Hi, I'm Megan Zagora. And I'm Eric J. Mac. And this is the Daily Dish, Bravo's official podcast.
So, Megan, Thanksgiving just passed, and I feel like we should just take a moment and maybe share with each other what we're grateful for this year. I'm thankful, honestly, for Bravo and the excuse to turn on something that isn't, you know, depressing news and be able to talk about it with all of our listeners. That's very true. That's very true.
I think, in particular, I'm grateful for Salt Lake City, and I know a lot of our listeners and you and everyone on our team probably feels the same way, because it feels like everything we've been through in 2020, we just needed some kind of pick me up. We've all earned a reward, and Salt Lake City is it. Absolutely. Well, speaking of rewards, Real Housewives of Atlanta marathons are happening all next week, starting Tuesday, December 1st, leading up to the premiere on December 6th.
So that's gonna be seasons seven through 12. You can watch on Bravo. Oh, my God. So many moments to revisit.
I can't wait. Okay, what are we talking about today? Well, we need to talk about Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, of course. Plus, we have Real Housewives of Orange county and Real Housewives of Potomac.
Plus we have interviews with Elizabeth Vargas from Real Housewives of Orange county and Heather Gay from Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. You love saying gay. I do. Okay, well, let's do Salt Lake City first, then.
Do you Just throwing this out here. Okay. Would you like to make a pregnancy pact with me? Okay.
Yeah. Surely all of Heather's employees did that, and now they're all pregnant at the same time and all with boys. Right. It's just like, as soon as you think the show can't get more Mormon, you see something like that, and you're like, wow.
I mean, I'm making the assumption, right, that all these women are Mormon. But it just feels like we know and getting into a little bit of what Heather talked about in this episode, that there is this just belief system of, like, as a good Mormon, you become a good Mormon wife, you have good Mormon babies, and that's it. So it seems like, you know, at Beauty Lab, that is what is going on with her employees. I don't know if it's something in the water or the Botox at Beauty Lab, but five of our 20 employees are all pregnant for the first time, and they're all having baby boys.
I mean, Heather's story really does, like, make me sad. I just want her to be okay with the turns that life has taken. And I don't think that she should feel sort of handcuffed to this idea of failure, you know? Yeah, no, absolutely.
It's tough because you see her struggling to reconcile what has happened in her life with her religious beliefs, and I think her identity is so tied to that. But you want to let her give herself room to forgive herself for this divorce and be able to move on, because you're also just dwelling on the past. And it feels like, you know, something I can't totally relate to because I'm not a very religious person. But I guess I do understand, you know, being affected by things that were out of your control.
And she just thought that she had built the perfect life. And then when it all fell apart, she was like, what was it all for? You know, it is sad. Yeah.
I, like, relate to it. I, you know, I'm not so religious now, but definitely grow up that way. And that is, I think, a terrible side effect of it is the guilt that you grow up with and this perceived idea of what's right, wrong, good, bad, you know? Yeah.
Well. And it's also the sacrifices that she's made in her life to create what was expected of her, what she expected of herself. And maybe she would have been more of a good time girl in college, you know, if this hadn't been the way that she was. Like, this is how I have to be.
So it's a lot of, you know, inner struggle that she's going through. Yeah. So I feel like someone who's emerged as a fan favorite is Meredith son Brooks, but I am confused by him in this episode. I'm not really sure what Jen did wrong when she was talking about the high kicks and, like, I think she was, you know, maybe had a couple drinks, she was, like, letting loose.
Yeah. But he seemed very disturbed by her. I'm feeling really uncomfortable. Her vagina is in my face.
What are you doing? You know, your mom has fantastic high kids. Oh, my God. I'm beyond shocked that my mom is around someone doing that in front of her children.
Brooks and I two best way they're going to Best Buy. Okay. If you guys want to go, you can go. Even though you birthed these children out of your vagina.
They're my kids. Right? Right. I'm not totally buying it.
There's something that feels like there's got to be more to it. Right. That, you know, it's got to be more than they wanted to spend time with their mom and that Jen is like the eccentric crazy aunt who comes over and acts a fool. I don't know.
There's something missing there. What do you think that, like, what does your heart tell you is happening? I don't know. I mean, my heart tells me as like a 20 something.
Back in my day, I'd probably be like, yes, Jen. Yeah, show me those two. You know, like, I feel like I would have interpret the situation in a different way, but maybe if it's, you know, in your home. And a lot of people in Salt Lake City seem to be a little bit more on the conservative side.
I don't know, it just seemed like there it was a bit of an overreaction to something that just seemed like fun and silly, you know? Yeah. I just wonder if it was one of those things where the night was actually very long and a lot happened that we didn't see. Like, that's where my mind goes.
But I don't know. That's true. There could have been more than we actually end up seeing on camera. But I do feel like we're going to Best Buy is a very funny excuse to use going forward when trying to get out of a situation.
