Bravo Shut Down The Table Flipping Contest At The Funkey Monkey

Post from TMZ.

A "Real Housewives of New Jersey"-inspired table-flipping contest -- hosted by table-flipping queen Teresa Giudice -- just got tossed ... after Bravo put the kibosh on the event.

The owner of The Funkey Monkey in Delaware tells TMZ ... just as they green lit the table-flipping contest for Teresa's appearance Saturday, Bravo caught wind of it and shut it down.
A rep for Bravo tells us the network has a hands-off policy regarding personal appearances -- but according to inside sources Teresa was told the contest might be a dumb PR move ... so she'd be better off not flaunting her famous Season 1 move (see video).

The club's owner tells us they've reached a compromise -- a look-alike contest. Nevertheless, he concedes, "I can't help it if the [look-alikes] get on the stage and flip tables."

Caroline And Bravo Working Together To Get Her Deposition Taken Down

Article from Reality Tea.

According to a new report, Real Housewives of New Jersey star Caroline Manzo is not happy that her deposition video has leaked online.

Just days after TMZ posted the video, which shows Caroline admitting she gave Bravo an ultimatum that she would not return to the show if Danielle Staub did, Zap2It is reporting today that Caroline is fighting to get the video taken off the net. Wonder why?

Zap2It reports that sources close to Caroline tell them she’s working with Bravo to try and get the video pulled, though she’s uncertain TMZ will cooperate.

As for the reason Caroline wants the video off the web, a source says it’s not because she doesn’t stand by what she said or that she’s scared of Danielle, but rather because she wants the “Danielle Drama” over with and completely out of her life.

In other NJ news, days after Life&Style broke the story of Danielle Staub’s Range Rover getting repossessed, a rep for the fired Bravo housewife is now denying the story to HollywoodLife, claiming the story is “untrue.”

“As for false statement out there saying her truck was repossessed this weekend … the lease was up and she turned it in … plain and simple,” claims Danielle’s rep. Riiiight.

TELL US – DO YOU THINK THE VIDEO SHOULD BE TAKEN DOWN? DO YOU BELIEVE DANIELLE’S STORY?

Alex's RHODC Bravo Blog

Post from Bravo.

Let's Hear it for the Boys!
OK, mama is home and catching up on two episodes. Took the false eyelashes off, the hair extensions out, and it’s time to blog. Yes, it’s the end of Fashion Week in New York, and I’m feeling TIRED.

If I were Mary, I’d have wanted to jump over the table and pound that drunken Tareq for his horrible accusations. Since we are in D.C., not NJ, Mary did not do that. She listened to Tareq implicate her daughter for (what?) car theft? Equipment damage? Hard to say, and now of course there are stories online that this happened two years prior to filming, but never mind. Going off what we saw onscreen, Tareq didn’t have the cojones to come out and directly tell Mary what Lolly allegedly did, and I don’t buy it for a second.

Cat got sassy with Edwina Rogers, and I lapped it up. Personally, there’s something I truly love about women attempting to be polite when their political beliefs are questioned. Edwina really just wanted to be on camera, invite Cat to a party and serve some cucumber sandwiches. She didn’t want to talk about healthcare, which Cat sensed and pounced on. Well played, Cat.

The men came out this week! Jason continued his papa bear role, from backing up Mary last week with Tareq, to finding a potential bridge to Stacie’s birth father on Facebook this week. Meanwhile Rich wore fetching orange pants and sardonically reminded Mary that the only way her supersonic closet lock will work is if she uses it. We then moved on to the Men Against Breast Cancer gala, which touched us here in Brooklyn as Simon’s first wife is a 16-year survivor of the disease. What a great segment, of course made humorous by the ladies’ reaction to the male models on the runway. Were we at a fashion show or at Chippendales? Regardless, I’m glad we got to see Paul Wharton again, even if only on the runway!

8 million? 8 dollars? 800? 800,000? Did anyone else wonder what went along with the number eight Tareq mentioned as his house price range? Michaele busied herself with dreaming of the $20 million home they drove past in Spring Valley, or wanted to stay at the Four Seasons – she couldn’t decide which. No matter, as long as it’s not a condo. Perhaps they could have bought Lynda’s Ritz Carlton apartment?

Speaking of Lynda, she cracked me up. What former Southern Baptist converts to Judaism, burns sage and pours holy water all over her new house? Lynda, that’s who. I hope she does fabulous things with her windows and the other things she wants to fix up.

After I got over my anger at them being included on the show, I wanted to find ways to feel sympathy for the Salahis. I don’t. They bug me. I didn’t care about their renovation plans for the winery, or that Tareq and his mother have issues. I didn’t care about Michaele’s tears; I just wanted her off the screen. On the other hand, I wanted to jump through the TV and hug Cat when she tried to hold it together over the loss of her friend. Funny how that works.

The Real Housewives of Miami Rumors Continue

Article from the Miami New Times.

By Kyle Munzenrieder
Miami seems like the perfect location for a spin-off of the Reality TV behemoth Real Housewives franchise that Bravo has unleashed on the world. Though, when The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills premiers next month there will be six distinct Housewives series, so we have to wonder if Bravo even has room for a Miami series.

