Dark Side of Reality TV Episode 8
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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.
13:08You're a f***ing jerk, bitch.
13:11You're a f***ing jerk.
13:13You're a f***ing jerk.
13:15You're a f***ing jerk, bitch.
13:26Just four years after first hitting the air, the drama of The Real Housewives has become
13:31so infamous.
13:32It's always really major scary arguments that go on.
13:35Now I got to watch it.
13:36It has its own news cycle.
13:38It was the worst fight on television like anybody's ever seen on television.
13:42And for additional post-game analysis, fans can tune in to Watch What Happens Live,
13:47executive producer Andy Komen's very own late-night talk show,
13:51where he's gleefully fanning the flames.
13:54Did he say the defense after the line about the STD?
13:56I really can't even talk about this right now because I'm so upset.
13:59It's hard to imagine Bravo without Andy.
14:02He has the same winking tone as the shows.
14:06He really enjoys the gossip and the drama of them.
14:10I love big tits, but hold on, hold on, hold on.
14:14No, listen to me.
14:20With Andy Komen, we have this figure who is really sort of blurring the line
14:24between executive and friend and host.
14:28And if you don't want to be on the show, you don't have to be on the show.
14:31I think that any time you have somebody who is occupying multiple roles,
14:36some of which are in very real positions of power over somebody else,
14:40I think you have a recipe for disaster.
14:43We love our housewives. I love, they're all our children.
14:47I love them. All my crazy little girls.
14:50When I started The Housewives, you know, I really, really thought Andy was just amazing.
14:55And he was like the big boss. He was like the Charlie of the Charlie's Angels.
15:00I felt like he was my friend.
15:03I'm Aviva Drescher, and I was one of the real housewives of New York.
15:07So a friend of mine who was in PR said,
15:10I would really like you to try out for The Housewives.
15:13And I said, no f***ing way. Those women are bad shit.
15:18You're a phony and you're a fake. Turn it in.
15:20And you lie, and I don't like that. See, now that smile again.
15:23Oh my God, I can't take that smile.
15:25At the time, my philanthropy work involved raising money
15:28for causes that helped amputees buy prosthetics
15:32because I had an accident when I was six years old and I lost part of my leg.
15:38So I went from no way to yes
15:42because I felt like if I got on television wearing a bikini and going for a jog,
15:48that would just help so many more people than the people I was helping one-on-one.
15:53In 2012, as Aviva is set to join the show,
15:57the Real Housewives of New York are in their fifth season,
16:00boasting up to a million and a half viewers each week.
16:04Her reach to help amputees would be huge,
16:07but she's about to get her first taste of just how much power Cohen and co. have over the cast.
16:17When I was first handed the contract, the financials are a joke.
16:21You don't start off doing The Real Housewives for money.
16:25It's insultingly low.
16:27But the contract itself was horrific.
16:31It was basically just saying, like,
16:35if we catch you making a number two on the toilet and we choose to air it, too bad.
16:40And if we want to air it for the next 20 years and 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 must decide to take if they want in.
16:59So the first season, we got no pay.
17:02Nothing, zero.
17:03Season two, I believe, I got paid $5,000 for the whole season.
17:07I had not much money. I 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 for me and my husband.
17:17And I said, you know what, let's just do it.
17:20I'm going to just not make a number two in front of the camera.
17:23I'm going to be authentic, and I'm going to be myself on camera.
17:26And that's that.
17:27Oh, you know, Louie, I'm so mad at you.
17:29What do you mean?
17:30But maintaining control of their own narrative is much harder than it sounds.
17:34Liar!
17:35Grow up!
17:36As producers have access to all aspects of the women's lives, and nothing appears off limits.
17:43What you mean, Louie?
17:44There's no limits.
17:46So, all right, this was like one of the worst filming experiences of my life.
17:55My castmate at the time, Phaedra Parks, she and her husband Apollo were going through all kinds of craziness in their marriage.
18:02Apollo was good friends with my husband, Peter.
18:05Apollo told Peter that Phaedra was cheating on him with a guy named Mr. Chocolate.
18:10You can't make this stuff up.
18:12And then, of course, the producers were like, well, you have to tell the girls.
18:15So I'm like, oh, my God.
18:16I mean, I could just put it on the table.
18:18But if we're not really going to put it on the table, then it is what it is.
18:23I'm, like, so stressed out about it.
