PEOPLE INVITE OTHERS TO STAY AT THEIR HOUSE? Have these people heard of hotels? I couldn’t put up with that. This is a huge insult to Bethenny (sorry) but I see so much of myself in her when it comes to almost everything. And I couldn’t live with someone as outgoing as Jason. He is probably the greatest guy. His only fault may be his not understanding why B doesn’t want a bunch of strangers in her house.

I will continue to update this blog about all the housewives. I’m in summer school so I won’t be able to post regularly but I’ll try to do updates at least once a week.

real blogs of nyc ep 14

So will Jill come back after exiting the finale early? I’m leaning towards “no”.

LuAnn reflects on her relationship with Jaques, the release of her hit single, and her favorite moments this season.

Jacques is a good man and he’s got my back. We share many of the same interests. He makes me very happy and I’m lucky to have him in my life. Also, Jacques is French and very sophisticated, which I love and he is a successful businessman, which I respect.

I was a little disappointed when Alex, Bethenny and Ramona didn’t come out to support me at my CD release party. The girls knew how important this night was to me. They missed all the fun, their loss.

To check out LuAnn’s video, click on Bravo’s link.

Sonja gives her take on Bethenny and Jill’s relationship and recalls her fave moment from the season.

Ramona’s renewal of vows was first class from beginning to end. I have cherished the Pierre for many years and can’t think of a better place to have a celebration. She looked gorgeous and Mario and Avery were proud of her, as was I. I like the way Bethenny handled my pointing out the feathers on her dress when she represents PETA. Drama per usual, but it was an accident and she rolled with it. She is cool in my book.

Jill thought we were seated on teams at the renewal? I know Jill calls her fans the Jill team, so I am on THAT team, but as far as housewives being on teams? That is just silly. I am hoping to develop all our friendships as time goes on.

Ramona describes her emotional vow renewal ceremony.

When Avery and I looked through the trifold mirror in our suite, she took my breath away. The moment was surreal and tears welled in my eyes. I saw a younger version of myself and it was as if I was seeing her for the first time as the woman she had become. I am so proud of her and the person she has become through the love Mario and I have given her. Walking down the staircase to meet Mario and Avery, I was glowing like a first-time bride. I felt more beautiful that day than the day I got married 18 years ago. I basked in the love I felt coming from all of our friends in the room. When I walked up to Mario I saw such intense love in his eyes it was caressing my entire body. I started to tremble. We each prepared our own personal vows and I was hoping I would not forget them.

Kelly shares her final thoughts on a tumultuous season and cautions fans to avoid conflict.

As the season closes, so does a lot of the animosity. Acquaintances can become friends. Ramona’s wedding was a nice close to a season filled with anger, bitterness, and a lot of misunderstanding. Learn from us, don’t engage when someone you know pushes your buttons or jabs you. Walk away, and be with those who like you for you. J’aime que m’aime. I love those who love me. Life is short, and relish and enjoy every moment for it will never come again. Happy Summer.

no blogs from Alex, Jill & Bethenny

Bethenny on her weight loss, Bryn & Kelly

I’m not sure why people are making a big deal out of Bethenny’s weight loss. She was thin to begin with. And doesn’t everybody lose weight after giving birth? She only gained 30 something pounds…

BF in NYC after baby

Meet Bethenny Frankel’s New Baby Bryn!

Even though her daughter is only 2½ weeks old, Bethenny Frankel can already see one similarity between her newborn and herself.

“She has my E.T. toes,” says Frankel, pointing to Bryn Casey Hoppy‘s little pink feet. “They are so long!”

Frankel, the star of Real Housewives of New York City, always tells it like it is — even when discussing her baby’s early delivery on Saturday, May 8.

Waking Jason Hoppy up around 6 a.m. some five weeks before their first child was due to tell him her water broke, Frankel immediately called the doctor and told her husband to pack their bags.

In his excitement, Hoppy instead started ringing up a few friends.

