RHODC Epidsode #5 Recap and Fact-Check

Article from the Washington Post.


Mean girls: D.C. "Housewives" recap and fact-check (#5)
By: Roxanne Roberts and Amy Argetsinger

Welcome back to "The Real Housewives of D.C.," and episode five -- we've crossed the halfway mark! The home stretch! It's the episode where Tareq and Michaele Salahi toss around a lot of vague but ominous accusations about Mary Amons's daughter that as best as we can tell are (1) misleading and (2) misdirected and (3) way overstated, and this edition of our weekly recap and fact-checking will attempt to make sense of it for you. These accusations hang over the rest of the episode, giving it a yucky aftertaste that nonetheless does not diminish its boringness. Hey, everyone psyched for season two?

Photo: Bravo

It opens where we left -- Stacie and Jason Turner and Mary lingering over a dinner at Oasis Winery, where they are the guests of Tareq and Michaele (who seem to have reached some tenuous legal ceasefire with his mother enabling them to be on the premises). The dinner was already tense, thanks to the topic of the Salahis apparently crashing and getting tossed out of the Congressional Black Caucus dinner. (True story.) Tareq apparently has a look on his face, so Mary nudges him to share (or maybe the producers have nudged her to nudge him), and then he unloads, in a rapid slur.

"So I'm just going to say something. I don't know every detail about everything. There's been this dialogue about a car that you know we had, and unfortunately the car got taken." Oh, and also, adds Michaele, "all the United States team gear."

Tareq goes on to implicate Mary's oldest daughter Lolly -- though he's careful to say that it's actually "this agency [that] came to us" and told them that Lolly had something up on Facebook "admitting" something about a "joy ride." And most damning, there were photos: "They" -- whoever they are -- "were all wearing my jacket, my jersey and my polo mallet!" Mary gets incredulous and then weepy, and the Turners jump in to say, basically, "whaaaa?" And Tareq continues, saying "the FBI has been investigating this.... There's a federal investigation and everybody's going to jail!"

(Time to break in now. We, too, do not know every detail, but our reporting indicates that this was a relatively minor incident -- a year and a half old already by the time of this dinner - that did not involve the FBI, nor implicate Lolly. It goes back to May of 2008, when the Salahis' America's Polo Cup organization hosted a match at Lansdowne Resort in Northern Virginia. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office confirm they received a report of missing clothes and polo gear, as well as a complaint about a car that had been moved from where the owners left it - it was found, a short time later, in the same valet parking area. A "possible suspect" was identified more than a year later, after police received new information, and some of the items were returned. Though there are a couple of active warrants -- for larceny and unauthorized use of a car -- they apparently haven't taken a whole lot of precedence, because they still haven't been served. No one has been arrested. The full police reports are not available since the case remains open. But the sheriff's department confirmed that Lolly's name was not part of the investigation.)

Mary calls this accusation "out of left field" and "the worst sucker punch." Jason is in disbelief that Tareq would accuse someone's daughter like that: "No. Stop. I am so uncomfortable with this line of conversation." (It's another moment when you sense that the Turners have pulled back the curtain for us and are expressing genuine shock that they've lent their names and lives to an increasingly sordid TV show.) Michaele insists that "the charity was hurt, the polo players were hurt." (Their charity has indeed been beset with problems, including a state investigation into its practices.) Mary tells the camera that Tareq "had a lot of wine to drink... He is an angry drunk." Michaele accuses her of condoning stealing. It's all very ugly. Mary walks off, a tissue to dab her eyes on one hand, a big glass of red wine in the other.

Sullen limo ride home for Mary and the Turners. Mary can't figure out what the exact accusation is and wonders why Tareq would bring this up at the end of the evening, out of the blue. Jason suggests that "maybe it's all [bogus]."
Next, we're at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon in Friendship Heights. Over foot massages, Catherine Ommanney and Stacie tell Lynda Erkiletian (absent from the winery trip and most of last episode) about the Salahi weirdness. Lynda, to the camera: "Even if that story were true, would you do that in public, at a dinner party you're hosting?" (She doesn't even need to invoke one of her Rules of Washington here.) At the salon, she bursts out laughing. "I'm sorry, this must have been devastasting for Mary -- but he is a whackjob!" Cat wishes she had been there for Mary (she left early). Stacie regrets she went to Paris with them. "They're living a kind of farce."

Back at Mary's McLean house (which -- breaking news! -- the Amonses just put on the market this week, after 16 years there). Family discussion about What the Salahis Said. Mary tells Lolly: "He dropped the name FBI, you, polo gear and a car being stolen." Says Lolly: "He's ker-RAZY!" Mary tells the camera that "she did post something on Facebook -- but this in no way implicates her in an FBI investigation." (Oh, come on, tell us more! I can't find Lolly's Facebook profile these days, but I'm sure it's been scrubbed and privatized. Which, you know, the smart thing to do.") Rich Amons gets the two best lines of the night: "He breaks all kinds of man-rules by attacking, one: my wife, two: my daughter." Then when Mary asks how they should deal with Tareq the next time they see him, Rich widens his eyes and shrugs: "Depends on how much alcohol I've had!" (hahaha) Lolly is unrattled by the accusations: "Are you worried someone's going to believe him? Someone's going to be, like, 'Tareq Salahi is such a credible source?' I don't think so." (Starting to wonder if there's more history between these families than we realized... or maybe Lolly was just a diligent Washington Post reader who had followed the early stories about Tareq's family feud and polo-circle squabbles.)