We know the channel has been working on a series called Miami Social Club, a supposed revamp of the ratings-failure that was Miami Social. However, Lesley Abravanel says that the show is actually Real Housewives of Miami in disguise.

From Scene in the Tropics:

Our behind-the-camera mole tells us that an ``official'' Real Housewives promo -- you know, the one where the ladies are either fondling a peach or something to represent their geographical location (in Miami's case, a bag of cocaine or a saline implant wouldn't be such a bad thing since an orange was already taken) -- was recently filmed with all the gals in tow. We contacted our official Bravo mouthpiece who was cagey, telling us that since no air date has been secured, the show sort of remains nameless. But it all sounds like it's pointing to that splashy, trashy, trainwrecky drama-fest many of us, ahem, have grown to love.

Interesting.
Miami Social Club started filming way back in March, and seven months is an unusually long time to be filming a reality show. So, who knows, maybe the producers did have to retool.

Scene in the Tropics reported back in March that the cast included Lea Black (known, along with her Attorney husband Roy, for their lavish yearly charity galas), Marysol Patton (a PR professional), Christy Rice (Heat player Glen Rice's ex), Alexia Echeverria (executive editor of something called Venue Magazine), Adriana Sidi (art world socialist), Larsa Pippen (Scottie Pippin's better half), and Elayne Lancaster, the queen of South Beach who just happens to be a drag queen. That is a pretty feminine cast. The original post also mentioned a sole male cast member, Jason Clarke, an associate of Clarke's, but maybe he just plays a supportive role.

Of course, Miami is already home to Basketball Wives, VH1's baller themed knock-off of the franchise, and another knock-off of the series was filming over in Naples, but we'll full heartedly welcome an official Miami version of Housewives.

Real Housewivies Of Miami?

Post from The Miami Herald.


Miami `Real Housewives' spin-off still a go.


Photo: Bravo



Seems that the Godzilla or Friday the 13th of TV, Bravo's wildly popular Real Housewives franchise, may have, indeed, invaded Miami in the guise of the tentatively titled Miami Social Club. Our behind-the-camera mole tells us that an ``official'' Real Housewives promo -- you know, the one where the ladies are either fondling a peach or something to represent their geographical location (in Miami's case, a bag of cocaine or a saline implant wouldn't be such a bad thing since an orange was already taken) -- was recently filmed with all the gals in tow. We contacted our official Bravo mouthpiece who was cagey, telling us that since no air date has been secured, the show sort of remains nameless. But it all sounds like it's pointing to that splashy, trashy, trainwrecky drama-fest many of us, ahem, have grown to love.

Catherine Unsure About Michaele Having MS

Article from DBKP.

By LBG1

During an appearance on Watch What Happens L!ve with Andy Cohen guest Cat Ommanney said her book Inbox Full will be out in December. Cat appeared with Real Housewives of New York City’s Ramona Singer. Ramona told Andy she hadn’t seen cast member Kelly Bensimon this summer. Ramona had been with LuAnn de Lesseps the ‘night before’ and had spoken with Jill Zarin yesterday on the phone. When Andy asked Ramona would what happen if former Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Danielle Staub were to become a cast member of RHONYC, Ramona said she’d ‘go on strike’.


Photo:Jamie Windon

Cat’s appearance on WWHL, after her divorce from Newsweek photographer Charles Ommanney. Cat not very complimentary about the New York Times article about Charles, The ‘Housewives’ Husband Who Wishes He Said No. Cat, on the internet rumors about her ‘past’ in the U.K.–Andy Cohen referred to Tiger Woods’ mistress Rachel Uchitel–Cat claiming that while she doesn’t read the ‘blogs’, the rumors were from an individual Cat knew. When Andy asked Cat about the news Michaele Salahi has MS and whether Cat believed Michaele had MS, Cat implied she was cautionary about Michaele’s claim. Cat, telling Andy, Diane Dimond, the author of the new Salahi book, Cirque Du Salahi, was paying the Salahi’s bills.

Yesterday the site Popeater reported Bravo had booted Michaele and Tareq Salahi from the next season of RHODC. Popeater’s Rob Shuter posting Bravo “had had it” with the Salahi’s:
Michaele and Tareq Salahi’s fifteen minutes of fame may be up now that I’ve learned publicly-annoyed Bravo has decided not to invite the White House party crashers back to tape another season of ‘The Real Housewives Of DC.’

“The DC show is the only show in the entire franchise that isn’t a true hit,” an insider tells me. “And the Salahi’s are the biggest reason for that. At first, execs thought they struck gold with all the attention the couple got over the White House dinner. But now they realize not all press is good press and this couple’s involvement in the show has turned more viewers off than on.”

According to Shuter, the Salahi last straw that broke Bravo’s back, a statement made by the Salahi’s in Dimond’s book:

But the final straw came to light just this week, when the couple claimed (in a new book about them) that their “iron-clad” contract with Bravo doesn’t allow them to talk about the White House-crashing incident to the media. Of course, they’ve never been shy about talking-up the scandal (except for when Tareq clammed up at a Congressional hearing!) and famously spoke to Matt Lauer about it just days after the State Dinner.