Right. I mean, you gotta get to Best Buy sometimes. I wanna talk a little bit about Mary, because all things considered, we get some home time with her, right. We finally meet Rob Senior, who seems like a really nice guy, honestly.
And her experience at home talking to her son, you know, talking with Rob Senior, it kind of normalizes her a little bit. Right. We get to see a little bit more about who she is and what she's like, just chilling in her kitchen and living her daily life. So I did appreciate that because it's been a couple episodes already and we didn't get a lot of that home time with her.
And we've just gotten a lot of other people's reactions to her circumstances and a little bit of her kooky behavior at these different events. But, you know, she's starting to grow on me in a different way than maybe I expected. Well, and not only seeing her at home, but we really got to dive into what it was like for her and the journey that led her to marrying this man, you know, and her talking about how she no longer speaks to her mom as a result of it, and the church was divided over her marrying her step grandfather. And I mean, the way she talks about it and how it's a partnership, it really is.
Okay. Like, very similar to when you hear people talk about Arranged marriages, which it was. Yeah. But to even.
I just appreciated that she was even honest about the wedding night, you know, because some people could gloss over it or whatever. But first thing, no, I was 22. It was weird to me. I had to pretend my period was like a month long to get out of sleeping with him.
Right. And it really took like me praying to be able to open up my heart. I'm not saying like my heart. No, it's very true.
It is good to hear more of the background and more about how she felt in those moments because it makes it a little bit more of a real situation. And it's not the first time we've come across necessarily an arranged marriage on Housewives. I mean, Jennifer Aiden essentially with Bill on Real Housewives of New Jersey was an arranged situation. Her family, that's a tradition within them.
I mean, there isn't quite that connection of like step relative there. But it's not so out of the norm for that to be a thing in certain cultures and certain religions, whatever it may be. Right. I just wonder what her son thinks of the whole thing.
Like he's grown up with this relationship that's his mom and dad. Does he think it's weird? You know, he must. But maybe it's just one of those things that's.
It's how his life is. It's all he knows. Yeah. So it might be weird maybe because like the women have said earlier this season, everyone in Salt LA City knows how Mary met her husband.
I'm sure he meets people in his school or whatever and there are probably kids who say things, you know, he might have to deal with a certain level of, you know, that in his everyday life. But I don't know. I mean, I will say that I don't feel like boarding school is ever the right option if you want your kids to focus on education instead of partying. Because I feel like everyone goes to boarding school just ends up partying and like, that's where they like do drugs for the first time, you know.
I don't know who went to boarding school. My friends are not rich. So my friend Matilda, who grew up, that's a very rich person name, but she wasn't really. She went to boarding school though, because in England, where she grew up, because, you know, they wanted to get her a little bit more in line and well behaved or whatever, the exact opposite happened because it's all, you know, I don't know, it just did not go the way that I think her parents planned.
She had a great Time in boring school. She'll say that to this day. Sounds amazing. Yeah, right.
So I don't know, I mean, it still was cool to, you know, like I said, see this family experience and just kind of see how maybe regular they are. So we also got to see Mary in her element because she was. She brought her church and we see Whitney and her dad there and Meredith there. I don't know what it is.
I don't know if everyone feels this way, but I get very uncomfortable watching people be. So I don't know what it is, but it's that religion. I don't know if it's just religious or just that they're so earnest and they're so into it, but it was like I had a hard time looking at the screen. Yeah, well, I think, you know, your like youth growing up around religion and maybe certain levels of fanaticism too, because I think that is a bit of what we see.
And you know, for me too, this kind of worship is simply too much. But I do appreciate at least that Whitney's dad felt moved and supportive in this moment because it seems like the Mormon church really turned their back on him with his addiction and everything. So I appreciated seeing him in this moment feeling like he had a community of people around him that wanted to heal him and help him get better. So that I sort of like pulled that as the one good thing out of it.
No, you're right. You're totally right. Because I don't want it to seem like I am judging religious practice. I think whatever makes people happy and feel seen and feel accepted is good.
It's just not for me. Well, I mean more about Mary, but actually about Jen. Do you think that Gen is taking the Mary and now Meredith situation way too personally? Yeah, 100%.
Like, you can't expect grown women to stop talking to someone because you don't like them. It's too much. It's too much. Right.
And Whitney says in her interview she's like, I don't think this is a situation where someone needs to pick a side. Like the issue that Jen has with Mary was between Jen and Mary was over these hospital comments. I thought we got past it. Apparently not.
So now for Jen to be repurposing that anger or frustration or whatever it was that hurt really I think is what it is towards Meredith because she went to the church and then, you know, Jen sees her kikiing with mary at the 20s party. It's just like, I think you're getting upset for the wrong reasons. Right. Now, I know we'll talk about the 20s party More Next week, because obviously we got just the tip when it comes to this drama that's about to happen.
