RHODC Fashion's Night Out

Pictures of Lynda, Paul and Ebong at Intermix in D.C.

Photo: KStreetKate.net

Photo: KStreetKate.net

RHODC At Fashion's Night Out In Georgetown

Article from the Washington Examiner.

By: Katy Adams and Nikki Schwab
"The Real Housewives of D.C." cast members Mary Amons and Lynda Erkiletian strutted their fashionable selves down the red carpet at Fashion's Night Out private event at Roche Salon in Georgetown Friday night.

The ladies and sixth "housewife" Paul Wharton came out to support the D.C, fashion scene and served as co-hosts for the evening along with WUSA 9's (very pregnant, but beautiful) Angie Goff, Project Beltway's Rachel Cothran, CityShopGirl's Kelly Collis and Urban Daddy's Jeff Dufour.

VIP guests sipped on champagne, snacked on hors d'oeuvres and posed for photos with Lady Gaga posers and Cirque du Soleil dancers. After thanking the crowd for coming, Amons dished to Yeas & Nays about what she's been up to.

"I just got back from L.A., and I'm going to be on 'Access Hollywood,' E! News and there's a big feature on me and my charity and part of the show in the L.A. Times coming this week in the entertainment section," she said.
Amons started her nonprofit Labels for Love, which benefits women and children, in 2006. She tells us the reason she got involved in reality television was to bring attention to the charity, and it seems her decision has paid off.

"We're tracking the traffic to our Web site, and since the show was announced we have 400,000 hits."

Amons will host her own fundraiser, the District Sample Sale, on Thursday, where she will be collaborating with Fran Drescher's group, Cancer Schmancer.

Amons declined to gossip about what's going on in the "Housewives" world but she did allude to the fact that she will not play a role in any new drama.

"It's all going to unfold but I think I'm out of the woods with drama, with the real drama," she said.

Lynda Chats With FANCAST

Article from FANCAST.

by Eudie Pak

When you hear the words “energy field” and “centered” within the ‘Real Housewives’ franchise, the ominous presence of Danielle Staub might flash before your petrified eyeballs! But fear not: This time they’re coming from ‘Real Housewives of DC’ Lynda Erkiletian, and her temperament is a lot more synonymous with the enigmatic ‘Love and Light’ we keep hearing about (even if her run-ins with the Salahis don’t show her at her ‘highest self’).

The 52-year-old Housewife and successful entrepreneur took some time out of her busy schedule to chat about her new venture into the vortex of reality TV, why she’s not so fond of the Salahis (but who needs an explanation, right?), how she feels about being called a cougar, and who’s the gayest Housewife.

Did you watch the season finale of the ‘Housewives of NJ’ and what do you think of your fellow east coast Housewives?

Photo: Bravo

I actually stopped watching New Jersey after the 3rd episode. I love watching it when I can laugh, but when it becomes more painful than laughter then I have to stop…there was too much meanness; it just didn’t feel right in my energy field.

I think the reunion is going to be even more intense.
Could they get any more crazier?

How are you feeling about your season so far? How do you feel about being portrayed as the Salahi instigator?
Because I try to remain in a more centered place, I try not to be the person who looks judgmental. But if you had the background that I had with [the Salahis], you’d better understand why I look that way. I look that way because I am behaving that way, and I take full responsibility for that.

Are you frustrated with how much attention the Salahis are getting on the show?
By the time we complete the nine episodes we’ll all have equal timing. As far as what [the Salahis are] getting prior to the show, I don’t think that anyone would want that kind of publicity.

I’ve read on your blog that you’ve known Michaele for 15 years and that your comments about her on the show have come from a place of concern. At what point did your friendship dissolve?
I have a very small circle of friends—I’m an extremely busy person. I met Michaele 15 years ago when she was a Trish McEvoy makeup artist. Michaele was the type of person who was always a busy bee, running around—actually more like fluttering around like a butterfly that stings like a bee—but I think that when she met her [current] husband she moved out to the country. When she did that very few people would see her.