Popeater reported on Tuesday they’d received a press release from Bravo:

“From the time of the incident until now, Bravo and Half Yard Productions, the producer of the series, have consistently and repeatedly stated to the Salahis and their representatives that they were free to speak to press, law enforcement, Congress and anyone else about attending the State Dinner. Indeed, they have given multiple press interviews on that very subject.”

What’s unusual about the Popeater report, Bravo’s previous pattern of not issuing statements about cast members, especially those who are sent packing by Bravo. In comparison, the rumor Bravo had fired Danielle Staub, leaked by Bravo insiders to the site, Life & Style. The Danielle Staub won’t be returning to season three of RHONJ, leaked after Danielle taped the second season reunion episode. Bravo issuing a casual note on their BravoTV.com site under the “News” section, the reunion episode was Danielle’s last appearance on RHONJ, posted after part two of the RHONJ reunion episode aired. The Bravo insider news the Salahi’s won’t be back, leaked before the taping of the Real Housewives of DC reunion episode.

Was the info leaked before Michaele announced her “secret” she had multiple sclerosis?
The Washington Post’s Lisa de Moraes made the following observation about Michaele’s ‘announcement’ she had MS:

For the rest of the show’s run, any time another cast member comments about how thin Michaele is — it’s been one of the leitmotifs of this edition in the “Real Housewives” franchise — or rolls their eyes at something Michaele says or does, or says they don’t want Michaele invited to their Fill In The Blank — both that Other Housewife and Bravo are going to look really, really cold.

Lisa de Moraes reported Bravo’s response to Michaele’s MS news, a Bravo Senior VP of Communications telling the Washington Post, Michaele never mentioned to Bravo she had MS.

The Popeater post, Bravo plans on not asking the Salahi’s to return next season, published Wednesday at 7:22 AM EST. No mention in the article of Michaele’s ‘major announcement’ on FOX and Friends, Michaele had MS. FOX and Friends, airing at 6 AM, EST. Later that day, Lisa de Moraes’ article on Michaele’s announcement and the report Bravo had issued a press statement about the Salahi’s statement in the book. A statement very similar to the one posted by Popeater:

“The notion that the Salahis have been barred under their contracts relating to ‘The Real Housewives of D.C.’ from speaking about their attendance at the White House State Dinner is simply not true. From the time of the incident until now, Bravo and Half Yard Productions, the producer of the series, have consistently and repeatedly stated to the Salahis and their representatives that they were free to speak to press, law enforcement, Congress and anyone else about attending the State Dinner. Indeed, they have given multiple press interviews on that very subject.”

de Moraes’ article included what Dianne Dimond said on FOX and Friends about Michaele’s cast members picking on Michaele in the first season of RHODC. After reading what Dimond said, interjecting Michaele’s multiple sclerosis as an excuse to chastise the cast members who ‘picked on’ Michaele, Dianne Dimond needs to have her head examined. de Moraes observation, Michaele and Tareq effectively tarred her cast members as “really, really cold” in still unaired episodes. With the news from Popeater, Bravo potentially painted as a cold-hearted villain, booting a victim of multiple sclerosis off one of their reality housewives shows.

Andy Cohen Is Not Weak

Video clip of Andy on the Wendy Williams Show talking about Teresa shoving him.

BGM Starts Filming This Week

From THR.
 By Leslie Bruce
Bethenny Frankel is married with a baby, but that’s not stopping the Bravo star from filming the second season of "Bethenny Getting Married?"

Photo:Gordon M. Grant

THR has learned that the natural food chef has began taping Season 2 of the wildly popular series in New York this week -- even though the deal between Frankel and the network has yet to be finalized.

Season 1 premiered in June as Bravo’s highest rated series debut in network history. The show followed Frankel and then fiancé Jason Hoppy as they prepared for their March 2010 wedding and the arrival of their daughter Bryn (born May 8, 2010).

According to the source, the show title may change -- as Frankel is already wed -- but no official decisions have been made.

Bravo Did Not Gag Michaele And Tareq From Talking About The WH Dinner

Article from Zap2It.

By Jethro Nededog
It's very seldom that Bravo breaks its usual wall of silence when it comes to news items, especially when it comes to the "Real Housewives" franchise.

Something, though, has pushed the right buttons. Michaele and Tareq Salahi's book, "Cirque du Salahi" was released along with allegations from its author.

"On attorney's advice, and because of their 'iron-clad' contracts with Bravo," the book's author, Diane Dimond, says. "The Salahis felt they could not defend themselves -- not even when called before a committee of the United States Congress. Only now, that the danger of a possible federal indictment has faded with time, do they feel they can tell their side of the story."

In response, the network issued a statement Wednesday (Sept. 15) saying, "The notion that the Salahis have been barred under their contracts relating to "The Real Housewives of D.C." from speaking about their attendance at the White House State Dinner is simply not true."

It continues, "From the time of the incident until now, Bravo and Half Yard Productions, the producer of the series, have consistently and repeatedly stated to the Salahis and their representatives that they were free to speak to press, law enforcement, Congress and anyone else about attending the State Dinner. Indeed, they have given multiple press interviews on that very subject."