Right, but why are housewives so bad at themed parties? Well, this theme was a bit of all over the place. Right. I mean, this was the least they could have done, is all dressed in 20s gear, and I feel like the bell bottoms, the.
Meredith, I was very confused. No, it was Lisa wearing the bell bottoms. And was it? Yes.
And one of the things that I loved, and I want this on my tombstone, is Lisa saying, I was bringing the decadence and they were bringing the depression. Like, okay, sure, looking pretty glamorous and I guess chic in those bell bottoms, but that was not 20s gear by any means. Lisa, how was this the 1920s? I was bringing the decadence, they were bringing the depression.
But also Whitney doing this weird, whispery voice. I love the 20s. It's like Marilyn Monroe wasn't from the 20s, if that's what you're going for. I didn't understand.
No, I. I think it was a little bit all over the place. I did, like, the venue itself for that whole, like, 1920s prohibition type of thing, but. Yeah, but I don't know if there were a lot of strippers during the prohibition time, especially not male strippers.
I really feel like that was not a thing back then. But, you know, maybe I'm wrong. I mean, I care for it, but let's. Let's not pretend it was of that era.
Right, Exactly. I mean, maybe they could have just been like, the theme is speakeasy just, like, show up, you know? Right, Exactly. I also got the chance to talk to Heather Gay from Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
I wanted to how she thinks Salt Lake City is different from the other franchises, how her divorce has affected her this season, and really how not being a Mormon has really come through and changed her today. Here's that interview. So welcome to the podcast, Heather, and welcome to the Bravo family. Thank you.
I'm thrilled to be here. Are you so excited to be a real housewife? I'm so excited to be a real housewife. And today, like, can we say that it's a premiere tonight, being the premiere, I'm, like, thrilled.
It feels like there's energy in the air. Are you nervous? I would be so nervous if I were you guys. I mean, I'm nervous, but I'm more excited for everyone to see, you know, what we've been doing and what's kind of defined us this past Year, and I want everyone to see Utah and meet these new ladies and just kind of need a fresh start.
You know, it's been a heavy few months, and this feels like kind of a little bit of give back to the universe. Absolutely. The fans need it. Were you a Bravo viewer before?
Yes, I'm a Total Housewives fan. Bravo fan. Been following the Housewives since the inception of O.C. oh, really?
Do you have a favorite franchise? My favorite franchise is Housewives of New York. I love New York City, and I love that cast, and I've just been always drawn to, but I've watched all of them, and, you know, there's at certain times, like, certain cast, like, just grab you, But New York's been my tried and true. That's great.
When you're going into this and you're like, my God, I'm gonna be a Bravo Real House. Like, was there someone who came to mind in terms of a Bravo Liberty that you're like, I hope we become friends. Yeah, I hope I become friends with all of them. Like, every single one.
There's no one that I wouldn't want to, like, talk to and hang out with and just learn from. I think they're all iconic women, truly. Well, I want to get into the drama of this season, set the record straight for us. Were you actually friends with Lisa in college?
Listen, I remember Lisa from college. We had mutual friends, and I remember hearing about her, and I remember her. I don't know why she doesn't remember me. Right.
It's also weird that she doesn't remember you, but remembers you as a good time girl. Yeah. You know, I guess there's worse things to be remembered for, but it's. If you were a good time girl at byu, I mean, you're everybody, obviously everybody's gonna remember you.
So the fact that she doesn't really claim me as her friend is just something that I'm, like, processing throughout the season. You'll kind of see me do that. It's like, it's just one of those things where you realize people have a different version of you than you have a them or different version of your friendship. You know, what I love about you so far is how honest you've been about, you know, getting a divorce, going through that, and just sort of the feelings of failure that that sort of brought on.
How fresh was the divorce when you started filming this? Well, the great thing about me is, like, even though it happened, I mean, we separated nine years ago, but we've been officially divorced for five and it's still fresh in my. It's still fresh to me. Like, it's still.
Is painful. I barely can say ex husband. I always say the girl's father or my husband. It's hard for me to even say that.
I never lead with me being divorced. I don't know why. It's just. It's like walking.
I just feel. Yeah, it's like a giant scarlet letter, like this giant stamp of failure. And I've never been able to really break away from it. And throughout filming, I was able to kind of, you know, see myself independent and as an individual.
And this has been, like. I would say there are two, but it's been healing to kind of come into my own a little bit. And so now I can say. I can say it's husband.
I can say I'm divorced without, you know, trembling and crying. Yeah. I mean, will we, as fans, get to meet him on the show? Was he supportive of you doing it when he heard about it?
Yeah, he was. He was supportive for the most part. He's a devout Mormon, and it's a huge departure from his core value. So he's nervous about how it'll affect me as a mother and our children.
But, you know, he let me do it, and he supports us financially and emotionally, you know, but I raise the kids and everything 100% of the time, so it's more like he's just judging silently, judging from afar. Isn't everyone, though? Yeah, he's just like everybody else. You know, it's hard for my family, and I think a lot of really devout Mormons to get behind stuff like this because it's such a departure from their faith.