“Her water broke — we’re having a baby!” he announced. Frankel countered: “We don’t have a baby. We have a puddle.” Looking back, she laughs, “I told him to get a pen and paper and get organized!”

The couple rushed to the hospital. “All I wanted was a bagel and the doctor [told me] I couldn’t eat,” she recalls. “And for two days, I couldn’t.”

After some 30 hours of labor, doctors recommended a c-section to deliver baby Bryn. “She came out like a little doll,” Frankel, 39, says of seeing her daughter for the first time. “It was amazing.”

The couple chose their daughter’s name to honor Hoppy’s brother Bryan, who was killed in a car accident 19 years ago.

“They used to call him Bryn as a nickname,” she explains. “When Jason told me, I thought that would be a great name.”

Having kept mum until Hoppy’s parents arrived at the hospital to meet their new grandchild, revealing Bryn’s name in person was a special moment for the family.

“Jason’s mom was hysterical, crying,” Frankel recalls. “They couldn’t believe we kept it secret.”

At a tiny 4 lbs., 11 oz., Bryn stayed in the NICU for four days until she was strong enough to come home to the family’s apartment in downtown Manhattan.

“We were in this dark little room with our baby. It was almost like Survivor — where we were fending for ourselves,” notes Frankel. “We couldn’t stop staring at her.”

Now settled in at home, Frankel is up every three hours to nurse Bryn — who’s been “such a good baby” — and divides the rest of the parenting duties with Hoppy.

“Jason is the burper and diaper changer,” the natural foods chef laughs. “He loves it when she goes to the bathroom because he has a project!”

All joking aside, “We’re so thankful and lucky to have a healthy baby,” says Frankel, who adds that she’s looking forward to strolling around the Big Apple with Bryn. “This is the new me now.”

– Liz McNeil

Bethenny Frankel: How Did Kelly Bensimon Get on Show? By TheImproper, June 1st, 2010

New York Housewife Bethenny Frankel has weighed in on Kelly Bensimon’s insane behavior on last week’s episode of the Bravo Show and it isn’t pretty. She says Bensimon’s meltdown was far worse than portrayed on the show.

“It was way worse than that,” Frankel, 39, told TVGuide. “What you saw was very, very tame [compared to what actually happened].”

Earlier housewife Alex McCord said the same thing.

“It was much more [crazy] in real life,” McCord told Usmagazine.”Much more crazy!”

McCord also claims that the editing actually made Bensimon look “better.”

Bensimon, 42, really went off the deep end. She called McCord a “vampire,” and accused new mommie Bethenny Frankel of trying to stab her to death in a dream.

The housewives were on a junket to St. John in the Virgin Islands with Kelly became extremely aggressive and hostile toward her cast mates.

Producers were forced to ship her back to New York, after several of the ladies experienced concern for their safety.

“Kelly was taken home the next day,” Frankel recounts. “She was asked to leave and was escorted home. It was one of the scariest things I have ever seen in real life…it was wild.”

During the show, Kelly repeatedly attacked and insulted Bethenny, whose dad had died shortly before the trip.

Frankel had also gotten engaged days before the Caribbean getaway after discovering she was pregnant.

The petty arguments culminated in a shocking blowout during which Bensimon accused Bethenny of trying to kill her.

Kelly also repeatedly talked over Frankel, Alex McCord, Sonja Morgan and Ramona Singer and at one point ordered all of them to “Zip it.”

Frankel says show producers were not aware of Kelly’s unstable personality before casting her. “I don’t know where they find these people,” she says. “The show had no idea Kelly was like this.”

Bethenny says part of the problem is that cast members on soap-opera type shows like the Real Housewives franchise aren’t screened very thoroughly compared with contestants on reality competitions like Top Chef and Martha Stewart’s The Apprentice, which Frankel competed on.

They “do more serious psychological testing,” she said.

Kelly’s future on the show is uncertain, although she has tried to defuse her behavior, insisting in interviews that she is not crazy.

