Danielle Talks To Fancast About The RH,Lori And Her Future

Article from Fancast.


Danielle Staub Likens NJ ‘Housewives’ To Zoo Animals, Teases Reunion Surprise
by Sean Evans

Danielle Staub has become a household name as a result of her wild behavior on the ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey.’ Drama seems to follow the mother of two where ever she goes, yet Staub insists her life is rather normal and wants the public to see that real side of her. Fancast talked to Staub via phone about the status of her mental health, how Bravo supplied armed security for the reunion show (part one airs next Monday), what she’d like her spin-off TV show to entail, and her entrée into the world of singing.


There’s a lot of talk about your mental health in public and in the media. What do your friends say about that?
I’ll embrace my crazy any day and own up to rather than hide behind other people’s problems and point fingers. Look, crazy knows crazy. As far as my mental health is concerned, I’m perfectly fine. I love who I am, and I don’t give a sh*t what other people say. Just don’t spell my name wrong.

Photo: Bravo

What do you have to say to all the haters who call you crazy?

Keep hating me. Love me or hate me, you’re still talking about me. It’s the haters that make you famous. The lovers keep me warm at night.

Sanity aside, you get into more than a few altercations on camera. Are the fights we see on the air real? Or is there a producer in the corner egging you guys on?

Oh, come on. These are big girls. [My castmates] sit and talk about me constantly. Even their husbands do the same. They’re a bunch of grown up bullies who don’t have lives so they are obsessed with mine. I wish they’d leave me alone. I was only near them three times this season. That’s it. That part was a necessity. I only brought their names up when I’d get a text or an email or I was attacked and had to go to court. They’re going to call me crazy because all they do is obsess with me. One of their Bravo blogs mentioned me 87 times. In one blog!

What do you think of the ‘Real Housewives’ franchise as a whole?
It’s wonderful. It’s a great opportunity for everyone. Some people recognize that and broaden their horizons as a result. For the people that don’t get caught up in it, it’s wonderful. If you start helping other people with the platform you’ve been given, like I have, then you get it. My castmates missed the mark. I didn’t.

What do you think of the other city’s casts? Ever watch any of their shows?
No, I do not. I don’t have time to.

Do you watch your own show?
Somewhat. I get a DVD delivered to me two days after each one of our episodes airs. I watch it the following Monday before the new show goes on at 10 pm. I blog about what I saw and I put it away in a safe deposit box, just in case anyone breaks in. [Laughs.] But I don’t spend hours watching myself or the show. I’m already onto the next thing.

Do you like what you see?
Not particularly. Not because I’m ashamed of how I’m portrayed. It’s that I don’t like to see people attacking someone. It’s not because it’s me. Sure, in this instance, it’s happening to me on camera. But [these attacks] are happening to people everywhere. It’s not pretty. People tell me I look mean and stressed out. Why wouldn’t you be in that situation? People have questions about why would I press charges [after the country club confrontation]. If it were you, would you drop the charges if you were attacked? If you were chased by what amounts to animals from a zoo left with their cages unlocked and they haven’t been given their piece of beef yet? They were going after me in a country club. That’s very real. Let it be you and see how much you spend your time defending yourself.

Given all that, how stressful was filming the reunion show?
That was taped in Atlantic City three weeks ago, and it was pretty stressful but, surprisingly, it was more stressful for [the rest of the cast]. When one chooses truth and displays decorum and is honest, one has nothing to worry about when sitting amongst those who’ve hid behind their own misery. I think everything will be displayed as it should be and everyone will be shown as being who they really are.

Did you worry about your safety during the reunion? Did you bring bodyguards to set?
Shockingly, I didn’t have to. Bravo actually hired armed security. You can call them police or whatever, but they had real guns. What made me feel safe was being able to bring along a friend.

Who was that?
It’ll be a surprise. I’m not allowed to say who it is. I can just say everyone will know who it is and understand who it is. It’s the biggest surprise of the reunion.

How upset were you when Bravo let you know that you wouldn’t be participating in season three?
There hasn’t been any discussion with me. I don’t know if that’s a done deal yet. I’m just trying to get through this. I’m very busy with my music, and with my memoir out (’The Naked Truth’). Sorry I didn’t write a cookbook, but I do cook. My memoir is doing well. My song is getting new remixes. Yesterday, I did my TV debut of my song, ‘Real Close,’ with choreographed dancers and it went viral. I’m very proud of my music and I have a new song on the way. There’s so much more to come with me. I have a lot of people approaching me with offers.

If you weren’t asked back, how do you think the show will fare without you as an integral part of it?
It would be like watching beige paint dry. Either you love me or you hate me, but you always want to watch me.

There’s talk of you getting your own spin-off. Would you ever want to do that?
Absolutely. I think that I’m interesting enough that I could carry my own show. It’d be the real me and it’d be about my music, my daughter being a super model, my assistants, my interns and my relationship with my music producer [and girlfriend Lori Michaels]. My littlest daughter is being produced and managed by Lori as well, and has her own song coming out, so we’d show that. Right now, I’m collaborating with very big names in the music industry, so I’d show that. I want it to be all about the team surrounding me, supporting me. I call them Danielle’s Mafia, so that’s what I’d call the show.

You’re saying you’re working with top music people. Who would be your top three collaborations that you’d die to see come to fruition?
I wouldn’t die for nobody, first of all. To be able to musically have an opportunity to work with three artists, that’s a tough question. If I leave someone out, I shoot myself in the foot. I’ve spoken to a few top people and been approached by a few mainstream artists. I’m just taking it for what it is, and whatever comes my way will be my dream collaborations. Anything music is the best route for me to go. I love all types of music.

Can you tell us who’s approached you?
You’ll have to wait and see!

Will you be touring and playing local venues with your new music?
We will be touring very soon. We’re booking as we speak. I have four different remixes on the song, so we’ll be bringing a great show to everyone. Our schedule can be found on my website http://www.danielle-staub.com/

Finally, what do you have to say to all the people who say your new relationship with Lori Michaels isn’t real? That you’re only doing this for the shock value?
[Laughs] Oh, I don’t know. Why don’t you ask Lori? [Staub hands the phone off and another woman’s voice comes on.]
This is Lori. To anyone who thinks what we have isn’t real, I only have one thing to say: If it’s not then why would I be here, sitting right next to Danielle at this hour? [Ed. Note: it was 9:55am.] The fact that she’s sitting beside me this early in the morning proves that we’re genuine.