Michaele heads into dinner with a dark-haired young woman in a sparkly top named Jen, described as her "assistant." They're at Palette, the restaurant at the Madison Hotel (which is just across the street from Washington Post! I highly recommend the pulled-duck hoagie). Michaele (seemingly still operating under the mistaken assumption that "isn't Cat Ommanney controversial?" is the driving plotline of "Real Housewives of D.C.") talks about how controversial that Cat Ommanney is, all balky and eye-rolling at the winery last week. "It's not being a Washingtonian," declares Michaele. "It's not being a Washingtonian lady."(As of Thursday night, Google found exactly five non-gibberish uses of the phrase "Washingtonian lady" in history, one of which comes from a 1902 novel, and two others referring to Seattlites. But you know, by tomorrow, we'll all be saying it around here.) She adds that, with Lynda, Cat and Mary, "it's like the Wicked Stepmother and Evil Stepsisters, and I feel like Cinderella."

And then the producers really lay the smack down on Michaele, who is allowed to natter on vaguely about "Lolly's involvement," blaming Mary for opening that conversation at dinner, and agreeding with Jen that it was mighty dumb of Lolly, or anyone, to post incriminating stuff on Facebook. Says Michaele: "If you're out there doing crazy things, it's going to come back." (Mwah-WAHH! We here at the Washington Post have been given a lot of credit -- and deservedly so! -- for breaking the story of the uninvited guests at the White House state dinner... but let's remember too that the Salahis kind of gave away the game by posting on Facebook all those now-iconic photos of themselves cozying up to Biden and Rahm at the dinner.)

Back to Mary's house. Rich, over a glass of wine, says he's searched the records, but "I couldn't find anything with Lolly's name in any police jurisdiction in 100 miles." Mary tells the camera that "Michaele and Tareq make [stuff] up because they want to deflect their own [stuff]."

Lynda, at home in Georgetown, is talking to Stacie on speaker phone (the only way you're allowed to talk to each other on reality TV, though you can also do it by holding a tiny cellphone in the upraised palm of your hand, like you're about to blow a kiss off of it). Remember how Lynda has been househunting? (She sold her Ritz-Carlton condo for beaucoup bucks.) Well, now she's getting advice from her new Realtor friend, Stacie. Stacie is glad to help (though it all seems beside the point, since Lynda divulges she's already signed off on a counteroffer). Stacie, though, gamely turns this into a minor bit of faux-drama character development: "McLean is beautiful, but it's Virginia!" she tells the camera. "She lives in Georgetown, on the water. Buying in McLean is a good investment -- however, I don't see Lynda as a suburban girl."

At the tea room of the Mayflower, Cat clinks champagne glasses with our old friend Edwina Rogers. (Remember, Edwina was an early candidate last year for a major "Housewives" role. In some ways she seemed perfect for it, what with her controversial yet charming habit of giftwrapping presents in uncut dollar bills. But she did not ultimately sign on.) Cat announces to the camera that "Edwina's one of the most powerful lobbyists in D.C." (With all due respect to Rogers, who has a fine career, she has not typically been considered in the stratosphere of this intensely competitive field.)

Says Edwina: "Cheers! Welcome to the United States! I hope you're being treated well!" And then later, "I understand you're working on a book... What a fun profession!" (Bless her heart, Edwina is just a little stilted with the cameras. You wonder if she was still in the mix at the time of this taping; the producers mess so much with the chronology it's impossible to tell when this champagne tea occurs.) And then: "Did I tell you I'm working on health care reform?" Cat snarks a "good luck with that," and that it seems like an "oxymoron" for a Republican to be working on health care, and "would you like to pay my medical bills?" which she then begins to enumerate. Edwina giggles politely, then stares as Cat natters on about how terrible the U.S. health care system is. "Is that a cucumber sandwich?" asks Edwina. How did she vote? Edwina says she's a Republican, voted a straight ticket. "What about Sarah Palin?" asks Cat. Edwina kinds of stares at her. "She was on the ticket. You can't split the vote... [but] I think she would have been fine." Cat is all eye-rolly as usual. Then Edwina, gamely sticking to the notes, explains, "the reason I brought up health care is I'm going to have a party for Washington insiders, Republicans and Democrats." (Oh, help us. No one talks this way, not about their own parties or their own friends, unless maybe they're reading off the same "Rules of Washington" cue cards prepared for Mary and Lynda most weeks. So anyway, we'll have that insiders' party to look forward to.)

Back at the Madison, this time the hotel bar, where Lynda and her boyfriend Ebong are meeting Jason and Stacie. When the Turners arrive, Lynda says, "We just started having a cocktail, you know how that is - I said, it is Washington and it is raining!" (No, I actually don't know what that means. There are no rules of Washington and rain and cocktails. That I know of. But I find nothing in her cocktail-directed logic to object to.) Topic of conversation #1: Lynda defending her decision to move to Virginia. Just "for a few years... I love my city! I love it here!" Stacie confides more concerns to the camera: "It's somewhat surprising to me that Lynda would move out of D.C. now. D.C. is so much hipper and cooler and cutting edge." (And now, a word from McLean-dwelling Roxanne Roberts: "Do I suddenly live in the sticks and no one told me? Drama for people who don't know Washington. Fact: Five minutes from McLean to D.C. over Chain Bridge, 15 to Georgetown.") Lynda declares that "I will come back."

Topic of conversation #2: Stacie's search for her birth parents. As established last week, she now knows that her birth mother is white, her father from Nigeria -- which is where Ebong is from. "He is my brother!" Stacie cheers, and wonders whether he can help her find her father. She talks more about her mother's reluctance to get to know her. Lynda calls it "heartwrenching" and expresses sympathy for the mother: "What if she spent her whole life wanting you... She had to make these decisions because of ignorance." Stacie's not buying it, but appreciates the sentiment. Which leads us into the D.C. Housewives' perennial topic of conversation #3: Race relations. Lynda declares that growing up in the south, "I experienced reverse racism. I wasn't waited on because I was white!" Says Stacie, coolly: "That is interesting." (On her Bravo blog this week, Lynda hearkens back to her teenage experience as a backup singer for R&B star Candi Staton, and honestly, I wish we were seeing a reality show about that.) Some flirtatious banter about how we're all alike in the dark, and about Ebong's nappy chest hair, and the scene ends cordially.

