Dark Side of Reality TV Episode 8 - The Real Housewives
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00:00They're the most famous housewives on the planet.
00:13Would anybody like a shrimp?
00:14Real housewives live in fabulous mansions, they drive fabulous cars, the whole nine.
00:20They were women that lunched and women that played tennis and women that gossip.
00:24She said you asked her.
00:28The Bravo franchise is a global phenomenon, with a spin-off on almost every continent.
00:33In my mind, the show was a reality soap opera.
00:38Controlled largely by one man.
00:40Hey everybody, it's Andy Cohen.
00:42There's a new way they watch because of you.
00:45People have really strong opinions about our show.
00:48I had no idea it was going to get so big.
00:50Good morning.
00:51In unison there, very impressive.
00:53People just really buy into us.
00:55Are you friends again now or what's happening?
00:58It's a show that comes fully loaded with conflict.
01:04And drama so unhinged, it's barely believable.
01:07You're making this up, right?
01:08They're not playing.
01:09It's for real.
01:11This wouldn't happen in real life.
01:14It's a train wreck, it's a cat fight.
01:16You're supposed to be my friend.
01:17Am I really that psycho?
01:18Stay out of my life.
01:20This is definitely one of my biggest regrets.
01:24All my crazy little girls.
01:27But in recent years, the Housewives have become mired in controversy.
01:31Former Real Housewife of New York, Bethany Frankel, says reality stars should go on strike.
01:36The lawsuit alleges Andy, quote, engages in cocaine use with housewives that he employs.
01:41She claims that she was pressured by producers to drink.
01:45The more we fall, the better they do.
01:47She's not going to get thrown out of Rhode Island.
01:51You're a gladiator with tits.
01:5220 years after it first aired, how did a show about housewives create some of the most
01:57outrageous moments in television history?
02:01This was my life that you are destroying.
02:05I will never forgive Bravo for that.
02:16It all started here, magical Cote de Caza in sunny Orange County, California.
02:23There was just nothing else like it.
02:24That place where you can have shopping and horses and tennis and golf.
02:28It was just a magical place to live and raise your family.
02:32I'm Gina Keough, and I was the very first Real Housewives of Orange County.
02:37Hi, ladies.
02:38Come in, come in.
02:40I got my real estate license 10 years ago, I believe.
02:44My first home was a million six.
02:46It's beautiful grounds.
02:47It's one of the original houses in Cote d'Azur.
02:49Is it really?
02:50My life was, you know, pretty much dealing with my husband, doing my real estate and
02:55driving the kids around.
02:56Let's head out in case we hit traffic.
02:59Living next to Gina is the man who dreamed up the housewives and started it all.
03:04I had this idea that emanated at a dinner party where I was kind of with people in Cote
03:10de Caza, and I wanted to do something that could be interesting.
03:14Some type of a documentary or docu-something on these people.
03:21Scott Dunlop was a producer and an actor and just a really cool guy, and he would always
03:26come over to my house and go, oh my God, this revolving door you have, it's like a curb
03:32your enthusiasm.
03:33There's always the most interesting people.
03:35Enjoy the day, gang.
03:37Reality television was taking off, and in Cote d'Azur, it's a bedroom community where
03:41all the men traditionally leave and the women are left on the ranch.
03:44What's your plan for today?
03:46I don't know.
03:48To kind of run wild.
03:49Should I get a martini after this?
03:54Dunlop's ideas for a documentary style show following the daily lives of a group of upper
03:58class women, their families, and incredibly wealthy lifestyle.
04:05Just keep them on.
04:06Those are yours.
04:07And he took that and pitched it to Bravo, and they said, you know, we love that concept,
04:10but go get four other families.
04:14When Scott approached me, I was like, you're nuts.
04:16I'm not pretty enough.
04:17I'm not skinny enough.
04:18I'm not cooking dinner.
04:19Nobody's going to freaking be here.
04:21This is crazy.
04:22I'm like, I'm not acting.
04:23This is my real life.
04:24And they're like, this is exactly what we want.
04:26We want to go behind the gates, behind your doors, and really see how you all live back
04:32here.
04:33And then the love bus.
04:34We're leaving in three minutes.
04:35Okay, I'll bring my laptop in the car.
04:38My name is Vicki Gunvalson, and I was one of the first cast members of The Real Housewives
04:42of Orange County.
04:44I was living and still live in Dakota, Dakota.
04:46I was married to Don Gunvalson, two children.
04:50Brianna was 17, Michael was 18, and I am an insurance agent.
04:56Vicki is the OG of the OC, hardworking insurance executive.
05:00Hi, Captain Vicki Gunvalson, just wanted to follow up with you.
05:03I'd like to take a jump off the diving board here and have some fun this summer.
05:08Okay, we'll try it.
05:09Michael, when you get to be a dad, you're going to have to do better at packing.
05:13Besides Gina and Vicki, Scott Dunlap cast Kimberly Bryant, Joe De La Rosa, and Lori
05:19Waring, five women, all larger than life.
05:23If his friends think I'm a milf, then great.
05:25Taste some of my emotions.
05:28I think a good Real Housewife is someone who isn't afraid to be themselves, somebody
05:35who is living a big life, and not afraid to sort of speak their mind.
05:40I want it to look good.
05:41I don't care if it's comfortable.
05:42Okay, yeah, yeah.
05:43Kind of like shoes, you know?