I was never opposed to her at the time; I just saw her as an innocent sweet soul. Then I started doing business with them, and I very quickly realized that it became ‘He said/She said/We’re not responsible.’ I had too many clients complain they weren’t getting paid. Michaele continues to explain to the public why there’s this dark cloud following them and that it’s just not their fault. Well, at some point people have to take responsibility.

I wish them well. I wish that they could really get it together. I don’t respect the way they’ve handled their business in our city.

Catherine’s seemed to have ruffled a few feathers—especially Stacie’s—so far this season. As much as it seems that you really like her, do you think sometimes she crosses the line?
I think everyone gets catty eventually. I just think you have to get to know her. It’s really hard to get to know someone in three episodes. I feel very uncomfortable when I see what’s going down because I know who Cat is. What you didn’t get to see [at Stacie’s aunt’s house]…she was there early, her daughters were at home, she’s editing a book, her husband’s traveling, her babysitter had to leave—you know, a lot of things were happening. I think as time goes you’ll find Cat has a very sweet soul.

You have a great relationship with your 35-year-old boyfriend Ebong, but people have labeled you a “cougar.” How do you feel about that?
I don’t like that word. I don’t feel that there should be categories if you fall in love with someone that’s younger, older, taller, shorter—it’s like really? I think love lies within your heart, and it’s not about age, race, size. I’m so happy that [Ebong’s] 6’5; he keeps me looking up, and I get to see the blue skies more often. He’s just a really good soul.

The Housewives franchise is watched mainly for its characters getting involved in dirty catfights and meltdowns, but the majority of you on the show seem to be pretty stable characters. Do you fear that that stability translates into bland and boring and might detract fans from watching?
Well I don’t think we’re boring. I didn’t know that the Housewives were perceived as a bunch of catfighting—that’s terrible! I had hoped that Washington would be able to show substance, give people insight to DC, educate people on the many facets we represent in addition to politics—because we’re not politicians. We’re women having fun, showing how it’s possible to be mothers working, juggling. We definitely want people to laugh more than cry for sure…it remains to be seen based on the ratings.

Is Paul Wharton the unofficial sixth Housewife?
I think Paul is a Housewife. I think he spends as much time in front of the mirror as any of us. I love Paul; he adds a lot to the show. I wish Andy Cohen would consider making him the first gay Housewife of the ‘Housewives’ franchise because if we were to ever have a gay Housewife, it should be in DC!

@LyndaRHODC Fake Twitter Busted

Post from The Washington Examiner.

Photo: Bravo

By: Katy Adams and Nikki Schwab

Well, it was fun while it lasted. A Twitter account claiming to represent “Real Housewives of D.C.” cast member Lynda Erkiletian provided some of the snarkiest commentary throughout Thursday’s episode of D.C.-based reality TV series.

“Somebody needs to be leaving Paris and its not Stacie,” LyndaRHODC Tweeted, making a jab at the show’s most notorious couple. (You can guess who).

But by Sunday, the Twitter account had disappeared, with Erkiletian revealing on her Bravo.com blog that it was a fake. “I have enjoyed reading most of your comments and I would be Tweeting like crazy right now, except that someone has hijacked my name,” she wrote.

In the meantime, she’ll simply stick to blogging.

Lynda Not Amused By Comedy Central

Article from Page Six, The NY Post.

"Real Housewives of DC" star Lynda Erkiletian has gotten satirists who questioned her modeling agency's legitimacy to knock it off -- and one to apologize.

To play up her political connections, Lynda boasted on the Bravo show, "We cater to ambassadors and dignitaries." That prompted writers at Comedy Central and Gawker and an independent blogger to wonder why ambassadors and dignitaries would ever need models.

Photo: Wire Image

Erkiletian's lawyer, Mark Lane, wrote to Comedy Central and its parent, Viacom, threatening legal action for suggesting in a blog post that she's running an escort agency. On top of demanding that the post be removed and the joke be made known as false, Lane wants Comedy Central honcho Tony Fox to write a letter of apology to Erkiletian.