Back at Mary's house. So many of these kids -- Mary's, Lynda's, Cat's -- just blend together, but now and then one stands out. And of course, once again, it's 14-year-old Megan, still feeling her oats after her scene-stealing cameo a couple weeks ago. "What are these wrappers all over your floor?" Mary asks. "Did you eat HoHos up here?" Says Megan, winsomely: "I kind of fell asleep on a HoHo." (It doesn't really make sense, but Megan bats her eyelashes at the camera and waits for the Disney Channel to discover her.)
Lynda shows off her new home to Ebong and her kids (and maybe some of their plus-ones; hard to tell, but it seems like a big crowd, and I'm pretty sure they're not all hers). She loves the kitchen, frets about the safety of the pool. (So you know, she paid $2 million for it.) Stacie once again looms into the scene, telling the camera with concern: "It will be interesting to see how she fits in." (Spoiler alert: Lynda's going to be fine, okay? She's just moving across the river, all right? Really!)

Cut back and forth between Stacie and Jason at home, and Cat at home, all dressing for Edwina Rogers's lobbying event. "We're Democrats, but we're open minded," says Stacie. Cat decides to dress "inappropriately," and goofs around with flouncy minis, feather boas, etc. Stacie frets about encountering the Salahis again but vows "to rise above the drama."

The party is at The Madison -- again! (In fact, in the same room where Bravo hosted the "Housewives" premiere party last month... is everybody even now?) The chyron describes it as "Edwina's healthcare party" (which -- oh, just make up your own joke). It's a fairly empty looking party, actually. (Were guests afraid they'd be asked to turn their head and cough? Never mind, I'm letting you all make up your own jokes.) Michaele, in a hot-pink dress, declares that she wants to get to know Edwina's friends, and starts introducing herself around. Cordial hugs when the Turners arrive. But Jason tells the camera: "I felt a change in the temperature with them. Not from them, but from us."

And now, here's our weekly installment (in no way prompted by producers, we're sure) of Lynda Erkiletian's Rules of Washington. Says Lynda: "Washington, D.C. has a special etiquette: You can think what you want, but you can't say it to their face." (Unfortunately this runs directly counter to the Rules of Real Housewives, as explicated by New Jersey's Teresa Giudice -- oh, go click it and then come back.)

Hey, look! It's a real celebrity: D.C. Councilmember-at-large David Catania! He tells Michaele he likes her hot-print dress. Stacie is pleasantly surprised to see him, though she knows he "has headed the health care initiative for years." (Chaired the health committee, that is.) He talks with Stacie about how insurance companies need to be able to "provide a product people can afford," and she seems impressed. (Don't think this is the last you'll see of Catania on "Housewives"; he welcomed the cast and crew into his office last December when the council passed the same-sex marriage bill. Catania was, at one point, one of the most prominent openly gay Republican officials; however, he's now an independent.)

Oh, and then Cat walks in dressed up as Sarah Palin. Brunette wig and all. Heads turn, but everyone seems to figure out it's her in about a second. Charles Ommanney (her now-estranged husband) is there as well. Cat tells the camera, "Charles is not a fan of Sarah Palin's, so we have a lot of fun getting me to look like her." (This is a pretty damaging thing to say about a journalist who has a reputation for objectivity and neutrality; she did a similar thing in episode one, nattering on about Bush vs. Obama.) There is some bitchiness in the room -- Michaele and Jen laughing that people might like Cat better if she goes undercover more often, Cat snarking about Michaele's "artificial dress, artificial personality."

Then, drama! An ambulance crew takes someone out of the hotel on a stretcher. We're told it's Edwina, suddenly taken ill. Vertigo is mentioned in passing. (We contacted Edwina Rogers about this incident, will update with what we learn.)

Then a super-weird exchange -- fraught but nonsensical -- between Cat, Michaele and Jen (who at the winery stepped out of obscurity to tell Cat she was being "bitchy," and suddenly the cameras focused on her like she'd just descended from heaven -- well played, Jen!). Cat's all, "you said I was bitchy," and Jen's all "you're taking it way too seriously." And then Michaele turns on Cat and says, "Did you just have a brunette wig on?" And Cat says, "Yeah, did you just have a shocking-pink dress on?" And Michaele says, "I'm still in it -- where's your wig?" (And does any of this make any sense? It's so fifth grade!) Michaele tells the camera that Cat "likes to give it out but she can't take it." Cat tells the camera that Michaele "is so superficial... you're so full of [expletive] Michaele."

The scene, and episode, ends with Michaele bantering flirtatiously with another guest, a short, older man identified as "Robert Foster, President and CEO of Global Consulting." (Yeah, no luck Googling him; he also appears to have kept his company out of The Washington Post. Seems like a nice guy, though. Maybe he gave the camera guy a fake name. If you know him, email us.)

"In this city, honey, your credibility is everything," Foster tells her, "and once it goes..."

"It gone," says Michaele.
"It gone," he echoes.

Who wins this round? No one. Everyone loses.

Kelly Talks To US Magazine

Alex Walking In Five Shows

Article from NY Magazine.

By: Keith Solar

Of all reality stars, there are few whose love of fashion is as well documented as The Real Housewives of New York's Alex McCord and her husband, Simon van Kempen. Simon seems to enjoy no greater thrills than watching his wife twirl in Cavalli gown after Cavalli gown on a shopping trip or sourcing fine jewelry directly from a showroom. Alex has put on — and modeled in — a fashion show in Brooklyn, and is perfectly comfortable with the knowledge that her husband would probably be in DIY heaven given a pair of red PVC pants, a can of paint, and a Bedazzler. And they are making good on the opportunities afforded by New York Fashion Week — opportunities you may not have even known existed. Last night at Glamour's party to welcome Anne Christensen as fashion director, McCord told us she'll walk five shows this season, including Susan Cianciolo, Project Runway alum Malan Breton, and three others she can't remember. We spoke to McCord, a new addition to New York Model Management's celebrity board, about her burgeoning side job.