We can understand why Bravo would want to make their stand on this very clear. If it were true, it could be considered interfering with a federal investigation. But in fact, the couple have spoken to several press outlets about the alleged gate-crashing, including HBO's "Real Sports," the "Today" show, and Zap2it.

"We were invited. We gave our I.D.'s. They announced our names. We were happy to be there," Michaele Salahi told us in a video interview.

Do you think the Salahis are throwing the network under the bus to sell books?

Will Bravo Block Danielle's New Shows?

Article from Babble.

by:ebrady
For those of you hoping for a Danielle Staub spinoff show, it may not happen if Bravo TV execs have anything to say about it.

This week has been full of wild theories of what the now unemployed Real Housewives of New Jerseystar Danielle Staub will do now that she has been given her official walking papers from the hit reality show, but it may all be a no-go.

Danielle has reportedly been shopping around everything from a spinoff reality show to a Oprah-esque talk show. Apparently Danielle hasn’t read through her Housewives contract which bars her from working for any other network for several years without Bravo’s written permission. (Given the legal battle Bravo put on when Project Runway jumped ship, they most certainly aren’t going to let her waltz off to another channel without a fight!)

“These ladies think they are superstars now and that something like a contract doesn’t matter,” an insider tells Popeater about the situation. “Well, think again. Bravo isn’t in the business of creating stars and then letting them go to other networks. That just isn’t going to happen.”

So unless Danielle heals some of the bridges over at Bravo don’t expect to see her returning to reality TV anytime soon

Edwina-RHODC Had A Bad Flu During Filming

Post from the Washington Post.

Photo: Matt Dornic/Bravo

By: Roxanne Roberts and Amy Argetsinger
In a guest appearance last week on "The Real Housewives of D.C.," Edwina Rogers gave the show its only real dose thus far of the-business-of-Washington: She's a lobbyist who dutifully talked up health-care policy. She also gave the slow-paced Bravo series a rare dose of drama: In a party scene taped last fall, hostess Rogers is shown being carted out on a stretcher and into an ambulance. It's an embarrassing moment, and totally cryptic; the show never quite explains what ailed her.

What happened in real life? Probably the flu. Rogers, executive director of the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative, e-mailed us that both of her children were sick with H1N1 that week; at the party, she took abruptly and violently ill in the ladies' room. "My staff called 911 and I went to GW for a few hours. The timing was pretty awful, but one cannot control these things. ...A dream situation for Bravo."

Pop Candy Invited To WWHL

Article from USA Today-Pop Candy.

Photo: Bravo

By: Whitney Matheson

I love visiting TV show sets, because I'm fascinated by how everything works behind the scenes. So even though I'd never seen an episode of Bravo's Watch What Happens: Live all the way through -- it airs too late for my tired eyes -- I eagerly accepted the invite last week.

I'll admit, I watch a few Bravo shows (Top Chef, Work of Art, even some -- ugh -- Housewives). When it comes to actually discussing these reality programs, though, I don't dare ... unless it's with my magical hairdresser, Will.

I brought Will to Watch What Happens, because, mainly, I wanted to watch what happened when he got to shake host Andy Cohen's hand. Here's a rundown of the evening, in case you're another closet fan of Bravo's addictive programming.

Ten things I learned from attending Watch What Happens: Live:

1. This is the tiniest studio ever (next to my bathroom). When Will and I arrived at Embassy Row (the production company behind WWH:L), we expected some sort of lavish surroundings. And while the office itself is pretty spacious, the studio is miniscule. "This is the size of my living room!" Will said. The studio audience consisted of about 15 of us balancing our cocktails on folding chairs.

Photo: Bravo

2. Housewives need their liquor. Did I say cocktails? While there may be a shortage of chairs at this studio, there's certainly no shortage of booze. When you're doing a live show with tense personalities, that's probably a good idea. Or maybe not.

3. "Oh my god, is this a remix of Planet Claire?" Andy Cohen is the senior vice president of production and programming at Bravo. He's also the host of WWH:L and a big music fan. Props to him for recognizing a classic B-52's track within seconds.

4. The set is a re-creation of Andy's living room. Andy told us that if you look carefully at the WWH:L, set, it's a replica of his actual living room at home: the furniture, the books, the tchotchkes, everything. Will and I spotted one particularly awesome item and gasped at the same time. "Did you see that?" I asked. "The BANANA PILLOW!" we said in unison.

5. Andy calls the shots. On a lot of shows, the host is just a host; he/she won't do anything until the director says so. But this is such a small operation -- and Andy has such a powerful position -- that he often makes decisions on the fly about what will happen in certain segment, etc.

6. Celebrities watch Bravo. During the show I saw, supermodel Naomi Campbell called in with a question for the housewives. Andy Cohen was clearly flustered. Afterward, the executive producer said the call was for real; someone had run into Naomi at a party and she admitted she was a big fan of the show.