05:46And in the beginning, that's what producers focus on, Real Housewives living real lives.
05:52Nothing is staged, and they make up the show as they go.
05:57Season one was very organic.
05:59It was just like, okay, you're coming over today.
06:01What do you want to film?
06:02I'm going to go pick up Brianna, and I'm taking her to get her hair done.
06:04Okay, we're filming that.
06:05I'm like, okay, that's weird.
06:07Okay, let's do it.
06:08Now, there's no drinking tonight.
06:09I know.
06:10I know.
06:11Okay?
06:12No drinking.
06:13I never do.
06:14And no sex.
06:15Oh, my God.
06:16There was nothing pre-thought.
06:17There was nothing pre-scripted.
06:20There was no ulterior motive.
06:22It was just, film my life.
06:24The show debuts in 2006, and despite featuring many mundane, everyday moments, draws enough
06:31of an audience to get renewed.
06:33But for season two, it gets a major revamp, under the direction of the man at the top,
06:39Andy Cohen, who has spotted its true potential.
06:42In my mind, the show was a soap opera, a reality soap opera.
06:48What?
06:49I don't need to eat it.
06:50I'm so mad at everybody that I'm going to eat my sandwich.
06:53Andy Cohen was an executive at Bravo, and he really is the mastermind behind The Real
06:58Housewives.
06:59This is a study in affluent human interplay.
07:03He recognized that there was something special there.
07:06Get out.
07:07I do stop.
07:08Get out.
07:09Get out.
07:10You drive like ...
07:11This is a show about mothers and children, about husbands and wives.
07:14You can't get mad at me about that.
07:16I'm not mad at you about it.
07:17I'm mad at the situation.
07:18That's funny.
07:19This is a show mainly about friendship.
07:23It's a soap, but it's real, gifting viewers iconic moments like this.
07:29It's time to go on a cruise.
07:31So season two, I decided to plan a trip to Rome, and the stretch limo was supposed to
07:38show up at the house at 7 a.m.
07:41Suitcases are packed.
07:42Don's bringing all the luggage down, and he comes in, and he's like, did you order a family
07:46van?
07:47I'm like, no.
07:49And I about lost my shit.
07:50I am not happy.
07:51This is not funny.
07:52We are going on a cruise.
07:53This is not funny.
07:54You have a little family van.
07:55When do you ever bring a family van to pick up six people?
07:56Okay?
07:57This is ridiculous.
07:58You guys are everywhere.
07:59Why are you sending a family van?
08:00My kids were so embarrassed, and Don's like, you know that's going to stick, right?
08:01I'm like, what's going to stick?
08:02He goes, you losing your shit on this family van.
08:03I'm like, it's not, they're not going to air that.
08:04It's stupid.
08:05And sure enough, it's one of the biggest scenes ever.
08:06I'm like, what's going to stick?
08:07He goes, you losing your shit on this family van.
08:08I'm like, it's not, they're not going to air that.
08:09It's stupid.
08:10And sure enough, it's one of the biggest scenes ever.
08:11In the history of Bravo.
08:12Sorry about that.
08:13No, it's not your fault.
08:14It's this idiot.
08:15Season two's revamp pays off.
08:16Whether you like these characters or loathe them, the series has become must-see TV for
08:17millions of viewers.
08:18It gets double the viewers of season one.
08:19That's 1.2 million people in awe of the Howl's Moving Castle.
08:20I'm like, what's going to stick?
08:21He goes, you losing your shit on this family van.
08:22I'm like, it's not, they're not going to air that.
08:23It's stupid.
08:24And sure enough, it's one of the biggest scenes ever.
08:25In the history of Bravo.
08:26Sorry about that.
08:27Whether you like these characters or loathe them, the series has become must-see TV for
08:30millions of viewers.
08:32It gets double the viewers of season one.
08:35That's 1.2 million people in awe of the Howl's Wives' wealth and unfiltered drama.
08:40It's like a snowball getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
08:44And I definitely felt like, oh shit, this might be something.
08:48Love your show.
08:50Woohoo!
08:51Yeah, there you go.
08:52I just remember a friend calling me and saying, you have to check out this show about these
08:57rich, out-of-touch white women who live in this part of California that we've never heard
09:00of before.
09:02And I tuned in and was hooked instantaneously.
09:04Okay.
09:05I can't watch.
09:06You're doing great.
09:09With Orange County conquered, the network quickly looks to expand its empire.
09:14Beginning in 2008, Bravo starts franchises in New York City, Atlanta, New Jersey, Washington,
09:21D.C., Beverly Hills, and Miami in quick succession, turning whole new groups of Howl's Wives into
09:27overnight celebrities.
09:28I was literally on the show one night, and the next day I was in the McDonald's drive-thru,
09:35and the lady at the drive-thru window was like, oh my God, you're Cynthia Bailey.
09:41I just watched you last night on Howl's Wives.
09:43And to be recognized immediately, the instant celebrity is just crazy.
09:48I was literally on the show one day, and the next day I was famous.
09:51Oh, genius.
09:52That was it.
09:53You know, this is so different for me to come and see you at work, honey.
09:57Oh, because I usually see you at the bar, girl.
10:01My name is Cynthia Bailey, and I was on 11 seasons of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
10:07I am originally from a small town in Alabama.
10:11I ended up moving to New York City right out of high school to pursue my modeling career.
10:16And from there, the rest is history.