Lynda ErkiletianGawker's Richard Lawson was also threatened with a suit for writing, "Lynda is one of the biggest high-class pimps in Washington." And DC blogger and New York Social Diary columnist Carol Joynt was asked to take down her post for mentioning Lawson's line when she questioned whether Erkiletian was "outing her business." Joynt was accused of "working in concert" with Lawson for posting on her blog, "Swimming in Quicksand," "I get a greater glee from reading Richard Lawson's recaps on Gawker.com. He's the money."

Lynda struck back in a Bravo blog on critics, explaining how she services DC's elite. "OK everyone, calm down, and shame on YOU!" she said. "Embassies host cultural and philanthropic events that often include an element of fashion, which is how we 'cater to ambassadors and diplomats.' "
Joynt and Comedy Central took down the posts. Joynt went further on her blog and apologized 14 times to Erkiletian for each count of alleged defamation cited by Lane.

"I just followed the letter," Joynt said. "I don't think you can sue me for being a fan of Richard Lawson." Lawson didn't get back to us. A Comedy Central rep had no comment.

Lynda At Luxxery Express

Lynda and Ebong at Luxxery Express to commemorate K Street Kate's(Online Magazine) 4th Anniversary. Photos from Tony Powell.

Photo: Tony Powell

Photo: Tony Powell

Lynda-RHODC Talks To Elliot In The Morning

Lynda calls in and talks to Elliot In The Morning about the RHODC, Michaele and T.H.E. Modeling Agency.

Think Twice Before Joking About Lynda

Post from Media Bistro.

By Betsy Rothstein

Apparently Linda Erkiletian can dish it out, but she certainly can't take it. Among all the housewives, she's got the most acid tongue of them all and repeatedly "worries" about Michaela Salahi's dangerously low weight.

Carol Joynt, a blogger who writes New York Social Diary, CarolJoynt.com and who hosts the popular Q & A Cafe, has issued an especially bizarre apology to Erkiletian, one of the beasts (er, "Real Housewives of D.C.").

Photo:Life

There are 13 apologies in all.

Erkiletian threatened a lawsuit against Joynt because she made jokes in reference to her modeling agency. Another offense was reposting Richard Lawson's Gawker recap of the show. Also check out this recap.

FishbowlDC sought comment from Joynt, who met all the demands of Erkiletian's attorney. She even phoned Erkiletian to apologize verbally, but the housewife didn't take the call. "I am not in the market for lawsuits because I am half a house rich (the bank owning the other half) and entirely cash poor," Joynt said. "She has power and I don't. I don't mock housewives to make enemies. I mock housewives because I want to believe they are mocking themselves, and in on the joke. I was wrong and I apologize." (That's 14 apologies!)

Joynt cops to shame. After going to great lengths to apologize, apologize, apologize and apologize more, Joynt writes, "I feel shame and I am ashamed for the impact my joking words have had on Lynda Erkiletian, who is a leader in her industry and in this country for seeking to abolish human trafficking and has called upon the industry to alert models to the perils of street casting."

Next up: Joynt offers Lynda her right arm. Lynda scoffs and replies, "I want both arms!"

(We're joking! Joynt would never do such a thing and we're sorry to Lynda to suggest she could possibly be so demanding. We're so ashamed of ourselves. We can write this 12 more times if she wants.)

Michaele Gives Us Her Opinion On The Other Housewives

Post from Radar Online.

WireImage/Fame Photo

Michaele Salahi, the world’s most infamous ‘gatecrasher’ and star of Bravo’s Real Housewives of D.C., is responding to claims she is anorexic — and has her co-stars in her sights.

Proving the pen in mightier than the sword, the over-the-top blonde has penned a brutal blog in which she dissects a number of her co-stars and provides a cutting assessment of arch-rival Lynda Erkiletian, who has accused Michaele of being paper-like thin.
“Lynda takes pleasure in tearing down other women, which I think is wrong,” Michaele wrote on her website, adding she is “sick of her not being up front and talking behind my back”.

While Lynda admits she's had worries about costar Michaele’s health, the D.C. Housewife insisted last week she has never called Salahi anorexic.

"At the beginning of filming, when I would see her I felt that she had lost a lot of weight and I was genuinely concerned," Lynda said.
"As a [modeling] agent, I don't ever use the A-word, which she's been parading around and making up and the media has picked up on. I know better."
But according to Michaele, Lynda -- who she met 15 years ago when working as a make-up artist -- is obsessed with her former pal turned foe’s weight.