How did this happen?
There are these girls out there who are 15, but there's definitely room for women who are not 15 ... like me.

Have you been practicing your walk?

Yes! I worked with an amazing coach, Mac, and he came to my house and we walked up and down the hallways, scaring the cat and scaring my housekeeper.

What did he teach you?
He was hard-core. He taught me thinking of a string above my head. He taught me about leading with my hips, and keeping everything still, with nothing moving except my feet. The only tough thing for me was relaxing my face. The last thing I'd want to do is make a face like Ramona on last season's Housewives. I got it down eventually.

So what's next?
I went for fittings today, and I don't think they were quite prepared for how tall and skinny I am. They saw me and they were gonna ask how I wanted my hair and makeup, and they said, "We're gonna put you in the show look," and I was like, "Yes, put me in the show look!" and they said they would because I looked like a model. Their words, not mine.

That's pretty legit.

Hopefully I won't fall off the runway. But if I do, at least that'll be good press for the designer.

Jeana And Vicki Are Not Friends

Interview from the Daily Herald.

By Jamie Sotonoff
Orange County ain't got nothin' on the Northwest suburbs.

At least according to Vicki Gunvalson, a Northwest suburban native and one of the stars of Bravo's hit reality TV series, "Real Housewives of OC."
Gunvalson is in town this weekend to do some appearances, attend tonight's Fremd High School Class of 1980 reunion, and visit her many friends and family (brother Billy in Trout Valley; sister Lisa in Cary; sister Kim in Hoffman Estates; mom Joanne in Prairie Grove).
We spoke with Gunvalson about everything from her beauty school days to her ongoing feud with fellow housewife Jeana. Below is an edited version of the interview.
Q: Did you grow up in Mount Prospect or Palatine?
A: Both. I was born and raised in Mount Prospect, and we moved to Palatine when I was in eighth grade. I went to Fremd and Harper (College), but I left after 1½ years and went to beauty school. I started working out of my house, doing perms and cuts in my garage. I decided I really didn't like it. I didn't like being on my feet all day, and I think you need to have a creative mind. I'm more of a numbers and sales person ... the whole beauty industry didn't fit for me. I got married when I was 21, I was pregnant with Michael when I was 23 ... and I was divorced when I was 29. I remarried and left for California 16 years ago.

Q: In one episode, you brought all the housewives to Armand's in downtown Arlington Heights. Why there?
A: My brother's really good friends with the owner. They have a Vicki-tini on the menu now. (The owner) got a lot of people coming by there after it aired, saying, 'I saw you on the show!'

Q: What do the Northwest suburbs have that the OC doesn't?
A: It has so much that the OC doesn't. The train! The train is a nostalgic thing to me. You're always crossing over tracks here. It's got the ethnicity. California is pretty new where I live. There's nothing that has anything heritage. Everything is brand new buildings, but there's no culture there.

Q: How has the show changed your life?
A: In every way possible. There's no more privacy. Yesterday, I got off the plane and go down to baggage claim, and there's a woman standing with 30 8x10 pictures of me. She tracked me and knew when I was landing. That stuff kinda freaks me out because I don't know who's watching me. How did they know I was on that flight at that time?

Q: Are you still best friends with Tamra after she and Simon broke up?
A: We just got done making up. We had a meeting of the minds and I had to forgive her. She said she was at a bad place in her life and she asked for forgiveness. All I asked for was an apology ... and said, "Don't ever do it again."

Q: You and Jeana were friends until she asked to borrow money. What's the status of your friendship now?
A: We're not friends. Jeana put me in an investment, a rental property ... and all of the appraisal documents were bad ... it turned out to be a bad investment for everyone but her. There are some things that I'll never forgive her for. Those type of people I never want to be around.

Q: What's next for you?
A: We're filming Season 6 right now, and it'll be out in November-December. I guess just growing my business, traveling, seeing the world, and I don't know. There's still a lot of growth happening in my life.

Q: Who are you still friends with?
A: I'm social friends with Lauri (from Season 3). I don't have a lot of social time with people. It's work or family.

Q: How are your children Briana and Michael?
A: My family is everything to me. Briana is a nurse in Newport Beach and just moved out. Michael's an insurance agent for me and still lives at home. I'm starting to have some empty nester issues already. I really enjoy my children.
Q: You're the only one of the 'Housewives" who works. How's your business? (Coto Insurance and Financial Services)
A: Amazing. We've grown 400 percent from last year to this year, and tripled in the last three years. I now have 730 agents out in the field and 12 employees in office.
Q: Do you still treat your employees to things like tanning and Botox?
A: We do spray tans. The girl comes once every three weeks, and a doctor comes and gives injections. I just hired a personal trainer for all the staff to do a boot camp after work. I try to keep a great environment there.

Q: How has the show evolved from being the first city of 'Real Housewives'?
A: It just kind of flattering in a way, because the success of our show led the other franchises to come on board. Now it's getting so saturated, that it's too many. People have got to be thinking, "Enough's enough."
Vicki Gunvalson will sign copies of her book, "More Than A Housewife," starting at 6 p.m. today during Macy's Fashion's Night Out event, 111 N. State St., Chicago.

Mary Amons At Three Dots

Post and pictures from Three Dots.

Mary Schmidt Amons from Bravo’s “Real Housewives of DC” at Three Dots Headquarters

Three Dots had the pleasure to welcome Mary Schmidt Amons of the Real Housewives of DC cast to our headquarters in Garden Grove, California.
Mary was looking for clothing as fashionable as her bubbly personality for an upcoming photoshoot with photographer Challenge Roddie.