And it's also something that's kind of taking me away from being a devout, you know, like, dedicated mother, because my interests are now, like, you know, I'm working outside the home, I'm putting my life on television, and I'm talking openly about my experience as a Mormon, and that's. That's really breaking code, and that's something that I have never done before. I've been kind of a diligent supporter of my faith and my ancestors, my history. And this is the first time that I'm speaking to things that have bothered me publicly.
Has breaking this code lost you any friends or family? I think I've pulled away from a lot of it. I pulled away from attending church. I pulled away from my community, and I pulled away from a lot of my really good out friends, mostly just because I'm ashamed, you know, and it's hard for me to reconcile who I've always professed to be to who I really am.
I just got a bouquet of flowers from two of my very, very devout Mormon friends supporting me and wishing me well for the premiere. And that kind of felt like a full circle moment for me. Like, the more that I'm open about it, I think that we can have a dialogue and that I will be able to, like, kind of regain those relationships. But there was definitely a separation.
I think it was probably instigated more by me, but certainly they weren't gonna come around and, like, go out on the town with me. Yeah. So our life started to kind of diverge. Now, Whitney is your cousin, right?
Correct? Yes. So I know that she mentioned, you know, when she was talking about being married to Justin for, you know, they're celebrating their vow renewal and said that she really lost a lot of people in her life when she got together with Justin. Were you one of those people?
No, I was not one of those people. I think she doesn't have an epic love story, and I truly adore their marriage. And I think. I think a lot of epic love stories come out of conflict or out of, you know, not necessarily the best circumstances, because, as Whitney said, they're both married when they met.
But I did have judgment, you know, But I can't explain, like, 10 years ago, I judged everything so different. I wouldn't even watch certain television shows. Like, I tried to do everything to purify and become perfect. Right.
So you. You have to judge things that are out of the norm, because otherwise, it's like you're endorsing it. It's just. It's just that razor's edge.
But I wouldn't for sure. Lots of people, and I think they're coming around to see that, like, you have to honor love in all of its forms. You know, it doesn't have to just sprout from, you know, a high school sweetheart, which is kind of the narrative that a lot of people need to have. You know, you meet your spouse in high school, you are a virgin, you get married, you're married for 50 years, you have six children, you have a house in St.
George and a condo in Park City. And that's. That's the dream. So anything that's different from that is.
It comes up against a lot of judgment, I think. Yeah. I mean, when you talk about sort of reframing things in your mind and you're looking at things differently, trying not to judge things that you used to judge, was there an aha moment that sort of set all of that into motion. What spurred the change, the aha moment was really my daughters.
When I realized that I was. I thought. I mean, I really thought I was setting this great example. I thought, okay, I already got divorced, so now I have to, like, double down and even be a better mom, a stricter mom, like a more.
More Mormon of a mom, and really tell the line to them that their lives are consistent and stable and they're not thrown into the same trauma that I felt. And it was when I kind of looked at them and recognized that I was setting them up to have the same sort of conflict that I was experiencing myself, like, because I was endorsing something that I didn't truly believe in. And it was. That was my aha moment when I realized that they didn't.
They were just doing what I told them to do. They weren't doing what they, you know, anything else. I wasn't helping them. I was actually harming them.
And so when that became my motivation, that's when I really said, okay, I'm gonna be honest about this. I'm saying, you know what? I don't know why, you know, know we don't allow gay marriage. I don't know why I could explain why we don't do those things, but, like, I couldn't justify it.
And I was sick of kind of skirting the issues with my kids. So looking at them and recognizing that I was setting them up for heartbreak and failure rather than a life of security and bliss was really my aha moment. Wow. So they've really gone through this transformation with you 100, and you'll see that on the show.
We kind of walked through it together. And this is the first time in my life that I've been open with them or said anything that was even remotely critical of our faith or of our church's history. Yeah, I was like a diehard supporter. You know, I'm sure that once the show airs, being able to see yourself, you're going to learn a lot of things.
But just in the process of filming the show, did you learn anything about yourself? Yeah, I learned that I go along to get along a lot, and I resent people for it and I resent myself. So I learned to kind of speak up more. I recognize that I'm a huge ass kisser.
I guess I just. I genuinely like people. When I see myself just, like, bonding all over everyone, I just. It's.
That's kind of surprising to me how that's come across I don't know. And I. I think that I learned it's okay to not be perfect. It's okay for me to not be a good Mormon.
And I'm still gonna break up and have friends and have my family, and I'm still gonna be able to contribute to society. So much of my identity hinged on that that I don't think I ever gave myself an option. And now that I'm walking through it, I'm realizing that there is, like, life on the other side. Yeah.
You know, it's such a. It's like a very exclusive story to be a Real Housewife. And you get your other castmates to go through this with you. Are you all supporting each other?