“Lynda, as seen in episode one and again in this episode, continued with her obsessive behavior, ranting and raging about my weight... good grief,” Michaele wrote.
“Who cares what size I am?”

Said Michaele, “I have tried my best to teach Lynda that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes -- and shines from within.

“I have repeatedly forgiven Lynda for her anger and hate, and have moved forward. Girls need to celebrate one another and build each other up. Life is hard enough!”

Michaele also took aim at co-stars Catherine Ommanney and Mary Schmidt Amons, who visited the Salahis now closed winery for a polo lesson under the tutelage of husband Tareq, during the most recent episode.

As Mary arrived, clearly bemused, she said "we were told the dress code was going to be jeans" when she realized Michaele had dressed up in riding chaps for the occasion.

According to Michaele, both Catherine and Mary “are always the type of women who have to wear what I wear”.

“Silly really,” she wrote.

“Cat and Mary decided that they wanted to be a little sarcastic about my attire - they were upset that they were in jeans and I was wearing riding pants.

“I am married to a polo player - of course I wear riding pants.”

As for Mary, a second generation Washingtonian who spent summers at the Kennedy residences as a child, Michaele noted: “It was a dream for Mary to get involved in our world and to be included in the polo and the wine community.”

Lynda Erkiletian Runs A Legit Modeling Agency

Post from Hollywood Life.


By:Lindsey DiMattina
The rumors are FALSE! Lynda’s modeling agency is not an escort service, and Stacie is quick to rush to her defense!

You may have heard rumors circulating online that The Real Housewives of Washington D.C. star Lynda Erkiletian runs a top notch “escort agency,” but these are completely false! The rumors are “absolutely not” true, co-star Stacie Scott Turner tells HollywoodLife.com exclusively. “That is a viscous, baseless rumor!”

Photo: Getty Images

“She has run a reputable agency for models and stylists in DC for 26 years,” Stacie says of Lynda’s T.H.E. Artist Agency.

Though Lynda has been quoted saying that her “modeling agency” caters to “the ambassadors, to the dignitaries,” in an interview with the Washington Post, the term “catering” does not imply anything suggestive, as many people are speculating.

“T.H.E Artist Agency in Georgetown is a full service agency that represents over 500 models and stylists,” the website for the agency reads. “T.H.E is not a modeling school; the opportunity to gain knowledge of the market and assistance with development is extended to all talent. As agents we are proud to promote careers in the areas of fashion runway, commercial and fashion print. We are leaders in the representation of hair and make-up artists, wardrobe stylists, set designers, food, floral and prop stylists. Experts in the areas of special effects, location scouting and production are also available through T.H.E.”

But, the site also says this: “No matter what your needs are, we have the talent available to produce a first-rate project.” Maybe Lynda should re-write that last sentence to avoid confusion.

If this scandal over Lynda’s alleged “escort service” is used on the show, it would make for a very interesting season of the all new The Real Housewives of D.C., don’t you think?

Tareq-RHODC Cursed Out Other Guests Before Throwing Wine

Post and Video from NBC Washington.

A "Real Housewives of D.C." cast member reportedly doused with wine by alleged White House gate crasher and "Real" housewife husband Tareq Salahi said that followed two other women getting cursed out by the fame monger.

Members of the "Housewives" cast were dining in Beverly Hills with their friends and Bravo representatives when Tareq Salahi apparently threw a glass of wine in the face of Lynda Erkiletian, who had apparently said something unfavorable about his wife, Michaele. Tareq then stormed out of the room.

"I think I really have disconnected the anger or the fear of who he is or how he behaved because it originated at of the fact that he was abusing two other women verbally at our table, and I was all the way at the end of our 12-person table and could hear him, and we had just spent like 12 hours together … basically promoting our show, and I thought, 'You know, it's midnight, we're all ready to go home can we save this for another day,' and he proceeded to curse me out and throw wine in my face," she said.

She admitted that she knows such drama gives the show more attention and likely more ratings.