Pegah Anvarian, Three Dots creative director, provided fitting and styling guidance.

We can’t wait to see the pictures!!

Photo: Three Dots

Photo: Three Dots

Photo: Three Dots

Photo: Three Dots

 

Michaele Was Never Paid By Her Mother-In-Law

Article from Radar Online.

It seems that blood is not thicker than water, at least when it comes to the Salahi family, who has been in an ongoing feud for years over their Virginia winery. Real Housewife of DC star Michaele Salahi won a case against her mother-in-law Corinne for thousands in lost wages, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively.

Photo: Bravo

The controversial housewife filed a complaint with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry in 2008 for $14,880 plus interest, and the investigation eventually ruled in her favor. However, Michaele says she got the run-around in regards to the payment awarded to her but decided to take the high road and drop the issue.

"I told the Labor board she wasn't worth it to me, so I said I am not playing her game and walked away," Michaele told RadarOnline.com exclusively.

"She wanted me to fight and took me through the embarrassment of giving me a check and taking it away. It was a game that not only she did to me but many others. I decided the way to win is walk away!"
In documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Michaele claimed she worked for the Salahi family from June 2007 to January 2008 "behind the bar on wine tastings and did payroll" at Oasis Vineyard. In a letter on behalf of Tareq's estranged mother, lawyers responded to the claim saying Michaele "added no value to Oasis Vineyard, Inc. and, even if she did, the claim for wages we reviewed is grossly inflated."

The letter also states that Michaele wasn't employed by Oasis Vineyard, Inc. and that it was under supervision of a court-appointed receiver who "did not authorize the hiring of Ms. Salahi and has previously rejected her claim. At the time, Ms. Salahi was working for a competing organization owned by her husband, Tareq Salahi, Oasis Enterprises, Inc, and/or for her own wine distributorship, Virginia Wine Country Distributors, Inc."
In response, Michaele wrote in an e-mail to the labor law rep, "I am sorry that they are not being honest with you that I worked EXCLUSIVELY for OASIS and there WAS NO TIME FOR ANYTHING ELSE...I have added Great Value to that company and to the expense of my own well being. My day's [sic] there from July - to January were LONG - just restoring the place from all the damage Corinne Salahi had done."
Michaele also went into detail about her contribution to Oasis Vineyards: served wine at bar, gave wine tastings, cleaned the premises, trained employees, worked daily on outstanding bills, took care of customers, etc.

The case was later closed in April 2009 when Oasis Vineyard filed for bankruptcy.

Ramona- RHONY

Picture from Ramona.

With @nachofigueras the face of Ralph Lauren and media king @JasonBinn 4 dinner @dianelieberman

Kelly Keeping Fit

Kelly jogging through Downtown Manhattan today.

Photo: Photo Agency

Photo: Photo Agency

Photo: Photo Agency

Dina At The US Open

Pic./tweet from Dina.

Me & Lex freeezing at the US open (hence my red nose) Wish Tommy had a twitter so he'd Hurry up w sweatshirts!

Teresa And Stacie On WWHL

Pictures of Stacie and Teresa when they visited Andy on Watch What Happens Live.

Alex And Simon Attend The Farah Angsana Spring Fashion Show

Pictures of Alex and Simon at the Farah Angsana Spring 2011 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Studio at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Designer Farah Angsana With Simon And Alex

Booton Sprinkler Company Files A Lawsuit Against Gorgas

From NJ.com.

MaryAnn Spoto/The Star-Ledger
Follow The reportedly newest addition to Real Housewives of New Jersey is making news even before she joins the crew of the reality TV show.

Melissa Gorga, the sister-in-law of RHONJ cast member Teresa Giudice, owes a Boonton sprinkler company $50,000 for work on an apartment complex in Paterson, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Superior Court in Morris County.

Gorga initially reneged on an agreement to pay nearly $300,000 for the installation of a fire sprinkler and alarm system at a Paterson apartment complex, the complaint said. The complaint accuses Gorga, her husband Guiseppe and their business, Gorga Enterprises Inc. of breach of contract and unjustly enriching themselves by misdeeds, among other things, by failing to pay for work performed by Bravante Automatic Sprinkler Corp.

The Gorgas had a $260,000 contract with Bravante for a fire suppression system at 10-28 Courtland St. in Paterson in January 2008 and another contract for nearly $17,000 the following month for an alarm monitoring system, according to the complaint.

By Aug. 22, 2008, Gorga paid only $44,000 on the fire sprinkler contract and $3,000 on the alarm monitoring contract, the suit said. On that same day, Bravante filed a construction lien against them with the Passaic County Clerk’s Office.
The Gorgas owned up to part of a settlement agreement, the complaint said. They paid $191,000 of the tab by July 1, 2009, but they didn’t pony up $50,000 they agreed to turn over when they received a $1 million bank loan for the project, according to the complaint. By then, Bravante had performed more work totaling $21,909, the complaint said.
Melissa Gorga, who is married to Giudice’s brother Giuseppe, is reportedly replacing cast member Dina Manzo, who left the show mid-season this year.

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.

Real Housewives To Walk the Runway At The Elle Magazine's SACHIKA Fashion Show

Article from Washington Bangla Radio.


SACHIKA’s Spring 2011 Ready-To-Wear collection sponsored by ALISA MARIA at New York Fashion Week on September 14, 2010, at 2:00 PM at Elle Magazine’s Style 360 Event at Metropolitan Pavilion.

What better way to kick off New York Fashion Week than with a runway show featuring some of the most sought-after celebrities? Wardrobe stylist and jewelry designer ALISA MARIA presents SACHIKA's much-anticipated fashion show with a full lineup of celebrities for New York Fashion Week. The show promises to be New York Fashion Week’s most celebrated event with an outstanding number of confirmed Celebs & A-Listers attending & participating. This wildly popular fashion show will be filmed for the new seasons of both Bravo’s hit TV shows “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” and “The Real Housewives of New York”.