7. Kids watch Bravo, too. Another guest happened to be this kid named Ben Wiener, a 10-year-old "Real Housewives super-fan." Will and I agreed that Ben was super-cute and seemed very smart, though we shared the concern that his Housewives hobby may be interfering with his schoolwork. I mean, sometimes I wonder if I'm too young to be watching this show.

Photo: Bravo

8. Teresa Giudice likes nachos. The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member requested them while Will and I sampled a dip at a buffet table. For a second I wondered if I may have to make them for her.

9. Teresa has her own makeup artist. He sort of looked like Rip Taylor. (For the record, I like Rip Taylor.)

10. The audience gets no TV time. Will might've been bummed, because he looked ready for his close-up that night. I, on the other hand, was too busy eating the Twizzlers I'd scored from craft services to care about an on-camera moment.

Teresa Is A Role Model

Article from the New York Daily News.

BY Aliyah Shahid

Well, they do both like to throw things …

Supermodel Naomi Campbell described "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice a "role model" on Thursday because the mom of four seems to do it all, UsMagazine.com reported.

Photo: Bravo

"A mother, businesswoman [who's] cooking, cleaning the house — and her kids always look … amazing," Campbell said about Giudice to Bravo’s Andy Cohen on Thursday's "Watch What Happens: Live."

Giudice, 38, loved the praise.

"I don't know how I do it, I just do," she gushed. "Everyone asks me, I swear to God, but I have a lot of energy. And great genes, I guess."

The two celebs have at least one thing in common: their tempers.

Among other offences, the supermodel was sentenced to community service in 2007 after she threw a jewel-encrusted phone at a maid. In 2008, she was arrested and sentenced to more community service after assaulting a police officer after one of her bags had been lost inside London’s Heathrow Airport.

And Giudice gained notoriety when she flipped a dinner table last season on "Real Housewives."

The "Skinny Italian" also threw a tantrum and swore at fellow castmate Danielle Staub over the birth of her nephew Aug. 30.

Campbell , 40, empathized with Giudice’s outburst.

"I understood," she said.

WWHL After Show

The RHOOC Film Crew Cited For Not Having A Permit To Film

Article from the OC Register.

By CLAUDIA KOERNER
 A crew member filming rookie lifeguard training for "The Real Housewives of Orange County" has been cited for not having a permit, police said.

Rookie lifeguards train on Main Beach, outside the marine safety headquarters and near the landmark white lifeguard tower. Most of the department's training takes place in the off-season after Labor Day and before June, when beaches are again crowded with summer visitors.

The white lifeguard tower in Laguna is a landmark. Rookie lifeguards train nearby on the sand. The crew member was filming the lifeguards at about 2:30 p.m. and asking the lifeguards to sign release forms, Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Louise Callus said.

"They have been warned before," Callus said.

For commercial photography and motion picture filming, the city requires an application fee of $150 and a use fee of $331 per day, according to the city website.

Applications must be approved by the Community Services department, which also looks for proof of liability insurance. City personnel, equipment, uniforms or logos may not be filmed for commercial purposes.

The fine for the citation was likely $100, Callus said.

Danielle's First Single Coming Out Soon

Interview from Entertainment Weekly.

by Emily Exton
After two seasons of sex tapes, table-flipping, and hair extension-related lawsuits, The Real Housewives of New Jersey will continue on without the show’s self-proclaimed villain, Danielle Staub. But don’t worry, she’ll be back before you know it…with her own reality show! Staub recently spoke with EW about her decision not to return to RHONJ, the closure (or lack thereof) she experienced with the ladies during the two-part reunion special, and how she plans to remain in the public eye.

Photo: Bravo

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Bravo recently announced that you are not returning for season 3 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Who’s decision was that? How did it come about?

DANIELLE STAUB: Well, I knew going into the reunion that I had really no reason to return. I had finished my memoir, my book was out, I’m hitting my marks, and I’m moving on and trying to move up. I don’t think there was anything left. Do I stay on a show where people really hate me? Where I don’t even think they know why? I think that it just became a really big mean girls circle, and it was time for me to say, “I respect myself too much for this.” And not just me — my family, my loved ones. People that care about me were like, “Please do not go back,” because they’re scared for me. It’s scary! I mean, think about it: If you saw your mother, or your loved one, or your best friend being treated like that and you couldn’t do anything about it? And then you worry for them until they get back home from taping an episode. I mean, it’s time for me to go.

What are you going to do next?
Leaving The Real Housewives is actually the best thing I could ever do. [It's] a peaceful ending for me, and I’m ready to start anew. It was a great platform to me, and now it’s time for me to hit my next mark, which is to let the TV world have a fair portrayal of me. I’m going to get my own show. There’s many options on the table for that, and I’m looking into them.

A lot of people think there isn’t a show without you. What do you think the show will be like if all the ladies return but you?
I appreciate that, and tell a lot of people who are saying that [that] I kind of agree [laughs]. I think that there will always be something missing without me, but I had to make the choice that was right for me. I don’t know what the show will be like. I probably won’t be watching, to be honest with you. I had to live through it, so I’m going to say goodbye to that part of my life. And onward and upward.