In regards to the alleged state dinner crashing, Erkiletian said it was a relief that the investigation ended because for several months, the airing of the show was delayed because of the controversy caused when the Salahis slipped in without an invitation.

Erkiletian, a mother who runs a modeling agency in D.C., thought the first episode -- broadcast last week -- was funnier than she was expecting for all the cast members.

The RHODC Videos From Premiere Night

A few videos from last night of the RHODC.

Lynda Erkiletian Talks About The RHODC

Post from the Washingtonian.

By Alyssa Rosenberg
In the first episode of the Real Housewives of Washington, DC that will air tomorrow night at 9 PM on Bravo, Lynda Erkiletian wields a tart tongue and a keen social sensibility. Washingtonian.com caught up with Erkiletian, who runs T.H.E. Artist Agency, to discuss Washington style, how Washington treats working women, doing a reality show with her best friend, and why Andy Cohen will never talk her into taping a single—though she's got the skills to do it. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You and Mary have been friends for a long time, what was it like doing the show with her?
Well, it was absolutely fabulous. I mean, that’s one of the reasons I signed up for the show, is I felt like Mary was really into it, and she was like, we’re going to have a great time, and I thought, she’s absolutely right. And we have had a wonderful time.

You’re expanding your social circle and you’re doing it on camera. Can you talk a little bit about what that experience was like?

I felt like certainly meeting Cat [Ommanney], who was from England, I certainly spent enough time in England, I felt very comfortable with her sense of humor and who she is, and just absolutely loved her. Stacie [Turner] is someone I very much enjoyed getting to know because I personally am a real estate junkie, I love real estate, so we had something in common. I felt like doing a show with five women is always going to be expanding my experiences in Washington, period.... In the end we embraced each other’s charities, we embraced each other’s causes, and we respected each other. The challenge of being mothers, and working women. There was really a lot of mutual respect between us.

Did you feel that there were some ways that you helped Cat get to know the city? In the first episode she talks about how Washington is something of a social adjustment.
My advice to her, as a new person, because when I came to Washington over 33 years ago, I felt that it was a very difficult city to meet new people because it is a very closed, small city. I saw Washington, DC as an incredible opportunity when I arrived. I thought this is an untapped city in my industry. There’s so much focus on politics, there’s so much focus on what’s going on in the political arena, but when you look around, Washington DC is one of the most beautiful backdrops in the world for any type of business. I just really focused on my career. And I said to Cat, it is a difficult city in that there’s niches of people and you kind of have to find your niche. My niche was much more of the creative side, the beauty side, the fashion side, the style side. And I said just follow your heart, what you love, and you’ll meet the right people, and you’ll know who’s your friend, and you’ll know how to prevent those who just have an agenda. 33 years later, I think I’m kind of an experienced Washingtonian at this point. And you know who your friends are.

One of the things that I’m really excited about for the show, is I think you in particular do provide a look at another Washington. We have a very fashionable first lady. Washington has a kind of dowdy reputation. Do you think that's fair?
Washington, for some reason, people like to think of Washington but nothing as a political city. They don’t think of us as a city that has any sense of fashion whatsoever. I disagree and I’ve always disagreed with that. I think fashion is a personal choice and it is about style. And I’m a mother of four, I have a wardrobe that spans from what used to be a soccer mom to going to Scotland to hunt. People play tennis. You have wardrobes that are just made up of multiple things....My lifestyle, and so many women in Washington, have so many different roles that they play, that it just depends on where you happen to see that person. Are they at a black-tie event, or are they at the grocery store? I think Washingotn, DC has a lot of culture. I think because we have people who are living in our city from all over the world, it represents the culture and the art of the entire world. I find Washington’s fashion to be beautiful, and certainly diverse.