SACHIKA is a movement that encourages women to be independent, strong, and ambitious. It is for the modern woman who radiates confidence and takes charge of her own destiny. The Yin & Yang entrepreneurs also known as the SACHIKA TWINS moved from Montreal to New York City to achieve the ultimate “American Dream.” SACHIKA has now earns a reputation as the must-have fashion line to the stars.
The SACHIKA Spring 2011 catwalk will be brimming with effortless downtown-girl chic with a dash of sexy, sleek sophistication. The theme of this season's show is “A Vietnamese Princess in Paris.” The collection will be styled by image director Ugo Mozie, who will accessorize the collection with dazzling jewels by Alisa Maria. The show will open with a dance performance and morph into a star-studded celebrity fashion show. Expect an incredible array of celebs gracing the runway and audience such as Alex McCord and Jill Zarin from The Real Housewives of New York, Rap Royalty Angela and Vanessa Simmons, Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s Adrienne Bailon, The Pussycat Dolls’ Melody Thornton, ICE T and wife Coco, actress Denyce Lawton, Jive Records artist Matisse & Bad Boy Records Cheri Dennis, Celebrity DJ Sky Nellor, America Next Top Model Finalists Sheena, Anchal Joseph, Angelea Preston & Alexandra Underwood, TV Personality VH1's Mz Berry as well as Caroline Manzo and Jacqueline Laurita from Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
SACHIKA is part of STYLE360, sponsored by Elle Magazine, ELLE.com, Stolichnaya Vodka, Beauti Control, Sebastian Professional and Starbucks Frappucino. For additional information, contact Robin Kassner, Haute PR, at (917) 388-3494, hautepr(at)gmail(dot)com or visit www.hautpr.com.

About SACHIKA:
These twin sensations are without-a-doubt the ones to watch this season's during NY Fashion Week. To-Tam and To-Nya Sachika design dazzling dresses to satisfy every woman’s dreams and desires.
SACHIKA’s feminine, fabulous, flirty fashion line consistently attracts the hottest names in the industry. The brand was created by Celebrity Twin Fashion Designers To-Tam and To-Nya Sachika, who have dressed such public figures as super hot rapper Nicki Minaj, Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger, recording artist Faith Evans, Omarosa from The Apprentice, Jill Zarin from the Real Housewives of New York, Caroline Manzo and Jacqueline Laurita from the Real Housewives of New Jersey, Adrienne Bailon, recording artist Fantasia, and Celebrity Blogger Tila Tequila, to name a few. Celeb stylists, publicists and stars keep SACHIKA's number on speed-dial. A SACHIKA dress can transform any woman into best-dressed perfection. It's the style secret that constantly has high profile clients wearing SACHIKA. The brand has been lauded in Forbes, Teen Vogue, the Daily News, Businessweek, Fashion Week Daily, Style.com.

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.

The RHOA In Ebony's October Issue

Pic./tweet from NeNe.

It's a 6 page spread of me & the housewives n the October issue of Ebony! Pic 1 up & check us out! Here a fabulous 1 for ya

Mary Amons Is Selling Her Home

Post from The Washington Post.

By: Roxanne Roberts And Amy Argetsinger
Sellers: Rich and Mary Amons
Asking price: $2.35 million
Details: Finally, you, too, can live like one of the "Real Housewives of D.C."! The stars of the new Bravo series -- they're the ones with the five kids and the big Bernese-mastiff mix -- are selling their McLean mini-mansion home of 16 years. No solid plans yet, but they're looking to move within the region. The 5,450-square-foot modern colonial has six bedrooms, 5 1/2 baths, three fireplaces, a four-car garage. Unclear if Mary's as-seen-on-TV biometric closet-door lock (to keep the girls from borrowing mom's clothes!) conveys with the property.

Kelly On Her Way To Film With US

Pics./tweets from Kelly.

These jeggings/ mens shirt/ hat are from @gap.

Off to film with us.com wearing Chloe shirt, gap 1969 jeans, stella mac bag, green patent HIGH heels

Kandi Would Love To Work With Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill Or Shania Twain

Article from Bleu.

Interview conducted by Monte’ Alexander
If success is measured by longevity, Kandi Burruss is among an elite group of artists whose careers spawn nearly two decades. First coming on the scene as a member of Jermaine Dupri’s platinum-selling R&B quartet Xscape in the 90’s; Kandi has transformed from a member of just another girl group to an accomplished songwriter, reality television starlet and exceptional business woman.

Photo: Dexina Nelson

Her songwriting credits reads like a ‘Who’s who’ list with artists ranging from Alicia Keys and Pink to Destiny’s Child and Whitney Houston; in 2000 Kandi became the first women to win ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul Songwriter of the Year. Bleu had the opportunity to talk with Kandi about her new single, “Leave U,” new album, and some inside scoop about the upcoming season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Bleu: Your new album is called “Kandi Koated Nights,” tell us about the new album.

Kandi: Kandi Koated. I just say Kandi Koated because I’m so indecisive (laughs). So let’s just say “Kandi Koated”. It’ll be Kandi Koated something, just not sure yet (laughs). The album is real R&B; it’ll take you back to Xscape. R&B with that bump, mid-tempos, feel good songs, relationship songs, happy, upset; a little bit of everything. There are 3 uplifting records that have nothing to do with relationships. I worked with Ne-Yo, he wrote and produced, and Bryan Michael Cox. I recorded a lot of great songs but like I said I’m so indecisive (laughs) so probably only 12 songs will make the album though, of course.

Bleu: The lead single, “Leave U” premiered last week. What is the inspiration behind the track?
Kandi: I wanted to go back in the studio and work with Jazze. A friend of mine, Avon, and I were collaborating, talking about different styles and concepts; strong concepts. And he was like “You need that one record with that old, Xscape sound.” Most of Xscape biggest records were mid-tempos, so “Leave U” fits that style and sound.