So would you consider your own reality show “up” from the The Real Housewives?
A spin-off is definitely where I’m headed, [but] I’m not allowed to announce any networking right now. “Up” meaning, you do have to move up, you can’t stay in the same place. Staying in the same place would be like me saying, “Okay, I’m going to stay here because I can be purchased to be treated like crap,” and I didn’t want to be treated like crap anymore. I had to value my own self, and I had to know that there were other offers as well coming in to me, so I knew there was a desire out there for me.

So what is the objective of a new show for you? How would it be different from The Real Housewives?
The objective is it’s a reality show, so everyone’s going to take something different from it, I believe. I think that the great thing about reality is it affects everybody a little bit differently because [you are] seeing someone else’s reality. Either [it] makes someone feel better about their own life, worse about their own life, or indifferent about their own lives, but it gets people to live vicariously through your life. I’ve become this established character, which is interesting to people for many different reasons. Some people because I’m controversial, some people because I’m a single mom, some people because they may be the same age as me — 48 years old — and, you know, close to 50, some people might be starting over, some people might be in a troubled relationship, some people might have a teenage daughter the same age as mine, or a 12-year-old the same age as mine. They might find me relatable for different reasons, which is the beauty of it. It’s going to be everything, I think, all rolled into one. But the great thing is, is it’s a chance for me to really be me, not me according to other people — castmates, I should say.

Has anything changed since the reunion ended peacefully, when it seemed like you had made amends with the ladies?
It’s funny, is that really the perception? That everybody was making amends?

Well not everyone, I would say you and Jacqueline…
…because I’d really like to know. You know I’m being seen, at least in the end, for it being me stepping up to the plate, right down to the end, saying, “Let’s stop this.” And I really don’t like to say, “Please give me credit for things,” but I’m going to have to ask for credit on that one [laughs]. Because even at the end, Teresa’s still screaming at me, and I just got off the couch and went and hugged her. I don’t think that that’s speaking powerfully enough for what can happen when you just embrace somebody. It does shut them down a lot faster than telling people to shut up, or chasing them, or let’s see, what they’ve been doing to me for two years? So it wasn’t them really making amends, it was me. And the only person I really, really, really needed closure with — and I’m going to be honest here, and I hate to sound mean or confrontational — is Jacqueline. Jacqueline and I had a very close relationship at one point, and it was important to me that I saw this change go on halfway through taping [of the reunion] in her. That was when you see my face completely change and I relaxed. [It was] the first conversation — conversation! — with dialogue, real dialogue, real feelings of my own that was going on between a castmate and myself. If you think about it, that had not happened all season.

Definitely not.
And you can see the change come over me and it was only pointed out to me — you know I’ve been caught up in a press frenzy as you can imagine — but it was pointed out by my fans, who said “Wow! You were okay there at that point…” I think what really shows is that — and I don’t mean to start trouble — Caroline’s not comfortable when anyone’s speaking their mind. Especially when it goes against what she had planned, and that was to not let me go without a problem. I was attacked from the moment I sat down! From the very moment I was brought into that room. But Jacqueline, she showed remarkable courage. I know that family cannot have been very easy on her after that. And even if she has been speaking out and doing things or saying things that aren’t so nice about me, you know what? I don’t even hear them, I don’t care to hear them. What I know in my heart is that I said to her, “No more.” And “no more” to me means no more. As far as the rest of them are concerned, they’re pretty much fair game. [They're] not going to say things about me and expect me to be asked questions about what they have said about me, accused me of, and expect me to then say, “Oh, I’m not going to say anything because I said I want peace.” I want peace, [but] you better give me peace too! If you make something up, if you lie about something, don’t expect me to say, “It’s okay, I’m letting it go now, moving on,” No. I am going to defend it and I am going to respond to it. If it’s true, and if something is right, then I will admit it.

Do you think you will ever reach similar closure with Teresa or Caroline?
Well I have, and once they stop talking about me…I’ll know when they stop talking about me, because you won’t be asking me questions — and sorry to lump you in. I don’t have to read things. I don’t have time to A), and B) no offense, because I love all of you very dearly, and you make me alive, you keep me alive, and I have great relationships within the press, but I don’t read what doesn’t make me feel good. So if you ask me a question, I can pretty much figure out what’s going on by my interviews, when somebody brings it to my attention or I receive a text message. I will guarantee that I will only answer questions about them when I’m asked, and it’s normally questions that have to do with me. If anyone was asking me questions about their personal life, something that just maybe unfolded, that I had nothing to do with, that wasn’t in context of the show, or anything else, it really wouldn’t be my place. I would probably say, “I’m not passing judgment, I don’t know anything about it.” But if it’s something that’s being thrown at me, I’m going to have to talk about it.