The Real Housewives of New York airs Thursdays on Bravo.

what happened to Jennifer Gilbert?

No drama? No airtime! The forgotten NYC housewife

There will be someone missing from the upcoming reunion episode of the reality television show “The Real Housewives of New York City.”

That’s Jennifer Gilbert, an event planner who was quietly introduced in recent weeks on the Bravo TV show as someone arranging a party for housewife Jill Zarin.

Believe it or not, Gilbert wasn’t just tapped to organize a party but to be a full-fledged cast member on the third season of the show, which follows a group of women as they juggle their careers, motherhood and busy social calendars. But she says she couldn’t get any airtime.

“I don’t know there’s anything I could’ve done differently to advocate for myself without looking obnoxious,” Gilbert says. “I found in a lot of situations if you didn’t scream the loudest or say the meanest thing you weren’t heard.”

TV crews followed Gilbert for three months at her homes in New York and in the Hamptons. She was filmed for the show’s open, but viewers rarely saw her.

“I was surprised because I really did film quite a lot,” she says.

She wasn’t the only new face added to the cast. Sonja Morgan also joined the show in Season 3, but she already knew Ramona Singer and LuAnn de Lesseps so it made more sense for her to be included in situations on camera.

Also, a big focus this season has been on a feud between Bethenny Frankel and Zarin, which caused alliances among the cast. In one corner, Frankel, Alex McCord and Singer. In the other, Zarin, Kelly Killoren Bensimon and de Lesseps.

Newbie Morgan, who pleaded not guilty this week to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge, seemed to stay pretty neutral in the show feud, while if Gilbert had an opinion viewers never heard it.

“When I walked in I didn’t know about the fight that Jill and Bethenny had gotten into,” she says. “It was already on a train that had left the station so I was doing a lot of catch-up.”

Bravo says it hasn’t been decided whether Gilbert will return for the show’s fourth season. Gilbert says if she does come back she won’t channel her inner mean girl for good TV.

“It’s not like I’m timid and afraid to speak my mind,” she says. “I’m just not inappropriate, and I’m not going to say something that’s mean just for the sake of saying it. That’s never going to be me. If that’s what they’re looking for then I’m probably not the right fit.”

The finale airs Thursday at 10 p.m. EDT. A reunion episode airs June 10.

How was Bravo supposed to know what would happen? With the Kelly issue and Jill V. Bethenny, they had enough material. Bravo had to know that the viewers would rather see Jill’s “drop” rather than a new housewife.

Real Blogs of NYC ep 13

5 Days until the finale! The reunion show was recently taped.

Bethenny looks back on the emotionally draining vacation to St. John.

I did mention to Ramona that I thought Jill might pull something like a surprise entrance. When she arrived, I thought to myself, “Why must Jill always manage to make herself the center of attention?” She never wanted to come on the trip. She was very negative about it from the beginning, but when life went on without her, she felt that she had to insert herself. Unfortunately none of us believed that her intentions were pure. It was such an incredibly stressful trip, and we just wanted a moment of peace. The whole ordeal was a nightmare. It really was emotionally draining, particularly with my being pregnant.

Alex recaps Kelly’s meltdown and Jill’s ambush in the “Verging on Crazy Islands.”

We had all reorganized our lives for a week to take this trip. When we planned it, Jill told everyone for various reasons that we shouldn’t go. To me in particular (before we stopped speaking) she had said, “I am planning my own trip and you all should go with me; don’t go on Ramona’s trip.” When it became clear that we were all going, she decided she couldn’t get away and I for one was relieved.

If Jill wanted to see Bethenny she could have done that in New York. If she wanted to make a grand gesture of apology to Bethenny she could have said that to begin with, maybe come in on bended knee with hearts and flowers and perhaps riding a horse with some skywriting behind her. She didn’t do any of that. She came in saying “I came to surprise you, Ramona.” Guess what, if there’s one thing I know about Ramona it’s that she doesn’t like surprises.