10:19I want to marry you.
10:20I'm taking.
10:21There's a lot of perks that come with fame.
10:24I check into a hotel, and they upgrade me to the suite because I'm Cynthia Bailey.
10:28Like, oh, Miss Bailey, we saw that it was you.
10:30You had this really basic room, but we just gave you the penthouse suite.
10:33Yeah, that's nice.
10:35You become important in your own mind.
10:37My manager told me, fame is like a drug.
10:40You know it's bad for you, but you want more of it.
10:42And I thought, huh, do I want more of it?
10:45I've never done drugs, but yeah, I want more of it.
10:47I want more fame.
10:48We're the originals.
10:50There's nothing like the O.C.
10:52The women embrace their sudden superstardom, and there's no more holding back on camera.
10:58You want to have this conversation now, I'll have it now.
11:00Bring it on.
11:01You can't just do the same old drive around and look at Gina's real estate clients.
11:04I know your client will love it.
11:06It's a beautiful house.
11:07They realized that the conflict and drama was what everybody wanted to see, and the
11:12more drama, the more ratings.
11:14You're insulting my husband.
11:15Your husband was rude to my husband.
11:17So that's what they did.
11:19Everything good?
11:20Hey, how are you?
11:21What's up, buddy?
11:22How you doing?
11:23Cool.
11:24What are you drinking there?
11:25It's a...
11:26Street Vodka.
11:27That's what I thought it was.
11:28So the final party for season five of The Real Housewives of Orange County, tensions
11:35have been really high between Tamra and Gina.
11:40Everybody's drinking.
11:41They've been drinking for two hours.
11:43And I go, what's wrong with Tamra?
11:45Look at her over there.
11:46She's really acting like she's upset about something.
11:49So she comes over and she has this wild look in her eye, and I'm like, this is not going
11:54to go well.
11:55I'm disgusted at the human being that you've turned into.
11:58Why's that?
11:59Really?
12:00Why's that?
12:01So as a producer, you kind of know something's going to happen, but you're not sure what,
12:06so you just make sure that the cameras are around.
12:10Okay, first of all, it's none of your f***ing business.
12:13Do you understand me?
12:14Stay out of my life.
12:16Everybody else has a small glass of wine.
12:18She's got a goblet.
12:19This is a letter from my attorney.
12:20It's a letter of insistency.
12:21Don't give it to my attorney.
12:22No.
12:23Here's your f***ing letter, bitch.
12:24Don't touch me.
12:25I'll throw your skin.
12:26Go ahead.
12:27Show it.
12:28Throw it.
12:29Don't touch my daughter.
12:30Bitch.
12:31Okay, wait.
12:32Oh my God.
12:33That's when Tamra threw the wine and then chaos.
12:36Don't touch me.
12:37No, Gina.
12:38Oh my...
12:39Honestly, I think I blacked out.
12:41Get out of here.
12:42Nobody wants you.
12:43Nobody likes you.
12:44It was ugly.
12:47She just threw drinks in my face and all over my clothes.
12:50I've never seen anything like, I've never seen a dog act like that.
12:53When she threw that wine at me, people were calling saying, you guys have trended number
12:58one for three days.
13:00That's all anybody's talking about.
13:03And then of course, we set the standard for everybody else.
13:06You f***ing stupid bitch.
13:09And I f***ing hate you.
13:12No, no, no, no, no.
13:14You're a f***ing jerk.
13:15You're a f***ing jerk.
13:25Get a hold of yourself.
13:26Just four years after first hitting the air, the drama of The Real Housewives has become
13:31so infamous.
13:32There's always really major scary arguments that go on.
13:35Now I gotta watch it.
13:37it has its own news cycle.
13:38It was the worst fight on television,
13:40like anybody's ever seen on television.
13:43And for additional post-game analysis,
13:45fans can tune in to Watch What Happens Live,
13:48executive producer Andy Komen's very own late-night talk show,
13:52where he's gleefully fanning the flames.
13:54Did he say the defense after the line about the STD?
13:57I really can't even talk about this right now
13:58because I'm so upset.
13:59It's hard to imagine Bravo without Andy.
14:03He has the same winking tone as the shows.
14:06He really enjoys the gossip and the drama of them.
14:11I love big tits, but hold on, hold on, hold on.
14:15No, listen to me.
14:16Oh!
14:17Oh!
14:21With Andy Komen, we have this figure
14:23who is really sort of blurring the line between executive
14:27and friend and host.
14:29And if you don't want to be on the show,
14:30you don't have to be on the show.
14:32I think that any time you have somebody
14:34who is occupying multiple roles, some of which
14:38are in very real positions of power over somebody else,
14:41I think you have a recipe for disaster.
14:44We love our housewives.
14:46I love, they're all our children.
14:48I love them.
14:49All my crazy little girls.
14:51When I started The Housewives, you know,
14:53I really, really thought Andy was just amazing.
14:56And he was like the big boss.
14:59He was like the Charlie of the Charlie's Angels.
15:01I felt like he was my friend.
15:03I'm Aviva Drescher, and I was one of the real housewives
15:06of New York.
15:08So a friend of mine who was in PR
15:10said I would really like you to try out for The Housewives.
15:13And I said, no fucking way.
15:15Those women are batshit.
15:19You're a phony, and you're a fake.
15:20Turn it in.
15:21And you lie, and I don't like that.
15:22See, now that smile again.