Would Teresa’s financial situation be lumped into that? Is that something you feel you can’t comment on?
Oh, I can comment on that. I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody. I can’t sit back at watch people glorify — her glorify — saying, “Oh, I didn’t know, and after I filed bankruptcy I went and spent $60 grand…” I can’t, I cannot let her justify that. I’m going through hard times! We all go through hard times, but go through the hard times. That’s what makes you stronger. So I’m going to say I will respect her when she just owns up to it. When I said her house was in foreclosure, I was right. She’s still saying it’s not, but she didn’t pay the mortgage — it’s the same thing. Your house is in foreclosure if you don’t pay the mortgage! Do I know for a fact anything that is going on with her? No I do not, but as she stated about me in season 1, “the court documents don’t lie.” It’s sad that her children are having to see this change, but I do believe there’s a big lesson in it for her. I believe there’s a big lesson in it for her whole family, and I think that if it’s not yours, you shouldn’t spend it. Stop, be honest. I mean, I exposed myself to the world. So I would say my advice to her would be: Stop, you’re teaching your children that this is okay. It’s not okay! You cannot afford that house, you cannot afford that lifestyle, and there’s just a point in your life when you have to say, enough is enough. It’s $11 million. That’s crazy, they never earned that kind of money! That, to me, feels very wrong. That could feed a whole country! [Laughs] I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’s right and I wouldn’t think it was right if it was anyone other than Teresa either. I don’t think it’s right for the other ladies to consider themselves friends when they’re telling her to defend this. There is no defense for this. And stop saying it’s your husband’s fault. It’s both of you. You have four children. You have to be aware something’s going on. Come on! I just don’t like people who are fake. I don’t.

At the reunion, you also mentioned that Teresa didn’t acknowledge her nephew, which really set her off. What’s going on with that?
Well, if you noticed, there were two times this season I saw Teresa, and both those times I said something that ended [up] to be the truth. What did she do? She chased after me, only I didn’t run one of the times. But she did attack me, no? So if the foreclosure is true, which proved to be true, the nephew comment, it came straight from her sister-in-law, her brother’s wife. I have emails Melissa [Gorga] had been sending me all season telling me all about Teresa and Joe. It started a really big problem in the family, and she let me know, Melissa did.

What do you plan to do with your music career?
Well, very soon, this month, I’m releasing my first solo song, which is called “Cry,” and it’s going to be attached to one of my most passionate charities, stopping domestic violence. It is going to be definitely one of the first times people are literally going to be able to hear and feel what it is like to be, not only mentally and sexually abused, or physically abused, but even in a relationship that went bad. The song is just so full of emotion and victory, and I’m very proud. I’m very, very proud and, of course, it was written by Lori Michaels, so it will be the next of three more songs that will be released over the next few months.
Do you have a full album coming out?
It’s going to be a full EP. I’m very excited. The next [single] is going to be a remake of an ’80s song, and after that is going to be a rock song which is sort of Pink, but it’s a duet. It’s like a Pink version of rock. You know, she’s kind of raspy and raw, and a little bit naughty. But I like to play with that line. You know me. I like to walk that line.

So how do you hope people see you now as you pursue your own music, your own reality show? If you felt you weren’t portrayed correctly by The Real Housewives, how do you hope to be perceived now?
I don’t have a preconception of how I want people to perceive me. I want to be just me. I mean, I have drama in my life. We have fights in our lives. I have people around me that care, but isn’t it great that you have resolve when you care about other people? And that’s what I want to show — just to keep it real. I think I will always be marked as the realest Housewife [sic]. I kept it real. I made the stage and the platform to keep it real, and I don’t think that anyone would disagree, it won’t be the same without me. But with that said, I’m going to keep that element alive in my own show, because I’ve been called — and I’m going to own up to it — “The Susan Lucci of Reality TV.” I’m fine with that. A villain is sexy if you think about it, and you look at the real definition. She’s not a bad girl, she’s a villain. And I’m the villain, so I’ll own it.

Danielle's PR Not Bravo Approved?

Article from Chicago Now.


By:jenn sale
I swear, unless she lights herself on fire today, I'm not writing another story about her.

But this is rather interesting.

Since Bravo was rather vague in its official statement regarding the departure of Danielle Staub, the rumor mill has been buzzing about all sorts of things. A couple of them being Danielle's contract and settlement.

Well, we know she was canned in June or somewhere around that time. Cast and Bravo mothership sources have confirmed this. It really had nothing to do with the other cast members, but they were very vocal about her. Well, duh.

It mostly had to do with the underhanded production deals going on with Danielle like the Hustler brokered sex tape she claims to have made not a single dime off of. Uh-huh....sure. Basically her side projects were not Houswives brand approved.
So Danielle got canned for that and basically being a crazy pain in the butt to deal with. But Bravo was nice about it and gave her a pretty sweet deal provided she not talk smack about the show, network, or cast. In return they would not say anything bad about her. And they own her for another two years. Meaning if she does by some act of Hades gets her own reality show, it has to be enough to buy Bravo out with, or they get a piece of the pie.
As I reported before, all this spin off... Danielle's own show about her nonsense, is Danielle living in fantasy land. Nobody is even interested in picking this up. This whole "I'm Bi" thing is a sad and sorry grab for Logo's attention because she got a cool "maybe" from them last month.