Kelly calls for an end to bullying and reveals her emotional state after a traumatic vacation wtih the Housewives.

Stick with your instincts.

I was still shell shocked by the events over the weekend with the four women. I had a great Thanksgiving dinner with my parents, my sister, her family, and my girls the night I got home. I then spent the rest of the weekend riding horses, and going to the beach with my girls.

Stop systematic bullying! Tell a teacher, friend, or adult. Everyone deserves to be loved. Four against one is never OK.

Ramona tries to understand the motives behind Jill’s surprise visit.

Now on to the show. I have to say each episode gets better and better. I was so relieved Kelly had left St. John. I no longer wanted to be responsible for her as she was having serious issues and it was scary (much scarier than you could ever imagine!) I had called Jill the evening before to ask her to please meet Kelly at the airport. I was so concerned for her and wanted someone to meet her and make sure she was OK. Jill had conveyed to me that Kelly was sending her strange texts and wasn’t making any sense. I wonder why Jill did not tell me that night of her plan to come to St. John. Is is because she knew I would say it wasn’t a good idea? I think now that has to be the case. She got it in her head she was coming and did not want me to say no. What is even more strange to me is that Jill didn’t meet her friend Kelly at the airport. If you’re my good friend I would do anything for you and be there. Why wasn’t Jill there for Kelly?

The Countess weighs in on Jill’s St. John surprise.

I told Jill from the very beginning that it wasn’t a good idea to go to St. John. It wasn’t fair to the other women because they might not have gone if they knew Jill was going. Jill should have called Ramona to ask if it was OK to visit instead of just popping in on the girls’ vacation. That way, Ramona could have prepared everyone for Jill’s visit and Jill would have been greeted much more warmly than she was. Nonetheless, the girls should have welcomed Jill and Bobby or at least offered them something to drink.

Initially, I felt that Kelly was bullied a bit during the St. John trip but after speaking to Bethenny and the girls and seeing the footage, I realized that Kelly was being antagonistic. She was out of control and let her emotions get the best of her. I think that Kelly doesn’t have a mean bone in her body, but she contradicts herself all the time, making her hard to believe.

Sonja talks Jill’s surprise entrance, recovering from vacation, and her charity event!

I arranged badly needed manicures, pedicures, and massages together. We really deserved them. We were taping a lot and that is tiring, believe this old lady. Especially for the newbie! I want to be natural, give my best, but at the same time keep up with the drama. Yikes!

Finally after discovering Kelly has left, and we can relax, in walks Jill. Nothing against Jill, except I knew Bethenny didn’t want to deal with this confrontation. Alex was upset with Jill as well, and Ramona as a hostess was strapped at this point! Ramona did harbor resentment towards Jill already since she wouldn’t come for the full trip. As you know, Ramona felt Jill didn’t want to come because it wasn’t Jill’s trip.

no blog from Jill

Alex tells all

Alex & Kelly

Alex McCord: Kelly Bensimon Was “Much Crazier” in Real Life Than TV

You call that crazy?

According to Real Housewives of New York star Alex McCord, fellow castmate Kelly Bensimon’s erratic behavior documented on Thursday’s episode was nothing compared to unseen footage left on the cutting room floor.

“It was much more [crazy] in real life,” McCord tells Usmagazine.com of Bensimon’s freakouts during a group vacation on St. John’s. “Much more crazy!” McCord claims that the editing actually made Bensimon look “better.”

On the instantly-infamous episode, Bensimon called McCord a “vampire,” accused Bethenny Frankel of trying to stab her to death in a dream, and randomly burst into tears.

“I remember the first time that Kelly mentioned that she thought I was channeling the devil. It was in the middle of the soup course!” McCord tells Us. “That wasn’t the first time that had happened. Throughout the trip, it just came out of the blue.”

Although McCord and pals Sonja Morgan, Frankel and Ramona Singer initially found Bensimon’s outbursts amusing, they quickly realized her tantrums were no laughing matter.