15:23Oh my god, I can't take that smile.
15:25At the time, my philanthropy work
15:27involved raising money for causes that helped
15:30amputees buy prosthetics, because I
15:34had an accident when I was six years old,
15:36and I lost part of my leg.
15:39So I went from no way to yes, because I
15:44felt like if I got on television wearing a bikini
15:47and going for a jog, that would just
15:49help so many more people than the people
15:52I was helping one-on-one.
15:54In 2012, as Aviva is set to join the show,
15:58The Real Housewives of New York are in their fifth season,
16:01boasting up to a million and a half viewers each week.
16:05Her reach to help amputees would be huge,
16:08but she's about to get her first taste of just how much power
16:11Cohen and co.
16:12have over the cast.
16:18When I was first handed the contract,
16:20the financials are a joke.
16:22You don't start off doing The Real Housewives for money.
16:25It's insultingly low.
16:27But the contract itself was horrific.
16:32It was basically just saying, like,
16:35if we catch you making a number two on the toilet
16:38and we choose to air it, too bad.
16:40And if we want to air it for the next 20 years
16:42and give you no money for it, too bad.
16:45We own you, you get nothing, and we can do whatever we want.
16:50I definitely feel like this is a deal with the devil.
16:53It's a raw deal, but one every housewife
16:56must decide to take if they want in.
17:00So the first season, we got no pay.
17:03Nothing, zero.
17:04Season two, I believe, I got paid
17:05$5,000 for the whole season.
17:07I had not much money.
17:08I didn't even have an attorney look over my contract.
17:10It was like, yeah, I'll sign it.
17:12I had no idea what I was doing.
17:14At the end of the day, it was a joint decision
17:16for me and my husband.
17:18And I said, you know what?
17:19Let's just do it.
17:20I'm going to just not make a number two in front
17:23of the camera.
17:23I'm going to be authentic, and I'm
17:25going to be myself on camera, and that's that.
17:28Oh, you know, Luann, I'm so mad at you.
17:30What do you mean?
17:31But maintaining control of their own narrative
17:33is much harder than it sounds.
17:35Liar!
17:36Liar!
17:37Grow up!
17:38As producers have access to all aspects of the women's lives,
17:41and nothing appears off limits.
17:43What you mean, Luann?
17:45He says nothing.
17:47So, all right, this was like one of the worst
17:53filming experiences of my life.
17:55My castmate at the time, Phaedra Parks,
17:58she and her husband Apollo were going
18:00through all kind of craziness in their marriage.
18:03Apollo was good friends with my husband, Peter.
18:05Apollo told Peter that Phaedra was cheating on him
18:08with a guy named Mr. Chocolate.
18:11You can't make this stuff up.
18:12And then, of course, the producers were like,
18:14well, you have to tell the girls.
18:15So I'm like, oh my god.
18:17I mean, I could just put it on the table,
18:18but if we're not really going to put it on the table,
18:21then it is what it is.
18:24I'm like so stressed out about it.
18:27I don't like it.
18:28Let me just go ahead and put everything on the table.
18:31I'm literally praying for like a power outage.
18:34Anything to happen so I don't have to say this.
18:36I'm getting like text on my phone,
18:38and people in the corner with the teleprompter
18:41like drop the bomb, drop the bomb, drop the bomb,
18:43bring up Mr. Chocolate.
18:45So finally, I'm like, so Peter told me
18:50that he found out that you were dating some guy.
18:55She was like, she was so pissed.
18:58To see you again, the man that you've been sleeping with.
19:05I don't like bringing bad news to people.
19:07You don't want to know the truth.
19:08The truth is you go around calling everybody
19:10around you niggas whore niggas.
19:13I don't like bringing hurtful things to people.
19:16But unfortunately, on a reality show, we have to talk about it.
19:19And that's just how it works.
19:25Identical scenes are playing out across the Housewives
19:27multiverse.
19:29They were behaving like savage beasts.
19:32Leading critics to ask the inevitable question.
19:35First of all, is that for real, or are they just playing?
19:39They're not playing.
19:40It's for real.
19:41We cast highly dramatic women.
19:44They feel the way they feel.
19:46They just happen to feel things maybe stronger
19:48than your neighbor next door.
19:52I can promise you, the cast on its own
19:55would never have an argument.
19:58I can assure you.
19:59We are grown women with children,
20:01and it's not our first time at the rodeo of life.
20:04Even the ones who you think are the worst
20:06are 1,000 times nicer than what you think they are.
20:09We don't want to hurt someone's feelings,
20:11but we have to hurt someone's feelings
20:13in the name of making a great show with great ratings.
20:16Nobody likes you.
20:17Nobody wants to be around you.
20:19Don't tell me anything, mother f***er.
20:22The truth is, we always want drama on these shows.
20:25It's fun to watch.
20:26The audience loves it.
20:34But I think the level of drama now
20:37has sort of really exploded.
20:41It ain't gonna f***ing happen, bitch,
20:42because you don't exist.
20:43Just shut the f*** up, OK?
20:45There's a real sort of pressure on these cast members
20:51to bring it, quite frankly.
20:52Who's f***ing you?
20:53My husband's f***ing me.
20:54Oh, really?
20:55The husband that you wish you had.
20:57You done slept with everybody.
20:58You're a whore.
21:00I feel like we are like gladiators with tits.
21:05We are in an arena with millions of people watching.