Are you all in a group chat like. Or is there division because of filming? And, you know, what is that like? Listen, we have a lot of conflict, but we try to resolve it, and we're on a group chat for the most part.
We have a great time. You know, when you see each other, it's really fun. It's just kind of when we get to the weeds or get away from, you know, it's like, to each other's face, we have a great time. We really, I think, support and care about each other and want the show to be successful and want to maintain our friendship.
So, you know, there's an episode that comes up with, we find out that five of your employees are pregnant all at the same time. What? That sounds like a nightmare for an employer. And we're trying to be very female friendly.
Right, Right. So it was. It was a nightmare. We just had to staff up.
But there was something kind of very unique with Utah about it. I mean, these are young moms, a lot of them married less than a year. They all were pregnant with months of each other, all having baby boys. It just felt.
It felt significant. And so we didn't really. Because it was. There's such novelty about it.
We didn't really think about the implications of our business losing half our staff, and we had very lenient maternity policy. So when they wanted to come back, they could. But we just luckily were able to hire and kind of work around it. And they all returned to work, every single one of them, which we were thrilled about as female business owners, because I just am passionate about women having something that they love that's uniquely for them.
That's an identity outside of the home, because it can suck you in. It makes your life more complicated and more difficult. But in the end, you never forget your. You never forget, like, that you can do something other than just be a mom.
Yeah. So are all the boys out? They're all born. They're all born.
They're all beautiful. They get together for playdates. It's their darling. And the girls are also close, which is thrilling for us as, you know, business owners because we really do want to create a positive work environment and create a safe place for women to be full time moms, but also have a sidekick.
And Beauty lab does that for the best edition. I think I'm obsessed with your 15 minutes for Botox parking lot sign. I want it for my home. That's our motto.
Personal movements is such a time stack. I don't think men realize how much we spend and spend time and money on just being able to like leave our houses every day. And I hated that about the cosmetic injection industry that it took up half your day. You never knew how much you're going to spend.
You always got up sold. Then you had to tip and we just took all that away with you. Now we make it efficient, affordable, and we put really the power back in our customers hands so they can come in, say what they want, get it, not have to tip, not have to be sold into a contract, not have to spend more than they want. And it's, it's refreshing and I feel like it's empowering because then, you know, it's available to you and you can get it without a big ordeal.
So which of the other housewives are the most frequent visitors? Dennis was one of our very top clients. And Whitney, we have a special facial at Beauty Lab for, with Whitney products for Myers and Boats called the Whitney Wild Rose Facial. Meredith comes and does it says, I mean everyone's been to the lab, but they're all just, you know, have their own comfort level with the procedures and services that they're willing to get.
Yeah. So is there anything that we're going to maybe see this season that you're very nervous for everyone to see? Yeah, just me without makeup or hair done. It's every woman's greatest fear.
Yeah. For some reason, like the days, I didn't think it mattered. It seems to have mattered. So guess what?
It just puts more emphasis on the fact that like every day you're on, you know what I mean? You got to show up, you got to get dressed, you got to put a face on. And it's like a lot, you know, but I try to keep it real. But looking, watching it now, I am cringing thinking, you could have cringe.
You put a comb through Your hair. What are you thinking? Was there any time this season where you felt like you saw a different side of one of the other housewives? You know, because I think sometimes, like, even if you're not trying to change for cameras, it changes you a little.
Yeah. I think the feelings were much more intense. I saw a lot of loyalties that I really had banked on kind of waiver. And so I don't know if that was because of the cameras or just because the nature of our friendships intensified and changed a little bit, but definitely saw different sides of friendships that I didn't anticipate, certainly.
Yeah. It seems like we're gonna get a lot more drama there. Yes. Well, I want to thank you so much for hopping on and doing this.
This is really great, and I'm just so excited to see the rest of the season. I'm excited for everyone to watch in general. Thank you. I love podcasts.
I have a little podcast, and so I'm a huge fan. Oh, what's it called? It's called Live Love Lab, and it's with my business partner, Dre, and we talk about life, love, and beauty Lab. That's amazing.
Our fans will certainly be checking it out now. Check us out. We're totally unfiltered. Thank you so much.
Thank you. I appreciate it. Orange County. Okay.
You warned me last week. Shannon is lit up like a Christmas tree, and it is absolutely amazing. I hope Shannon isn't too embarrassed watching this match, because I actually, like. Maybe it wasn't the appropriate setting for her to be drunk, but I love drunk Shannon.
Oh, yes. I love junk Shannon. I absolutely love when there's only one housewife who's drunk in a scenario. You know, we so often, you know, looking at real houses in New York City, when they go to the Berkshires, it's like everyone goes from 0 to 100, and everybody's wasted, like, very quickly.