“Sonja was the one who pegged it at one point, saying, ‘Wow. We’re dealing with someone who is not being rational. We have to stop,’” McCord explains. “There was definitely a moment when we all clicked into realizing we had to stop picking part all the insane things being said because there’s a reason beyond anyone’s control, beyond her control.”

Bensimon, 42, sees the situation a bit differently. On Friday, she told New York magazine’s Vulture: “Some people are like, ‘You had a breakdown,’ and I’m like, no, I had a breakthrough!”

And even though the trip took place back in November, McCord and her castmates remain mystified by Bensimon’s disturbing behavior.

“We’ve all talked after we saw the episode,” McCord recalls. “We just said, ‘Are you seeing what I’m seeing? Are we on the same planet?’ When things that happen that are that irrational, you think it’s you. We thought maybe our memories had distorted. But when [my husband] Simon saw it he said, ‘Okay. Now I understand what you were talking about!”

Kelly seems to love the press she is getting. Here is the US article (from Kelly’s twitter). Say what you will but at least she looks great. lol.

To read more of Kelly’s People interview, pick up this week’s issue. Here is more of the excerpt:

Kelly Bensimon wants to be clear about one thing. She’s not crazy — and that wasn’t a nervous breakdown you saw on The Real Housewives of New York City Thursday, as she blew up at her costars during a trip to the Virgin Islands.

“It was a nervous breakthrough,” Bensimon tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview appearing in next week’s issue.

“I learned don’t do it. Don’t be around people who don’t like you. I will never engage them like that ever again. I learned my lesson, as should everyone.”

The lesson involved comes as a result of what Bensimon, 42, calls the group’s “systematic bullying” of her throughout the vacation, during which she and costars Ramona Singer, Alex McCord, Sonja Morgan and her former rival Bethenny Frankel were sequestered on a yacht.

“It was four people against one. I go on this trip, I’m trying to be open. I have no expectations. I’m trying to be nice to these women who clearly don’t like me,” Bensimon says. “But the minute I got on the trip, they went after me. It was constant.”

Being away from her children Sea, 12, and Teddy, 9, was an added stressor. The isolated maritime setting didn’t help much either. “It’s an awkward position. Normally you’d be like, ‘I’m not dealing with this… I’m leaving,’” she says. “But this is not a situation where you can leave. You have to stay and you have to police them otherwise then you’re not a part of what’s going on and then they go off.”

I hope one day she realizes that policing other people doesn’t work. They will still talk about you. Nothing will stop that. Her staying didn’t really work for her. I’m glad she decided to leave one day early. (or whatever happened).

real blogs of nyc ep 12

LuAnn explains why she declined Ramona’s invite, and is baffled by Kelly’s behavior on the trip

I encouraged Kelly to pass on this trip because I knew that she couldn’t defend herself. I’m still baffled by how antagonistic she was at the dinner party. I think that Kelly may have had other issues going on at home that pushed her over the emotional edge. Kelly’s lack of empathy makes it hard for her to be a good girlfriend. After watching this episode, I can honestly say, I’m glad I stayed home! I don’t think anyone could have helped Kelly in this situation.

Alex talks vacations, villas, vampires, and vindication.

Each day one of us prepared a surprise or an activity for Ramona and the girls, and this week you see Kelly’s offering, the photo shoot. I’ve been in front of hundreds of cameras in my life; at most shoots I had a great time and was completely comfortable, but as anyone who has ever modeled knows, sometimes you just want to take the damned picture and move on. This time I was definitely not comfortable, and it showed in the way I styled myself for the shoot, my posture, everything. Just not good. The night before at dinner was the first time Kelly had said I was channeling the devil, and by the end of the night she had nicknamed me Encyclopedia. That in and of itself is fine and actually pretty funny, but instead of it being cute, it was more like a weapon.

Kelly regrets joining the Housewives in St. John.

I have never endured such a difficult time with four women.