So this morning I was texting with my Bravo mole funny ha-ha's about Danielle's admission that she allegedly did the nasty with Prince. Which led to the revelation that there is allegedly a big implosion heading Danielle's way courtesy of Bravo Legal. You see, Bravo had feelers in the waters to see how the actual confirmation of Danielle leaving would play in the public, combined with reaction from the reunion specials. Well you guessed it...nobody shed a single tear with Danielle being canned. Not to mention the outpouring of excitement with the casting of Teresa's real life nemesis Melissa Gorga pretty much making Danielle as a draw a total non issue.

This led to the final nail in the "Danielle's Spin Off Show" coffin. It was the carrot, and the carrot rotted and fell off the string. Good Night and Thank You, Danielle...it's been a slice.

Well when Danielle got this news she went apeshiz crazy and started her media blitz/smear. I'm told the whole Access Hollywood interview yesterday and the OK! Magazine, and Steppin' Out interviews are in total violation of that contract. Not only is she not going to have any work, but she might have to give that settlement back if Bravo wants to play hardball. So in short, she'd be broke and Bravo still owns her.

So yay you, Danielle...another epic FAIL. Why couldn't you just go home and chill for a few months? That addicted to drama, huh.

Danielle Left The RHONJ On Her Terms

Article from People Magazine.

By:Charlotte Triggs
Fans of The Real Housewives of New Jersey may be worried that Danielle Staub‘s departure might take the air out of the show, but Staub says she’s thrilled to get away from the drama.

“I am exhaling now, definitely,” she tells PEOPLE. “I’m relieved, happy. It feels amazing to leave on a positive note.”

While reports have implied that Staub, 48, wasn’t invited back for season 3, she says it was all her decision. “There was really nothing left,” Staub says. “I left on my terms.”

Behind her decision, she cites the stress of dealing with costars Caroline Manzo, former Housewife Dina Manzo, Teresa Giudice and Jacqueline Laurita, who had once been Staub’s friend.

“At the reunion, I knew I was leaving but I didn’t know if I’d get to say goodbye or if it’d be chased off the set,” says Staub. “I can honestly say it was starting to be a really stressful situation for me. Constantly having to deal with people attacking me physically, emotionally, mentally, as a mother, as a human, as a woman. I really didn’t want to continue that.”
And while Staub says she’s going to keep her promise to Laurita by letting their issues go, she’s not so charitable with Giudice, whom she recently compared to a character from Planet of the Apes.

“Teresa’s crazy. Look at her behavior. I don’t regret or apologize for anything I said,” says Staub. “In the scheme of things what I said was not even that bad, compared to what she has called me — a ‘prostitition whore.’ “

She also blasts Giudice’s actions following her 2009 bankruptcy filing.

“I wouldn’t wish what happened to Teresa on anybody but I don’t respect that she’s not owning up to it. She has a platform now to help people learn not to overextend or overindulge,” says Staub. “I’ve said all along, ‘karma’s a bigger bitch than I am.’ ”

Danielle Was Fired From The RHONJ

Post from Pop Eater.

By Rob Shuter
Bravo confirmed Monday that 'Real Housewives of New Jersey's' most controversial cast member, Danielle Staub, will not be returning to the show. However, despite rumors that Danielle quit to focus on her own show, sources tell me she was actually fired.

Photo: Getty Images

"Cast members Caroline [Manzo] and Jacqueline [Laurita] made it clear that if Danielle stayed they would leave," a 'Housewives' insider tells me. "Bravo had already lost Dina [Manzo] because of Danielle and couldn't risk losing another two cast members from the top 'Housewife' show in the whole franchise."

Bravo executives have said many times that they believe what makes the Jersey show so special is the family dynamic, which gives family members Caroline and Jacqueline far more power than any of the other cast members.

"Bethenny [Frankel] left the New York cast and the ratings stayed the same," a TV executive confirms. "Several cast members have left other 'Housewives' shows and no one cared. The only 'Housewives' that Bravo needs to hang onto are the Manzo family. They are TV gold and Bravo knows it."

Any reports that Staub is getting lots of offers for her own show can be ignored. Her contract with Bravo makes it very clear that she cannot appear on her own show with any other network until two years after her deal with Bravo expires.
"The only network that you will legally be able to see Danielle on for a few years is Bravo," insiders tell me. "Bravo owns these ladies. Look at Orange County housewife Jeanna Keough; she is returning to TV on 'Thintervention' with Jackie Warner, which happens to be a Bravo show."

Teresa And Bravo's Relationship Rocky?

Post from Page Six of the NY Post.

Don't expect Teresa Giudice to return for Season 3 of "Real Housewives of New Jersey," according to a friend of hers. Giudice struck a bad deal with Bravo over royalties from her best-selling cookbook, "Skinny Italian." The bankrupt babe is the only housewife in the franchise to give the network 10 percent of royalties from her book sales. In exchange, Bravo said it would make up the difference by promoting her book on the show. She filmed several scenes with the book, cooking and testing recipes -- but the footage never aired. The book was mentioned once during the reunion episode. Her friend told us Bravo is trying to hardball Giudice by moving to hire her sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga, whom she hates, as a possible replacement. Although Giudice is $11 million in debt, her friend said, "Teresa is done with Bravo, I don't think any amount of money will make her come back." A rep for Bravo didn't get back to us.