But it's even better when everyone else is just kind of, like, doing their thing, pacing themselves, whatever, and then one person just takes it one step too far, especially because Gia's not drinking because she's trying to be respectful of Bronwyn. Elizabeth's not drinking for the same reason. We already know Shane doesn't drink. So it's just like, Shannon is on an island, and, oh, my God, when she's, like, talking to Bronwyn's teenage children, that was so cringey.
I could not stop laughing at that moment because, you know, it's just, like, diarrhea of the mouth at that point. And like, once it starts, nothing good is gonna come out, and it's only going to get worse over the course of time. So I just. I was like, oh, this is just not gonna get any better.
And I also feel like, look, I don't want to make everything deep and dark, but I do feel like there's this underlying reason why Shannon is drunk, and that has to do with the fact that she's at this vow renewal. Her own daughter brings up the fact that, like, this was a lot better than your vow renewal and uncalled for. It. It's uncomfortable because you're remembering that this vow renewal was filmed for all to see and it didn't work out.
And. Yeah, you know, I just think that that has to be really hard on her. I think, like, Heather from Salt Lake City, Shannon still carries a lot of shame for not making it work. That was a very different bower noodle.
I'm sorry, Sal, what you're saying. I thought it was more fun. Well, it was more, like, happy rather than, like, sentimental. I don't want to compare them.
I don't want to compare them. I don't. But you have to understand, I had no idea I was having a surprise vow renewal. And then when I saw you guys up there, like, you know, it was different.
I don't think that they went through, like, a public affair either. I. Did you get that, Stella? Yes.
I think that's. That's why. No reason I'd be crying. That's true.
That's a good point. Yeah. So she definitely was internalizing the situation around her in a lot of ways, but I'm grateful for it. I also appreciate Emily and Gina really working to get to the bottom of this Elizabeth and Jimmy situation, because we learned a little bit more in this episode, and we get a lot with Elizabeth by the end of it.
But at the, you know, reception for the vow renewal, Elizabeth's changing her story here and there a few times, right? It's like, first they, like, don't have sex, but then it's like, oh, they did have sex. But then he found out we were married, so we stopped. And then it was like, oh, no, he knew before.
So we just had sex one time, and it's like, what's the real deal here? Wait, have you had sex with him? Yes, once. And then we.
He found out I was married, and we didn't have. So Elizabeth Sicily had sex with boyfriend, but Elizabeth had sex with her boyfriend? Yeah, I. I'm very confused.
It's clear they're very confused. I am very curious for Andy to sort of get to the bottom of it at the reunion. Like, that's all I can think about is, like, I need her to really tell us what the deal is. Because you don't live with someone and not have sex with them.
Right. I mean, it's just, like, how is that possible? But at the same time, like you said at the end, we get her really crying over her divorce and, like, apologizing for filing, and it sounds like maybe she's now regretting. I know.
Well, the whole thing, I was having real trouble. I think some of the women were, too, following what was going on in her mind. She was all over the place with, you know, texting her ex. Like, Jimmy was just there with her.
And I don't know, I was trying to figure out what she's dealing with because it's also been a long time since they split up. And, you know, I think she is, at this time approaching the date where the divorce is going to be finalized. She's going to have to go to court, the whole thing. And that has to be really difficult.
It has to weigh on you, especially coming off of a vow renewal with one of your friends. But, I don't know, it was just like, she seemed to really be having a rough go of it right there. Right. It was interesting hearing everyone who's been through this give her advice and be like, you need to stop.
Like, don't just give up the money. Which I'm kind of surprised. I can't remember if Shannon echoed that sentiment, because I'm sure Shannon has maybe a different perspective on it, you know? Yeah.
I think Gina was more so leading that charge because Gina did walk away with nothing and was just sort of like, to protect yourself and your mental well being, like, you need to just walk away. I think Shannon might have some other advice for Elizabeth under those circumstances. I just can't help but think that Elizabeth and Bronwyn are in really similar places in their life right now, where Bronwyn is just sort of all over the place, too, because she's literally detoxing. She's literally learning what it is to live without drinking and how the significance that has in her life.
And I feel like Elizabeth is going through the same thing in terms of wealth, in terms of marriage, you know? Yeah, no, that's a good point. You know, speaking of Bronwyn, too, I felt kind of sad seeing Emily be so supportive of her and attend the AA meeting with her and Gina. And just knowing what we know now and it's that they're not really talking.
They don't follow each other on social media. They haven't really been in touch. So I don't know if we'll really see their friendship fall apart by the end of this season. But it's just kind of sad to think that, you know, Emily seems to be affected by what Bronwyn's going through and wants to be there to support her.
But knowing that they're just not friends anymore, it just kind of bums me out. I know, well, that Bronwyn isn't really friends with any of them anymore. What happened? I don't know.
I mean, we know coronavirus is around the corner. I mean, they're talking about a lot in this episode. There's all sorts of. Of uncomfortable references and people's perspectives on the whole thing.