21:09That's what it feels like,
21:10being involved in the drama on Real Housewives.
21:13It feels like you're a gladiator with tits.
21:15The goal is to make us look that shit crazy.
21:21And if you didn't produce drama,
21:23you were gonna get fired.
21:31By 2014, the show has become a money-making machine,
21:35with every franchise consistently placing
21:38in Bravo's Most-Watched Top 10.
21:41And the housewives able to deliver the drama
21:44are richly rewarded.
21:45When I came back the next season,
21:47I had a very significant bump financially.
21:50I wanna say I went from 40 to probably 200,000.
21:54I've earned this necklace.
21:56I've worked hard for this necklace.
21:57And then every year after that,
21:59it was like another bump.
22:00By the time I got to my 11th season,
22:02I was doing very, very well.
22:05My final full-time season,
22:07it was significant, seven figures.
22:09I never really thought I would ever make the number
22:12that I was making.
22:15But reaching this level of success isn't easy,
22:17as trying to please both Bravo
22:19and its drama-addicted audience can prove crazy-making.
22:24I think that's very, very difficult to produce drama
22:28and to please everybody and to keep yourself likable
22:33by the majority of the audience.
22:35I feel like I definitely lost myself in the process.
22:38I was just trying to make a great show with great ratings.
22:40And at some point, you just lean into it.
22:43You're just like, okay, we're making a show,
22:44and that's what you're doing.
22:45So if you can't beat them, you join them.
22:47I heard.
22:48I heard that you were mean.
22:49I heard you did mean things.
22:51You're missing.
22:51And I gave you the benefit of the doubt,
22:53and I'm disappointed.
22:54You're both white trash, quite frankly.
22:57I went from likable to unlikable
23:01when I called the girls white trash in St. Bards.
23:06You might wanna apologize for saying that.
23:09For saying white trash?
23:13When it was aired,
23:14I think that's when the audience turned on me.
23:17They didn't like me at all, understandably.
23:19At that point, I just decided
23:21that I was going to lean into the villain that I had become.
23:26You pretend to be so real.
23:27There's nothing real about you, Ramona.
23:29And it was more important to please production
23:31than it was to be myself.
23:33It's all about fun.
23:35I can't wait to see this.
23:38Sacrificing their own dignity for the cameras is one thing,
23:42but not everyone involved in filming asked for this.
23:46So tell me what's going on.
23:48I'm here to seek legal counsel
23:52for filing for a divorce.
23:56So when you're on a reality show,
23:58it's like living your life twice.
24:00If you're having marital problems in your real life,
24:03you have to deal with that in real life,
24:04and then you air it on the show.
24:07I remember when Peter and I started having marital issues.
24:11It was just really tough,
24:12because we were really going through it personally.
24:15And then you go on social media,
24:16and they're saying, oh my God, he's such a narcissist.
24:19How could she be with him?
24:21After a while, it starts to mess with you.
24:24Are they seeing something that I'm not seeing?
24:32And that was really tough.
24:34People have asked me if I regret doing this show.
24:37And when I look at my relationships...
24:39When's the last time we did this?
24:41I don't even know.
24:42In a while.
24:43I'd say yes.
24:44I guess we can call it a date night.
24:45We haven't been on a date in a long time.
24:47With Don, 100% the show had an impact on our relationship.
24:51Being on TV, 100% had a role in our divorce,
24:54because it puts a lot of pressure on a marriage.
24:59I think we would have survived if I wasn't on the show.
25:01So that I regret.
25:03What do I do?
25:06How did I get here again?
25:10I feel like I failed my marriage.
25:13It's hard.
25:15There's a lot of pressure in being open enough
25:17to share what's happening in your life.
25:19So many housewives have gotten divorced on the show.
25:24A lot of people like to blame the show for these divorces,
25:28but the show's not gonna make something out of nothing.
25:32These are real people's lives,
25:34and they have issues in their marriages.
25:36And it ends up exploding,
25:38because the truth always comes out.
25:43The camera never lies.
25:45Between the stress at home and the pressure on set,
25:48the women are pushed to breaking point.
25:51And while it may look like yet more housewife chaos,
25:55what's happening underneath is much more troubling.
25:58So I don't have a lot of regrets on the show.
26:02However, this is definitely one of my biggest regrets.
26:06I was already going through some stuff
26:07with my husband at the time.
26:09I was not in the best head space.
26:11I'm good, like for the rest of the day,
26:12y'all forget about me.
26:13I remember not eating before that scene.
26:16And there was like a bar on the boat,
26:18and of course I wanted a margarita
26:20as soon as I got on the boat.
26:23And I'm like, all right, I got my cocktail, let's shoot.
26:26And I remember actually Portia and I drinking together.
26:30At some point during the scene, Portia called me a bitch.
26:33And I was like, don't call me a bitch.
26:36I'm not going to get out of your niche.
26:37I am just playing with you, what?
26:39No, you're not playing with me.
26:39Oh, so you're playing?
26:40No, no, no, no.
26:41I don't know if it was the alcohol.
26:43It's dismissive and it's disrespectful,
26:45and your ass know that it is.
26:47I don't know if it was not eating that day.
26:50You are fainting.
26:51I'm telling, your long ass chin is over.
26:53I just kind of snapped.
26:54You're a bitch, you're not a bitch to me, bitch.
26:57Okay.
26:57What?