Trust your instincts.

The only thing I really thought was over the top that the other women did (besides B yelling at her and continuously telling her she was crazy) was when Ramona told her to go into the hallway to call her kids. If Ramona had any sense of anything, she should have known that would set Kelly off. As soon as I saw that I just thought, “can anyone let one thing go?” Just ignore it! Was it really that bad? You think she’s crazy yet you pick, pick, pick! Do you need a PHD to figure out that you don’t mess with someone when they are unstable?? Or just compassion and a little empathy? /end rant. I would’ve been fine there because I would have stayed in my room but this is Kelly’s “job” and maybe she felt she couldn’t do that but she should have. She kept going on about how she was tired. She definitely needed alone time. Yet she kept coming back. Assuming she’s an introvert, being around people always makes bad moods/irritability worse.
Ramona describes the dramatic events that transpired in St. John.

I did not tell the ladies our next stay would be at this amazing villa. When I saw the majestic villa jutting off the bluff I could not contain myself, I had to give it up. I am not a jaded person or overly impressed, but I have to say, this villa in St. John was beyond anything I had ever visited or seen. The cameras did not begin to do it justice. The workmanship and the attention to detail in the woodwork, stonework, and ironwork was amazing. It was not gaudy – it was completely elegant. I really was in awe and was looking forward to our time there. I was really surprised to see Kelly was feeling alone and was crying in her room to Jill. We all went out of our way to make her feel part of the group and comfortable. I sometimes feel she is at a different place than the rest of us. When we were on the yacht she was speaking to Jill three to four times a day and it was aggravating her. I think some of her agitation was due to Jill stirring her up.

It was a beautiful villa. A nice, big place to lock your self away…I have to admit Ramona planned an excellent trip.

Bethenny weighs in on the chef vs. cook debate and gives her take on Kelly’s meltdown.

For a brief period, it was the most eventful dinner party I’ve ever hosted, however, it took a scary, dramatic turn and we wanted to diffuse the situation. I realized that I needed to reel it in because this wasn’t normal or healthy for anyone. Truth be told, what aired was very tame compared to what actually happened. I think that to air the full scope of it would terrify the viewers. We were truly terrified ourselves, and I must point out that none of us came home from that trip and told anyone about what went on there. We understood how serious it was and we were all scared. That night when I went to bed, I was legitimately scared for my safety as well as Kelly’s. I know Alex felt the same. It was a completely horrendous trip and experience. That is the God’s honest truth.

Jill explains why she declined Ramona’s trip offer and shares her thoughts on the “mean-spirited” season.

I was so disturbed and uncomfortable watching this week’s episode. It is hard for me to watch myself anyway, but this season is so dark and mean-spirited that I don’t feel connected to it at all. We filmed a lot of fun things but most of them ended up on the cutting room floor. There were a few fun or funny deleted scenes online (at bravotv.com) but they too were cut because they were considered “boring” or just don’t fit into the story line. I tried to ham them up (like when I sharpened the knives in the kitchen while Princeton Review was at my house tutoring Ally for her ACT test!) but I guess if we aren’t fighting, it just isn’t good TV anymore.

Eventually this show (all of the HW series) will jump the shark if they only show fighting because people will be obviously creating drama to get time on the show. I think it has already happened on other HW series. And it will go down as fake like some other reality shows. What a shame. There’s a reason why I only love HW of NYC.
Sonja recaps Bethenny and Kelly’s hot mess of a showdown in St. John.

I just wanted to talk hair, fashion, and other light, silly topics with the girls and poor Bethenny was hiding in the kitchen! She was in straight up, undeniable “fight or flight” mode at this point. I was so nervous I couldn’t stop with the hair flipping and clothing fussing. It was painful to watch myself on camera. Ramona must have felt the same because she didn’t want the crab cake to go back to the kitchen. So, I ate it! A third crab cake! Where was my poodle Millou when I needed him? I don’t want the poochie growing!

LOL.