I think you raise a great point about Washington women, and Washington women wearing a lot of hats and having a lot of roles to juggle. Does that come out in the show?
I’m a huge fan of Washington, DC. That’s my home. I made it my home by choice. I think it’s the most beautiful, powerful city in the world. However, I think in Washington a lot more is expected of women who choose to be mothers and work. I think in some ways Washington is like a small-town city. So the difficulty lies within what people think. I personally had to make a choice a long time ago not to be concerned about what people thought, but to be true to myself, and to be true to my family. And I loved and had an extreme passion for my work, and my children understood that and they supported that. Years later, when they got older they shared with me many things, like ‘Gee, we wish you could have been at every soccer game,’ this and that. But in the end, they were very proud that I made the hcoice to maintain and continue working in a career that I loved, even though I had a choice. I think I was in a very blessed place where I had a choice to work or not work. In Washington, it’s frowned upon if it’s something you don’t really need to do or choose to do. But in my heart, I know I was true to myself and true to my family, and we’re happier for it.

You didn’t mention the Salahis. What was the experience of having them on the show? Did you interact a lot, a little?
I really didn’t have a lot of time to spend with them, because I am very busy. I work East Coast, West Coast, having my four children, I also sold my apartment and moved during the show. So I was very, very busy.

One thing I thought was interesting about the first episode and the casting in general, is Washington has a long-term reputation as a very segregated city. In getting to know Stacie, did that open up any social circles you hadn’t spent time in before? Was there a conversation about race and the city’s history at all?
My first six months that I arrived in Washington, DC., I auditioned and started singing backup for Candi Staton, who is an R&B gospel singer. I was raised in the South, but I was raised by a family that was basically color-blind....[I came] to Washington and went on the road with Candi Staton, singing backup with predominantly all-black bands, Teddy Pendergrass...There were three white backup singers and the rest of the band was entirely black. It was interesting for me to see from that point of view to see what it’s like to have someone treat you differently. If I didn’t already feel comfortable within my own skin, I certainly felt more sympathetic to what it must be like to be born into life where people judge you based on what you look like or the class that you’re born in.

Do you still sing?
I do not. I gave up singing. Andy Cohen’s just going to have to wait for another Housewife to record a song. My family, they’re musicians, my son has a band, it’s in their blood. One thing I can tell you from being on the road as a singer. I was out there 28 days out of the month. I knew someday I would want to be married and have children, I grew up very old-fashioned in a Southen world, and I thought this has been fun, but it’s not for me. I came back to Washington and decided to really focus on what seemed like a reasonable career choice.

Lynn's New Post About BGM

Click HERE to read Lynn's latest blog post about Bethenny Getting Married.

Lynda Erkiletian-RHODC

Post from Guest of a Guest.

By:Gabrielle Bluestone
In the second part of our Housewives' bio series, we take a look at cast member Lynda Erkiletian. A divorced mother of four, Lynda Erkiletian runs D.C. modeling agency T.H.E. Artist Agency which she founded. She has a much younger boyfriend, Ebong Eka, and is active in the D.C. social scene. Ebong, a CPA, started his own clothing line for men such as himself who are tall (he's 6 foot 5) and like a good, well-cut suit.

Age: Unknown

Family: Divorced but dating. Mother of four children.
- Aaron
- Jessica
- Mihran
- Sam

Catchphrase: "Inviting second-tier people seems so… unnatural."

 Erkiletian embraces her large family, but says of future nuptials, "I've been married twice and having a husband is like having more children. I have four already."
She owns and operates T.H.E. Artist Agency, which represents models and stylists. We've seen it described everywhere as a top modeling agency, but we have no idea what that means or what D.C. even has to offer in terms of modeling agencies. According to the Washington Post, Erkiletian, describes her company as catering to "the ambassadors, to the dignitaries."

We're confused. Whatever. Even so, according to the Washington Examiner, her client list includes Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Saks, Neiman Marcus, and Vanity Fair, Elle and Allure magazines.

And it appears that Erkiletian is on track to bring the drama this season. She's blasted cast mate Michaele Salahi, saying of the Salahi's polo match, "I just have no desire to go back, or ever be associated with that little goat rodeo."

According to her Bravo bio, the southern gal

- Consults her astrological chart daily
- Couldn't be bothered to get married again
- Knows how to keep it real
- Channels her southern roots at her country home by shooting clay pigeons, riding ATVs and cooking a mean fried chicken

Yes, the show is clearly going to be about Salahi, but we have a feeling Erkiletian will have no problem commanding screen time this season.