26:58Are they fighting?
26:59What the?
27:01I've never been in a fight in my life.
27:03Come on.
27:04Like that's even still hard talk about right now.
27:08Like, I don't even know, I just felt so upset with myself.
27:11Do not.
27:13One of the things that I promised myself
27:15was I will never, ever, ever lose myself in a moment
27:19where I show up in a way that I'm not,
27:21that I don't feel good about.
27:24Hi puppies.
27:25For the most part, I was really happy
27:28with how I was portrayed,
27:29but there were seasons
27:30where they didn't have it correct at all,
27:32and I got really upset,
27:33and I thought, you know, you're not showcasing me who I am.
27:37So when I started putting my boundaries up and saying,
27:39uh-uh, I'm not filming that,
27:40uh-uh, I'm not saying that,
27:42they would go to the other cast members,
27:43ask Vicky about that, ask Vicky about that.
27:45It sucks.
27:46Why are you dirty rocks?
27:47I said, why are you dirty rocks?
27:49They just found puppets that they could manipulate,
27:53and they do encourage liquid courage.
27:56I mean, they do.
27:58If the housewife's engine is built on drama,
28:01then it's fuel is booze.
28:03Shut the fuck up!
28:04Alcohol fuels emotion,
28:06so it's taking you to the deep end.
28:07You don't have anything!
28:10I was never one of those producers
28:12that, you know, filled them with alcohol,
28:14but I think alcohol plays a role on the show
28:17because it's truth serum,
28:19and I think a lot of times it loosens people up
28:22to the point of probably saying things that they regret.
28:27Alcohol is a big part of Bravo's culture.
28:30Have you ever gotten so drunk during filming
28:33you couldn't remember what you said on camera?
28:37And some of the most iconic moments
28:39are based around alcohol.
28:41Luanne Dillisup's falling in the bush.
28:44Oh, hello!
28:45Vicky Gunvalson at Ondeleys.
28:49It feels fun as a viewer to see that stuff.
28:52Ew, in the gutter!
28:54My name is Anna Peel.
28:55I'm a journalist and a Bravo fan,
28:57and I wrote an investigative piece on Bravo
29:00and the workplace culture there for Vanity Fair.
29:02What am I supposed to do?
29:04I'm like the fat lady!
29:06You're like the one that says,
29:07oh, I'm this fat,
29:08and I'm the one that says I'm this fat!
29:10Get in here, it's still so good!
29:13It came to my attention
29:14that there were people who had been out of control,
29:18blackout drunk at their workplace
29:21with alcohol that had been supplied by Bravo.
29:25They weren't cut off,
29:26they weren't encouraged to stop drinking,
29:29and their substance abuse was becoming a plot point
29:32on series at producers' direction.
29:36Diva Drescher, who starred on two seasons
29:38of Real Housewives of New York City,
29:39claims that she was pressured by producers to drink a lot.
29:43I was in this big fight with Ramona,
29:46and production asked me to go meet her at a restaurant,
29:50do a shot.
29:51Wanna do a shot of tequila?
29:54Let's move forward.
29:55Make up with her and move on.
29:58I said to the showrunner at the time,
30:00I have strep throat, I'm taking antibiotics,
30:02I really don't wanna do a shot.
30:04I said, can you just fill the shot up with water
30:06when you bring it to my table?
30:07And he said, no.
30:09He said, no, we cannot.
30:11Is this your first shot you've ever done?
30:13I think it is.
30:15In that scenario, I was forced to drink,
30:18and that story is as true as true can be.
30:21Both Bravo and Andy Cohen
30:23have consistently denied these allegations.
30:26The head kahuna, Andy Cohen,
30:29Cohen said Aviva's claims are dumb,
30:33and said this is just a lot of Aviva complaining.
30:35So there you have it, we've seen it.
30:36I think people tend to say, you know,
30:39you sign up for this, so whatever happens to you,
30:42you signed up for it.
30:43You wanted to be a real housewife and you got it.
30:45These women sign a very thick contract.
30:50They know what they're signing up for.
30:52They're grown-ass women.
30:55So if they wanna drink, then they're gonna drink,
30:58and it's not our job to tell them when to stop.
31:00That's all on them.
31:02A little bit heavier pour than you did.
31:05Can people really consent to being filmed
31:08when they're drunk is one question.
31:10And the concept of somebody being drunk
31:13and the camera zooming in on that person
31:15instead of helping them
31:17is just really lacking all decency.
31:22And it really reminds me
31:24of the stadium with the gladiators.
31:27When the animal bites into the person's leg,
31:29does anybody give a shit about that person?
31:33Vanity Fair isn't the only one
31:34looking to expose Bravo's practices.
31:37In early 2024, ABC's Nightline airs an interview
31:41detailing a lawsuit that will rock
31:43the housewives multiverse to its core.
31:46Former Real Housewife of New York,
31:48Leah McSweeney, is pulling back the curtain,
31:51disclosing what she says really went on
31:53behind the scenes of the Bravo reality TV shows
31:55she worked on.
32:04Turmoil in the reality TV universe.
32:07Former star of Bravo's Real Housewives of New York City,
32:10Leah McSweeney, is suing Andy Cohen, Bravo, and others
32:14over what she calls a hostile work environment.
32:17Leah McSweeney was a cast member
32:19on seasons 12 and 13 of the Real Housewives
32:21of New York City.