18:26I don't like it.
18:27Let me just go ahead and put everything on the table.
18:30I'm literally praying for, like, a power outage.
18:33Anything to happen so I don't have to say this.
18:35I'm getting, like, text on my phone.
18:37And people in the corner with the teleprompter, like, drop the bomb.
18:41Drop the bomb.
18:42Drop the bomb.
18:43Bring up Mr. Chocolate.
18:44So, finally, I'm like, so, um.
18:49Peter told me that he found out that you were dating some guy.
18:54She was, like, she was so pissed.
18:57And who is Mr. Chocolate?
18:59The man that you've been sleeping with.
19:01Oh, no, no, no.
19:03Oh, baby.
19:04I don't like bringing bad news to people.
19:06You don't want to know the truth.
19:08The truth is you go around telling everybody that you're the biggest whore here.
19:13I don't like bringing hurtful things to people.
19:15But, unfortunately, on a reality show, we have to talk about it.
19:19And that's just how it works.
19:24Identical scenes are playing out across the Housewives multiverse.
19:28They 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?
19:38They're not playing.
19:39It's for real.
19:40We cast highly dramatic women.
19:43They feel the way they feel.
19:45They just happen to feel things maybe stronger than your neighbor next door.
19:51I can promise you, the cast on its own would never have an argument.
19:56I can assure you.
19:58We are grown women with children.
20:00And it's not our first time at the rodeo of life.
20:03Even the ones who you think are the worst are a thousand times nicer than what you think they are.
20:08We don't want to hurt someone's feelings.
20:10But we have to hurt someone's feelings in the name of making a great show with great ratings.
20:15Nobody likes you.
20:16Nobody wants to be around you.
20:18Don't tell me anything.
20:20The truth is, we always want drama on these shows.
20:23It's fun to watch.
20:25The audience loves it.
20:28But I think the level of drama now has sort of really exploded.
20:34It ain't gonna f***ing happen, bitch, because you don't exist.
20:37Just shut the f*** up, okay?
20:39There's a real sort of pressure on these cast members to bring it, quite frankly.
20:46Who f***ed you?
20:47My husband f***ed me.
20:48Oh, really?
20:49The husband that you wish you had.
20:52I feel like we are like gladiators with tits.
20:56We are in an arena with millions of people watching.
21:00That's what it feels like, being involved in the drama on Real Housewives.
21:04It feels like you're a gladiator with tits.
21:06The goal is to make us look bat-shit crazy.
21:12And if you didn't do it, you didn't do it right.
21:15The goal is to make us look bat-shit crazy.
21:20And if you didn't produce drama, you were gonna get fired.
21:31By 2014, the show has become a money-making machine,
21:35with every franchise consistently placing in Bravo's Most-Watched Top Ten.
21:40And the Housewives able to deliver the drama are richly rewarded.
21:45When I came back the next season, I had a very significant bump financially.
21:50I want to say I went from $40,000 to probably $200,000.
21:53I've earned this necklace.
21:55I've worked hard for this necklace.
21:57And then every year after that, it was like another bump.
21:59By the time I got to my 11th season, I was doing very, very well.
22:04My final full-time season, it was significant, seven figures.
22:09I never really thought I would ever make the number that I was making.
22:14But reaching this level of success isn't easy,
22:17as trying to please both Bravo and its drama-addicted audience can prove crazy-making.
22:23I think that's very, very difficult to produce drama and to please everybody
22:29and to keep yourself likable by the majority of the audience.
22:34I feel like I definitely lost myself in the process.
22:37I was just trying to make a great show with great ratings.
22:39And at some point, you just lean into it.
22:42You're just like, OK, we're making a show, and that's what you're doing.
22:44So if you can't beat them, you join them.
22:46I heard. I heard that you were mean. I heard you did mean things.
22:50And I gave you the benefit of the doubt, and I'm disappointed.
22:53You're both white trash, quite frankly.
22:56I went from likable to unlikable when I called the girls white trash in St. Bart's.
23:05You might want to apologize for saying that.
23:08For saying white trash?
23:12When it was aired, I think that's when the audience turned on me.
23:16They didn't like me at all, understandably.
23:18At that point, I just decided that I was going to lean into the villain that I had become.
23:25You pretend to be so real. There's nothing real about you, Ramona.
23:28And it was more important to please production than it was to be myself.