So I think we are about to see this season really shift into a completely different direction, you know, as this whole year did for so many people. You know, after March and on, I mean, everything kind of changed. Yeah, that's true. So I got the chance to interview Real Housewives, Orange County's newcomer, Elizabeth Vargas.
I also had a lot of questions about her and Jimmy. Plus, I wanted to know what it was like for her to come onto the show, who was welcoming, who wasn't, and where things stand between her and Bronwyn. Today. Here's that interview.
Welcome for the first time to the podcast. Elizabeth, the newest real housewife of Orange County. Yes. How cool.
Thank you for having me. Thank you for being here. How? I can't.
I guess here's my first question. Why. Why would you want to join this room, ladies? That is a very good question.
Because, you know, I was going through a really hard divorce and, you know, the opportunity arose and I just thought, you know, ladies look fun and they're strong and, you know, a lot of them have been divorced and, hey, I might just fit right in. How has the experience been so far? I mean, it's iconic to be a real Housewife. You know, I didn't really realize the power of and the iconicness of being a housewife until I was one.
So the transition of being a normal behind a computer screen CEO to a front of the camera, running around, having fun with a bunch of strong, crazy women has been an awesome transition. So I'm very excited and it's been amazing time. How are you dealing with the social media aspect of it all? You know, I don't really even read social media, so I've been in media, you know, that.
And I just don't. I just have never really read a lot of it, so I guess it doesn't really bother me too much. That's probably the best attitude you can go in with, I would think. Everyone keep telling me to get on Twitter, and I'm like, yeah, I have a Twitter account.
Eventually, when I have another hour in my day, I'll do another platform. But there's so much social media out there that it's hard to maintain all of it once you have a team. And I like to be personable with my. With fans, so I want to answer myself.
So it takes a little while longer, but I'm enjoying it. Absolutely. That's great. So I know that you knew Kelly before getting into this group, but which of the women sort of surprised you as you started to get to know them?
Well, Gina. I mean, you know, I was told at the beginning that Gina was going to eat me alive and spit me out. Really? That's so surprising to me.
Really? Oh, that's what I was told. And after I got to know her and what she's gone through and what she's achieved, I was just impressed and excited that she didn't like me. So it was cool.
Wow. I feel Gina's not really known as the. The tough one of the group. I would think maybe Shannon, you would be warned about.
Well, no, Shannon, I was warned about as well. But, you know, Shannon, I could. Shannon was almost the exact same worry for me as Gina was because they said Shannon. Gina was two kind of the eu alive, surprisingly.
I really got along with Shannon and I really got along with Gina for two completely different reasons. Gina is a survivor and Shannon is an entrepreneur. So it was kind of cool to get to know both of them. But, of course, during the season, we have our ups and downs.
Yeah. Is there anyone who surprised you in a not great way? You know, I'd have to say that Bronwyn surprised me in a good way to begin with. And then, you know, her personality came out when she.
She tried to discredit me as a woman. And I just kind of. I'm not really into women, not, you know, putting down women. So I guess I was a little bit disappointed in her later on in season.
Okay, that's interesting, because I know that in this week's episode, you say bronwyn. Oh, I would be on your team, so. Well, that's because I just met her, and I, you know, I really respected the fact that she had seven kids. Has seven kids.
She's got a great husband, you know, she's made a life for herself, and, you know, that's admirable in general. And so to get to know her in the beginning was awesome. And then to kind of hear what she did behind my back, you know, kind of pissed me off. But it is what it is.
And if you don't want to support other women on camera or off camera, but you do on camera, then that's your own prerogative. You can behave it all you want. Wow. I mean, she did say in an interview with me that she's not talking to any of the other ladies right now, or they're not talking to her.
Well, she tends to be very self absorbed. And you try. I tried to reach out to her on a number of occasions to get to know her. And, you know, on camera, she's, you know, hey, yeah.
But, you know, as soon as the camera stops, she just walks away and she's in her own head. And I think that's nothing to do with us. I think that's to do with her own selfish behavior. And it's.
You can clearly see that behavior through the show, but, you know, it's more so off camera. That's not a very attractive personality trait. But I know she's working on it, and, you know, I'm willing to be here for her later. As soon as she kind of gets out of her head and she heals her soul a little better, I'm definitely gonna be for her because she's a great person.
She's got a lot of issues right now that I think a lot of us just don't want to deal with because it's pretty heavy. So I want to know who you're sort of closest with from the group right now. I'm gonna have to say Emily. Wow.
Okay. Yeah, Emily and I hit it out really well. She's, you know, she's a lawyer. She's very respectable.
She's always respectable. But I'm surrounded by lawyers with my divorce, so I guess maybe I clinged on to her because she was in my comfort zone of being surrounded by lawyers. Yeah, it's possible. Speaking of which, have you heard from your ex since the show started to air?
Oh, my God. I just heard from him, and I have a nightmare of Ru. He said he was gonna be nice to me, but throughout my divorce, he's proven otherwise. So frankly, the gag order is coming.