32:22Leah McSweeney alleges production engaged
32:25in psychological warfare and retaliated against her
32:28because of her disabilities,
32:30including alcohol use disorder.
32:32Some of the most jaw-dropping claims
32:34in McSweeney's suit are directed at Cohen.
32:37She describes Andy Cohen allegedly doing cocaine
32:42with Bravo cast members, and then those cast members
32:45getting preferential treatment.
32:47McSweeney alleges that drug and alcohol abuse
32:49runs rampant behind the scenes,
32:51and claims that production pushed her to drink,
32:54even though they knew she was a recovering alcoholic.
32:57Leah's drinking was certainly glamorized
32:59on season 12 of Rony.
33:01This is my weekend to do whatever I want.
33:03I don't even actually know what day it is.
33:05Am I gonna get thrown out of Rhode Island?
33:08I don't remember what I did.
33:09I don't know what I said.
33:10What you're describing, though,
33:12is the definition of blackout drunk.
33:14Oh, I was totally blackout drunk.
33:16She even goes a step further,
33:18alleging she was gaslit into drinking by producers,
33:21who told her she wasn't as much fun to watch when sober.
33:25Her lawsuit claims the episode was the highest rated
33:27from season 12, adding to the pressure, she says,
33:30she felt to keep drinking.
33:32Leah says a producer told her that viewers didn't like her
33:36as much as they had when she'd been drinking.
33:39She would often get texts or verbal commands saying,
33:43like, this is boring.
33:45So there was this pressure to have it be fun
33:49and for things to be happening, for people to be loose.
33:53Here comes Leah.
33:54Let's get Leah drunk.
33:55You guys, let's get Leah drunk.
33:57Spiraling out of control, Leah leaves the show in 2021.
34:02McSweeney says that the hostile work environment
34:04on season 13 ultimately made her check
34:06into a psychiatric care facility.
34:09Bravo is contesting all of Leah's claims.
34:12They've also cleared Andy Cohen of alleged drug use.
34:15And while Cohen hasn't commented publicly,
34:18the housewife's reaction to Leah's claims is divided.
34:22What I will say about Andy Cohen is,
34:24he has always been nothing but professional with me.
34:28I've never seen Andy do cocaine,
34:31nor has he ever offered me any cocaine.
34:33I've never seen him do any drugs.
34:37If Leah McSweeney is saying that she was trying
34:40to stay sober on set,
34:43and that production was coming to her and saying,
34:45we really miss the old Hurricane Leah,
34:48and they were constantly having the alcohol flowing,
34:53I would believe it.
34:54I don't think that the producers gave two shits
34:57about the cast, their health, their wellbeing,
35:02their personal life.
35:02They'll like it!
35:03In fact, it was the opposite.
35:06The more we faltered, the ratings just skyrocketed.
35:10They have no scruples.
35:13Orange County's OG knows this all too well.
35:17If you just go and find your name, that's where-
35:19We were playing bunko at Shannon's,
35:22and my brother, my sister, my daughter, my son,
35:25everybody was trying to call me,
35:26and the phone was not working,
35:27so they called production.
35:30Brianna had been calling, calling, calling, calling,
35:32calling, calling, calling, and they kept telling her,
35:34well, she's filming right now, blah, blah, blah.
35:36She's like, I need to talk to my mom right now.
35:40And they're like, okay, we're gonna have her call you
35:41from Shannon's wrapping paper room.
35:45They had set up the room with lights and cameramen,
35:48and I'm like, what's going on?
35:50Oh my God, damn it!
35:55What's going on?
35:56Oh, my mom just died!
35:59She's sick, she's just dead!
36:01I'm not here, you mother's dead!
36:04I was really upset that production knew for an hour,
36:07and they didn't tell me.
36:08They were out of line,
36:09and I think they should have taken me aside
36:12and said, your mom has passed.
36:14Talk to your daughter off camera.
36:16Oh my God!
36:17What's wrong, what happened?
36:18My mom just died!
36:20What?
36:22If I was a producer, that's what I would have done.
36:24Let me scream and cry on my own and be mad.
36:28It was very, very traumatic.
36:30I even got my mom back!
36:32I want my mom here!
36:34I want my mom!
36:35I'm gonna go call her.
36:36I want my mom!
36:38I will never forgive Bravo for that.
36:42It's because of experiences like this
36:45that some housewives are now calling
36:47for a complete overhaul of the industry,
36:49a reality reckoning.
36:51Former Real Housewife of New York, Bethany Frankel,
36:53says reality stars should unionize and go on strike.
36:58She's fired up and leading the fight
37:00to bring change to the way reality show stars are treated.
37:04Reality television is the wild, wild west.
37:14There is a new fight taking shape
37:16in the entertainment world.
37:18Bethany Frankel is calling for reality TV stars
37:20to unionize and fight against alleged exploitation
37:24by networks and the studios.
37:26In 2023, former New York Housewife,
37:29Bethany Frankel, started a campaign
37:31for better treatment of those working in reality TV.
37:35This group of talent is the most overworked,
37:39overexploited, and least compensated.
37:42There's no group that has a greater risk.
37:45I don't wanna piss anybody off,
37:47but I do believe she's got a very valid point
37:49about unionizing.
37:50Why can other people that are on TV get health benefits,
37:54they get a pension, and they get residuals
37:56every time that show airs?
37:58Why are we different?
38:00Because we don't have a script.