23:33It's all about fun. Fun, fun, fun.
23:38Sacrificing their own dignity for the cameras is one thing.
23:41But not everyone involved in filming asked for this.
23:45So tell me what's going on.
23:47I'm here to seek legal counsel for filing for a divorce.
23:55So when you're on a reality show, it's like living your life twice.
23:59If you're having marital problems in your real life, you have to deal with that in real life.
24:04And then you air it on the show.
24:06I remember when Peter and I started having marital issues.
24:10It was just really tough because we were really going through it personally.
24:14And then you go on social media and they're saying,
24:16Oh my God, he's such a narcissist. How could she be with him?
24:20After a while, it starts to mess with you.
24:23Are they seeing something that I'm not seeing?
24:30And that was really tough.
24:32People have asked me if I regret doing this show.
24:35And when I look at my relationships,
24:37When's the last time we did this?
24:39I don't even know.
24:40I'd say yes.
24:42I guess we can call it a date night. We haven't been on a date in a long time.
24:45With Don, 100% the show had an impact on our relationship.
24:49Being on TV 100% had a role in our divorce
24:52because it puts a lot of pressure on a marriage.
24:56I think we would have survived if I wasn't on the show.
24:59So that I regret.
25:08I feel like I failed my marriage.
25:11It's hard.
25:12There's a lot of pressure in being open enough
25:15to share what's happening in your life.
25:17So many housewives have gotten divorced on the show.
25:21A lot of people like to blame the show
25:24for these divorces.
25:26But the show's not going to make something out of nothing.
25:29These are real people's lives.
25:31And they have issues in their marriages.
25:33And it ends up exploding
25:36because the truth always comes out.
25:40The camera never lies.
25:43Between the stress at home and the pressure on set,
25:46the women are pushed to breaking point.
25:48And while it may look like yet more housewife chaos,
25:52what's happening underneath is much more troubling.
25:55So, I don't have a lot of regrets on the show.
25:59However, this is definitely one of my biggest regrets.
26:03I was already going through some stuff with my husband at the time.
26:06I was not in the best head space.
26:08I'm good. Like, for the rest of the day, y'all forget about me.
26:11I remember not eating before that scene.
26:14And there was, like, a bar on the boat.
26:16And, of course, I wanted a margarita as soon as I got on the boat.
26:19And I'm like, all right, I got my cocktail. Let's shoot.
26:22Margarita.
26:23And I remember actually Portia and I drinking together.
26:27At some point during the scene, Portia called me a bitch.
26:30And I was like...
26:32Don't call me a bitch. I'm not going to get on your niche.
26:34I am just playing with you. What?
26:36Oh, so you're playing? No, no, no, no.
26:38I don't know if it was the alcohol.
26:40It's dismissive and it's disrespectful.
26:42And your ass knows that it is.
26:44I don't know if it was not eating that day.
26:47I don't know if it was not eating that day.
26:53I just kind of snapped.
26:59I don't fight women. I've never been in a fight in my life.
27:03Like, that's even still hard talk about right now.
27:07Like, I don't even know. I just felt so upset with myself.
27:11Do not f*** off.
27:12One of the things that I promised myself was I will never, ever, ever lose myself
27:17in a moment where I show up in a way that I'm not, that I don't feel good about.
27:23Hi, puppies.
27:24For the most part, I was really happy with how I was portrayed.
27:28But there were seasons where they didn't have it correct at all.
27:31And I got really upset.
27:33And I thought, you know, you're not showcasing me who I am.
27:36So when I started putting my boundaries up and saying,
27:38Uh-uh, I'm not filming that. Uh-uh, I'm not saying that.
27:41They would go to the other cast members, ask Vicky about that.
27:43Ask Vicky about that.
27:44Why are you dirty rocks?
27:46Why are you dirty rocks?
27:48They just found puppets that they could manipulate.
27:51And they do encourage liquid courage. I mean, they do.
27:57If the Housewives engine is built on drama, then its fuel is booze.
28:02Shut the f*** up!
28:03Alcohol fuels emotions, so it's taking you to the deep end.
28:06You don't have anything!
28:08I was never one of those producers that, you know, filled them with alcohol.
28:13But I think alcohol plays a role on the show because it's truth serum.
28:18And I think a lot of times it loosens people up to the point of
28:23probably saying things that they regret.