I can't wait for the new one. Stick the sock in my mouth and make me swallow it. Oh, my gosh, that's so crazy. Well, what is the update on you and Jimmy?
Oh, well, we're having sex now, so thank you for not asking. And yes, it was amazing. You know, it's interesting. We did have our process, you know, during my divorce, and he's a very patient, patient, patient, understanding man.
And, you know, you don't see that at the beginning of the season, but you'll see it throughout the end. What an amazing man he is. So I'm very excited that we've made it weather this storm. And I'm divorced now, and it's like we just move on.
Nice. And are you still living in the beach house that we see in these first episodes? Oh, yeah. I'm never gonna sell it.
I love it. It's so nice. You know, I saw your house tour on bravatv.com. it is an insanely nice house.
Thank you. I really enjoyed. I remodeled it myself. And not remodeled, designed it myself.
It was forest green, dark yellow inside. Very manly. The gentleman who built it, Max, had a very good eye for quality and a very good eye for design. His architects were wonderful, but it was very masculine, so I just upgraded it.
And that's what you see on the tv. When I was also watching your closet tour, and you mentioned that you had just lost some weight, and so you were sort of, you know, updating your wardrobe. But one thing that, like, I can't stop noticing, and I was telling my co host this, your ass is insane. Like, in the best way possible.
But it is Kardashian level. It's real. What the hell, Elizabeth? Okay, it's so funny.
My whole family has asses all the same. Even my brother has my same ass. That's so funny. It's the Mexican side.
I can't help it. The Mexican comes out my ass. Thank you. That's so high.
Are you just squatting for your life all the time? I'm training for a marathon. But, I mean, other than that, I. I think it's just natural.
My brother, even my brother Jonathan, he's the same exact ass. It's high. Looks like a little heart, you know? How is your family doing in the pandemic?
Are you still getting to spend time with them in California? No, I miss them so much. My. You know, my mom's older.
She's 60, I think five or six or something up there. And my brother's. You know, no one wants to fly. And I just miss my nieces and nephews.
My brother just drove me down a rescue puppy from Seattle, so I was able to see he and his Daughter and rescue. A little husky name, M. So it gave me kind of a little home plate when they came down to California, but it's been rough. Luckily, we're all alive for it to be rough.
So I feel fortunate, even though I don't get to see them, that our family's doing okay. And I just pray for those that are part. Yeah. I want to know what was the hardest part when it came to filming?
Oh, my gosh. Not having a crew. What do you. Oh, right.
Gosh. I was like, what do you mean? Yeah, because production. I mean, what a weird way to start your reality TV career.
No, this is crazy. Like, you got Kobe at the beginning of the year, then you got the COVID and then you got the election year. So, I mean, this has been absolutely. And I'm divorcing this year.
I mean, this year has been insane for me. So to answer your question, it would take me three hours. But to answer it shortly, it's been a nut job in a nutshell. Was there any point during filming where you were like, I wish I had not signed up for this?
Oh, God, no. Absolutely not. This has been the best experience of one of my. One of my best friends in my life.
I've enjoyed every moment of it. So what is so great about it? I just am curious, you know, I really do have so much respect for you ladies that you're able to really put yourself out there, because I think that for most people, that would be such a hard thing. So I am always just genuinely curious.
What do you love about it? Well, it's interesting. The question is interesting, because what I love about it is, you know, in the beginning of filming, one of the head producers, Thomas, said that, you know, one thing that the women really end up doing is getting to know themselves by the end of the season because you have to live an honest life. And I've always lived an honest life.
But during my divorce, you know, everything was out in the open. So I just kind of said, well, I'm do the show. I'm already out in the open, already exposed. I want to have fun with a bunch of strong, crazy, you know, empowering women.
So for me, this was really a joy to kind of jump in headfirst and expose myself, because I was already exposed and tore down and beaten and eaten alive by lawyers during my divorce. It was like David and Goliath. So I figured getting tore down, beaten, eaten alive by housewives. So it's been a.
It's been a journey for sure. So is there anything that you have learned about yourself, even just watching back these first few episodes, that maybe you didn't know before. Not really. I.
I think that having to speak your truth instead of keeping it inside your heart and your soul is really a positive release, which I did not know would be so freeing for me. So I guess answer your question. Yes. The freeing ability of being able just to be you and know that it's out there and have no secrets and it's just.
There is very. It's an amazing feeling, and I love it because I always wanted to live one life with my husband. I live, too. It was just.
It was not healthy. So I feel pretty happy with everything. What do you mean you felt, like, really into lives? Well, with him, it was very strict.
Very, you know, you. I had a very stringent. I mean, even though, you know, through parties, me at fun, everyone saw us as this, you know, entertaining couple, there were still a lot of rules and regulations when it came to our actual functional relationship. And to have, you know, know the back end, you know, behind closed doors be so not normal and then have to portray your normal couple was a little bit off.