Bleu: Are there any features or collaborations on the album?
Kandi: There’s a song with Tiny. I’m thinking about adding another woman on it, just not sure who though. It’s called “Superwoman”. Ne-Yo sings background on a song. His vocals haven’t been taken out, you can hear him. But I wouldn’t call that a feature, it’s not a duet or anything. So right now, no features.

Bleu: Your new album was originally titled, B.L.O.G.S., why was the title changed?
Kandi: I decided to change it after AJ’s passing. We use to see different things on these websites about us and during that time I wanted to get back at those people who had something to say. After he passed, certain things inspired the new material and songs on the album. I wanted to leave all the negative things in the past so I wanted to change the title and direction.

Bleu: True R&B music seems to be making a comeback. How do you feel your new material stands against some of the other R&B artists who’ve released music this year?
Kandi: The album is strong. I wanted to go back in the studio to make sure this album is one of the strongest albums I’ve ever done. Going back in the studio allowed me to pull out that extra ammo and work with Ne-Yo. I recently talked to Sean Garrett about possibly working on something for the album and even JD (Jermaine Dupri), might add something to it. So it’s definitely gonna be a strong album. It’s the type of album that even if you don’t like me, (laughs) you’ll be able to appreciate the album. So the new music will be able to stand against all the music that’s out.

Bleu: Is a music video being planned for “Leave U” and if so, when can we expect it?
Kandi: We’re just getting directors and still planning the video now. The actual impact date for the song isn’t until September 14th, we leaked it to some websites and a few radio stations for early adds but we’re still getting the video together, but one is coming.

Bleu: If you could describe your new album in 3 words, what would they be?
Kandi: Um, well dang, I don’t know about three words but I can say three phrases (laughs); finding love, having love and losing love.

Bleu: Your debut album (Hey Kandi) was released in 2000, why such the long delay in bringing you follow-up?
Kandi: Well, it was multiple things. At first, I was really unhappy. Unhappy at how the album was handled. The single, “Don’t Think I’m Not,” did well, but the album didn’t. So after that I was like forget it but then changed my mind. Next thing you know, I got pregnant. So I had to get use to being a mom and wanted to focus on raising my daughter. When I did get back into it, I focused on songwriting and was successful, so when I got another record deal, label saw me as Kandi “The Songwriter” and not as Kandi “The Artist”. It was like they’d prefer me to write a song for a hot new artist instead of using it for myself. Last year when I release the EP, it was the #1 album on iTunes that week and we knew we had something. People still cared and wanted to hear music from Kandi, so that was refreshing.

Bleu: What’s your take on the current state of R&B?

Kandi: It’s on the come up. Monica, Fantasia, Trey Songz, Dondria and classic R&B artists like Raheem DeVaughn and Jahiem, the type who never stopped making that classic sound. A lot of artists who had hits in the past are coming back. Labels are allowing artists who had success in the past to have an opportunity. At one time, labels weren’t signing anybody who were over 30, now it’s space for everybody. People forget that artists who aren’t “mainstream” are moving units. Jahiem sold over one hundred thousand copies the first week with his new album. Adult Contemporary R&B radio is popping! And it’s because of artists like Jahiem, Raheem DeVaughn, Fantasia and Monica. People are coming out in droves to see those type of artists. So artists, who are more adult contemporary radio centered; are the ones that are holding R&B together

Bleu: Are there any artists that you’ve worked with in the past or artists that you haven’t worked with that you would like to?

Kandi: A country artist. None in particular, of course everybody would want to work with Carrie Underwood. I like Faith Hill, always loved her voice. Shania Twain, if she is working on some new music, I’d like to work with her (laughs). My mom introduced me to country music early on; the lyrical content of country music is what makes it unique.

Bleu: Last year, your boutique T.A.G.S. opened in Atlanta. How’s business?
Kandi: (laughs) Everything is going good! We’re looking to open another location possibly in Buckhead. We want to have two in the Atlanta area, so more people can get to it and so that we can attract more people. But business is good.

Bleu: Do you plan on expanding T.A.G.S. in areas outside of the Atlanta area.
Kandi: I would like to but bring it to areas that aren’t really known for fashion. So places like Nashville and Charlotte.

Bleu: Tell us about your weekly blog series on Hello Beatuiful.com.

Kandi: I met one of the directors of BlackPlanet and he told me they had the Hello Beautiful blog. He and I talked about different things I could possibly due with the blog and after AJ’s passing, they posted a letter I wrote and the response was crazy. So I started to do a blog but I didn’t wanna do a boring one so I figured I’m around celebrities all the time, so why not do videos with us discussing issues that we all go through in everyday life.

Bleu: You’ve become sort of a multi-media fixture. Your Ustream show, “Kandi Koated Nights” is extremely popular with the Twitter crowd. How did you get involved with that?
Kandi: I fell into it actually (laughs). I was doing a contest where if I called your cell phone and heard my song “Fly Above” as your caller tone, I’d take you out to dinner when I came to your city. My business partner Neeq, she does the show with me, suggested we go on Ustream and pick the winners. You know the comment box on the side where you can chat and leave messages, somebody in the room left a nasty comment and I told them to wait until after midnight and I’d give them comment because this wasn’t Kandi After Dark. Next thing you know, we had 40,000 people watching at one time. After that people started to email stories about different subjects and ask for our advice. It’s basically a recorded conversation amongst friends, we give honest answers and opinions; it’s gonna be on the Housewives this season. They recorded some footage when I have the lady’s on. It scares me sometimes, though (laughs). I have a habit of speaking before I think and on the show I’m so honest that I’ll give my opinion and then think about it like “oops, what did I just say” (laughs). It’s all in good fun, though.