38:02Please help me welcome from the real housewives
38:04of Orange County.
38:05I believe that there's value in what we do,
38:08and I believe that the advertisers and the network
38:11and everybody are making a ton of money.
38:14I think it should be passed down to us.
38:15It's an industry that just because people sign up for it
38:19doesn't mean that they should be abused
38:20and exploited for years.
38:22Do I think that reality TV needs to be unionized?
38:26Here we go.
38:27Arms out.
38:28Good.
38:29Oh, that's great.
38:30Absolutely.
38:32They can play my scenes over and over
38:34for the rest of their lives,
38:36and I do not get a dime for it.
38:38And it's not just the cast who are demanding change.
38:42I can't tell you how many times I see flashbacks
38:46of scenes that I shot, that I produce,
38:49and no one makes a penny off of that,
38:51except for Bravo.
38:53Protections for cast and crew is 100% necessary.
38:58There need to be proper contracts in place that are fair,
39:02and there need to be provisions created
39:05whereby human beings are protected and respected,
39:11and their dignity is kept intact.
39:14Reality TV has yet to have its reckoning.
39:17Meanwhile, the housewives show no sign of slowing down
39:20as more franchises keep popping up around the world.
39:24There are now housewives in Nigeria,
39:26Kenya, South Africa, Poland, Germany,
39:30Dubai, and a dozen other countries.
39:33The Real Housewives has been around
39:34for as long as it has been and is so popular,
39:37really because there's something that is really lovely
39:42about having watched somebody on television for 10 years
39:45and sort of feel like you have been right there with them
39:48through marriage and divorce and kids
39:51and kids leaving home.
39:53And I think that as long as viewers tend to feel
39:56that type of connection,
39:58the housewives will be a successful television show.
40:02I think people really want to be Real Housewives.
40:04Even people who described the atmosphere as abusive
40:09love being cast members of Bravo.
40:12Even while acknowledging that it was extremely damaging
40:15to them, they love it.
40:18The Real Housewives have transformed the TV landscape
40:21on a global scale, creating a cult-like legacy.
40:24We're Bravo-holics.
40:25Thanks to these iconic characters
40:28and their legendary antics.
40:30Erin, I think all of us at the table
40:32think that there are much bigger issues
40:33that you're not facing.
40:35I felt a very big calling to entertain people.
40:38I just didn't realize at what expense.
40:41I felt like the audience didn't get to see me as who I am.
40:45My friends and people who meet me always say
40:49I'm nothing like what they think I was on the show.
40:51Let me tell you something, Heather.
40:53I'm the only thing.
40:54Keep it together, Aviva.
40:55The only thing that is artificial or fake about me.
41:00I knew she was going to cry.
41:05I remember we stopped
41:07and some of the girls were laughing.
41:10I was laughing.
41:11It was just really a funny scene.
41:13There's a leg flying around the room.
41:15I mean, it's great.
41:16Oh, my God.
41:18When I was done with the drama nonsense,
41:19the partygoers applauded.
41:21And if that doesn't also speak to the fact
41:24that this is theater, I don't know what does.
41:27But that was my last season.
41:29This is Watch What Happens Live.
41:30Amanda Cohen, as of tonight,
41:32well, I wouldn't say you're a former Orange County housewife.
41:35Gina, you are one of the first ladies of Bravo
41:38and always will be.
41:39How about that?
41:40If Bravo wanted me to go back on The Housewives now,
41:43I would probably do it.
41:45I'm very proud to have been part
41:47of The Real Housewives of Orange County.
41:49I love the fact that you can look back
41:52on any channel, any night, turn it on,
41:54and take a look back at your kids when they were little.
41:57It was just really nice to have video
42:00of those six years of the kids' lives.
42:03You have a little family van.
42:05When do you ever bring a family van to pick up six people?
42:08I never really liked being on camera.
42:10God, I can't believe I'm saying this.
42:1119 years later, I still don't like it.
42:13Vicky, we got it loaded in here.
42:14Let's go, come on.
42:16It's a documentary of my life,
42:17and my life has been really, really good
42:19and really, really bad.
42:20God, are we doing too much?
42:20I'm still filming now,
42:21but I'm very cautious on what I will showcase.
42:24I want happiness and peace and love and kindness.
42:29And it might be boring to some of you,
42:31but to me, it's everything I've ever wanted.
42:34And I realized that as you get older,
42:36you don't want conflict.
42:37You push it away, carve it out of your life.
42:41Bitch, you're not f***ing me, bitch.
42:43Okay, f*** what?
42:44Are they fighting?
42:45What the f*** is happening?
42:46Oh, my gosh.
42:48I still can't believe it happened, honestly.
42:51I have to just try to, like, laugh and make light of it.
42:55So long ago, wow.
42:57I'm going to catch that bitch,
42:59and she's going to f***ing kill me.
43:01How do I look back on my time as a housewife?
43:05I feel incredibly proud of myself.
43:10I feel like I didn't really compromise myself.
43:14And I really gave my truth,
43:18and I was transparent, and I was authentic.
43:22So I look back with good memories.
43:28All the women were just all beyond lovely,
43:32hardworking, doing their best
43:35in a very difficult reality arena.
43:39It's a hustle like no other.
43:42And I have nothing but respect and admiration
43:46for all of them, and I don't regret doing it.
43:49But I think if I hadn't done it,
43:51I may have regretted not doing it.