28:25Alcohol is a big part of Bravo's culture.
28:29Have you ever gotten so drunk during filming,
28:32you couldn't remember what you said on camera?
28:35And some of the most iconic moments are based around alcohol.
28:39Luanne Dilliseps falling in the bush.
28:43Vicky Gunvalson at Andales.
28:47It feels fun as a viewer to see that stuff.
28:50Ew, in the gutter!
28:52My name is Anna Peel. I'm a journalist and a Bravo fan.
28:55And I wrote an investigative piece on Bravo and the workplace culture there for Vanity Fair.
29:01What am I supposed to do?
29:03I'm like the fat lady.
29:05But you're like the one that says, oh, I'm this fat.
29:07And I'm the one that says, I'm this fat.
29:09Get in here. It's still so good.
29:12It came to my attention that there were people who had been out of control,
29:17blackout drunk at their workplace with alcohol that had been supplied by Bravo.
29:24They weren't cut off. They weren't encouraged to stop drinking.
29:28And their substance abuse was becoming a plot point on series at Producers' Direction.
29:35Diva Drescher, who starred on two seasons of 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, do a shot.
29:51Want to do a shot of tequila?
29:53Let's move forward.
29:55Make up with her and move on.
29:57I said to the showrunner at the time, I have strep throat. I'm taking antibiotics.
30:02I really don't want to do a shot.
30:04I said, can you just fill the shot up with water when 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 have consistently denied these allegations.
30:26They had Kahuna, Andy Cohen, said Aviva's claims are dumb
30:32and said this is just a lot of Aviva complaining.
30:35I think people tend to say, you know, you sign up for this,
30:40so whatever happens to you, you signed up for it.
30:43You wanted to be a real housewife and you got it.
30:45These women sign a very thick contract.
30:49They know what they're signing up for.
30:51They're grown ass women.
30:54So if they want to drink, then they're going to drink.
30:57And it's not our job to tell them when to stop.
31:00That's all on them.
31:01A little bit heavier pour than you did.
31:04Can people really consent to being filmed when they're drunk is one question.
31:09And the concept of somebody being drunk and the camera zooming in on that person
31:14instead of helping them is just really lacking all decency.
31:20And it really reminds me of the stadium with the gladiators.
31:25When the animal bites into the person's leg,
31:28does anybody give a shit about that person?
31:31Vanity Fair isn't the only one looking to expose Bravo's practices.
31:36In early 2024, ABC's Nightline airs an interview detailing a lawsuit
31:41that will rock the housewife's multiverse to its core.
31:46Former Real Housewife of New York, Leah McSweeney, is pulling back the curtain,
31:50disclosing what she says really went on behind the scenes
31:53of the Bravo reality TV shows she worked on.
32:04Turmoil in the reality TV universe.
32:06Former star of Bravo's Real Housewives of New York City, Leah McSweeney,
32:11is suing Andy Cohen, Bravo, and others over what she calls a hostile work environment.
32:17Leah McSweeney was a cast member on seasons 12 and 13 of the Real Housewives of New York City.
32:22Leah McSweeney alleges production engaged in psychological warfare
32:26and retaliated against her because of her disabilities, including alcohol use disorder.
32:32Some of the most jaw-dropping claims in McSweeney's suit are directed at Cohen.
32:36She describes Andy Cohen allegedly doing cocaine with Bravo cast members,
32:43and then those cast members getting preferential treatment.
32:46McSweeney alleges that drug and alcohol abuse runs rampant behind the scenes
32:50and claims that production pushed her to drink,
32:53even though they knew she was a recovering alcoholic.
32:56Leah's drinking was certainly glamorized on season 12 of Rony.
33:00This is my weekend to do whatever I want. I don't even actually know what day it is.
33:04Am I going to get thrown out of Rhode Island?
33:06I don't remember what I did. I don't know what I said.
33:09What you're describing, though, is the definition of blackout drunk.
33:13Oh, I was totally blackout drunk.
33:15She even goes a step further, alleging she was gaslit into drinking by producers
33:20who told her she wasn't as much fun to watch when sober.
33:24Her lawsuit claims the episode was the highest rated from season 12,
33:27adding to the pressure, she says, she felt to keep drinking.
33:32Leah says a producer told her that viewers didn't like her
33:35as much as they had when she'd been drinking.
33:38She would often get texts or verbal commands saying, like, this is f***ing boring.