Bleu: You joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta last year, how has that experience been for you?
Kandi: Fun. It’s been fun even though I didn’t like taping as much the second time around. This season we taped longer, it’s gonna 18 episodes this year. We had four camera crews so I thought they’d split the crews up between all of us but it felt like they were taping me all the time (laughs). We taped 5 days a week and sometimes, 7 days a week. The show added a lot to me. It showed what I’m doing business wise and made people see that even though there was a time when people didn’t see me, I was still working, The new season starts October 4th and this season you’ll see a lot of everybody’s real personal issues. I’m sure you’ve read and see everything NeNe’s been through and she definitely let people in. You’ll also get to see how me and Kim’s dynamics have changed. This season a lot of things have changed and it’s worth the watch.

Bleu: Speaking of Kim, “Tardy For the Party”. You gave all the tone deaf people of the world rejoiced after hearing what you did with that song. Would you ever work with Kim again?
Kandi: (laughs) thank you. And sure, I’d work with her again, if we can work out the business. I didn’t make any money off “Tardy for the Party,” she did. We actually did record another song together.

Dina Talks About Freshology And Fashion

Catherine Loves Washington D.C.

From The Washingtonian.com.


By Alyssa Rosenberg

It's become common for reality show stars, if they end up as the bad guy in the editing room, to embrace the role. If you can stir the pot without inciting calls to the cops or physical violence, you become a valuable commodity. Not so for Cat Ommanney, the British import to the Real Housewives of Washington, DC who became a lightning rod on-camera for a series of social faux pas in early episodes of the show and off-camera when the marriage that brought her to Washington dissolved. In a conversation with Washingtonian.com, Ommanney was frank about her missteps and clearly distraught about the role she's been assigned by the media. But she also told us about why she's excited about her move to 14th Street, and what she's learned about reality television editing and when not to wear a Sarah Palin outfit to a costume party. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Photo: Bravo

I've spent a fair amount of time in both the UK and Washington. What did you find to be the differences between the social scenes in England and DC?

If I’d known about the differences like you, I probably wouldn’t have said half the things I said because I didn’t realize I was offending people with my brash, rude British sense of humor. I never mean to offend people or upset people, it’s not in my psyche....Someone asked me the other day if I learned anything about myself doing the show, and I definitely did, because I speak my mind before I think about how it sounds and how it’s reflected and how I’m portrayed, and if I were to do it again, I’d definitely put a filter on because I never mean to upset anybody or offend anybody, much less really, really get people upset.

Washington does have a large international community. Did anyone who moved here from abroad help you figure out the city? Were there things you learned along the way?
I should have been given ten years to give my head around DC. Closed doors is an understatement. I didn’t realize how much of a fish out of water I’d feel....I wish I’d gotten a crash course in DC, which I didn’t, because I always imagined DC as before I arrived there as being like New York or Los Angeles, big city, skyscrapers. Everyone’s so say the right thing, do the right thing, do the right dinner parties, it’s all about power and politics, which isn’t of interest to me. It’s not my bag.

Definitely don’t go dressed up as Sarah Palin to any Republican party. That’s Thursday [the episode that will air tonight].

How do you think editing affected the way you appear on the show?
I take on Edwina Rodgers, she’s really a lovely lady. I liked her, and I had fun with her, but of course they take our laughter out of the scenes to make it look like we’re having a ridiculous conversation....I sent an email to Andy Cohen the other night saying if you think your New Jersey wives are out of line, wait ‘til I get on the air. There’s got to be a villain on every show, but I never imagined myself to be set up to be the villain, but maybe I shouldn’t have been so short-sighted. Who better than the Brit? Let’s edit the Brit to make her the bitch, the rude, loud-mouthed racist, let’s make her out to be everything and maybe she’ll end up okay. I did get on with all the women and the show, except Michaele. You are who you are. You have nothing to hide. You have nothing to hide. But in Washingotn of all places, it took me a while....When I look at the first three episodes, and I’m having lunch with Mary, and she’s glaring at her daughter, Lolly, who is serving us, and they make it look like she’s glaring at me.

Are you coming back to Washington?
I love Washington. Considering I’ve said closed doors, I think I’ve managed to hunt down the coolest, loveliest people in Washington, and I have good friends there now....I’m not a suburban woman, I’m either in or I’m out. I’ve just moved temporarily, I don’t know how long for, to a place on 14th Street that I love. It’s more my kind of places...Desperate Housewives in Chevy Chase [where she lived with her ex-husband] was never my style. You couldn’t walk out the door if you didn’t have a stroke of makeup on and spandex and a dog. It wasn’t really my scene. 14th Street is really more my scene, being downtown where people are....I’ve got to say, I’ve always had a lot of gay friends, and known a lot of gay men, and there’s a lot of bars and restaurants [she's got good things to say about the Gibson in her new corridor, and likes the Four Seasons further afield] and fabulous gay men on 14th Street, so I’m at home.

How are your daughters holding up?
They’re great. They’re just incredibly beautiful children, and I’m very lucky to have somehow been able to produce such lovely girls. They’re magical. They’ve had their first two or three days in their new school. There are these reports of Cat’s shipped her girls back to the UK, and it’s the biggest bullshit I’ve heard in my life. They’re in boarding school in the UK, which is what they’ve always wanted to do. I’m missing them massively. It’s what they wanted. It’s not necessarily what I wanted.

And are you doing all right?
As of episode five, people start seeing a little bit more of me. I rang the producers and said I can’t believe you made me to be this absolute nightmare bitch, racist cow from hell, and they said you’ve got to hang in there. Hopefully America will see that. I am the lion from the Wizard of Oz, knocking on the door for courage.... I’ve put on a brave face, but it is incredibly hurtful. Losing my husband, and my family, and everything else, to be portrayed as this woman is incredibly challenging.

Danielle On The Early Show

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.’ ”