33:45So there was this pressure to have it be fun
33:48and for things to be happening, for people to be loose.
33:52Get her from Leah. Let's get Leah drunk. You guys, let's get Leah drunk.
33:56Spiraling out of control, Leah leaves the show in 2021.
34:01McSweeney says that the hostile work environment on season 13
34:04ultimately made her check into a psychiatric care facility.
34:08Bravo is contesting all of Leah's claims.
34:11They've also cleared Andy Cohen of alleged drug use.
34:14And while Cohen hasn't commented publicly,
34:17the housewife's reaction to Leah's claims is divided.
34:21What I will say about Andy Cohen is he has always been nothing but professional with me.
34:27I've never seen Andy do cocaine, nor has he ever offered me any cocaine.
34:33I've never seen him do any drugs.
34:35If Leah McSweeney is saying that she was trying to stay sober on set
34:42and 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, I would believe it.
34:53I don't think that the producers gave two shits about the cast.
34:59Their health, their well-being, their personal lives.
35:02In fact, it was the opposite.
35:05The more we faltered, the ratings just skyrocketed.
35:10They have no scruples.
35:12Orange County's OG knows this all too well.
35:16If you just go and find your name...
35:18We were playing bunko at Shannon's,
35:21and my brother, my sister, my daughter, my son,
35:24everybody was trying to call me, and the phone was not working, so they called production.
35:29Brianna had been calling, calling, calling, calling, calling, calling, calling,
35:32and they kept telling her, well, she's filming right now, blah, blah, blah.
35:36She's like, I need to talk to my mom right now.
35:39And they're like, okay, we're going to have her call you from Shannon's wrapping paper room.
35:44They had set up the room with lights and cameramen, and I'm like, what's going on?
35:49Oh, my God! Damn it!
35:54What's going on?
35:56My mom just died!
35:58Are you serious?
36:00She just died!
36:02Mom just died!
36:04I was really upset that production knew for an hour, and they didn't tell me.
36:08They were out of line, and I think they should have taken me aside
36:12and said, your mom has passed, talk to your daughter off camera.
36:15Oh, my God!
36:17What's wrong? What happened?
36:18My mom just died!
36:20What?
36:21If 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 going to go call her.
36:36I want my mom.
36:37I will never forgive Bravo for that.
36:42It's because of experiences like this
36:44that some housewives are now calling for a complete overhaul of the industry,
36:49a reality reckoning.
36:51Former Real Housewife of New York Bethany Frankel says
36:53reality stars should unionize and go on strike.
36:57She's fired up and leading the fight
36:59to bring change to the way reality show stars are treated.
37:04Reality television is the wild, wild west.
37:13There is a new fight taking shape in the entertainment world.
37:17Bethany Frankel is calling for reality TV stars to unionize
37:21and fight against alleged exploitation by networks and the studios.
37:26In 2023, former New York Housewife Bethany Frankel
37:29started a campaign for better treatment of those working in reality TV.
37:34This group of talent is the most overworked,
37:38overexploited, and least compensated.
37:41There's no group that has a greater risk.
37:44I don't want to piss anybody off,
37:46but I do believe she's got a very valid point about unionizing.
37:49Why can other people that are on TV get health benefits,
37:53they get a pension, and they get residuals every time that show airs?
37:57Why are we different?
37:59Because we don't have a script.
38:01Please help me welcome from the Real Housewives of Orange County.
38:04I believe that there's value in what we do,
38:07and I believe that the advertisers and the network and everybody
38:11are making a ton of money.
38:13I think it should be passed down to us.
38:15It's an industry that just because people sign up for it
38:18doesn't mean that they should be abused and exploited for years.
38:21Do I think that reality TV needs to be unionized?
38:26Here we go! Arms out! Good! Oh, that's great!
38:29Absolutely.
38:31They can play my scenes over and over for the rest of their lives,
38:35and I do not get a dime for it.
38:37And it's not just the cast who are demanding change.
38:41I can't tell you how many times I see flashbacks
38:44of scenes that I shot, that I produced,
38:48and no one makes a penny off of that except for Bravo.
38:52Protections for cast and crew is 100% necessary.
38:57There need to be proper contracts in place that are fair,
39:01and there need to be provisions created whereby
39:06human beings are protected and respected,
39:10and their dignity is kept intact.
39:13Reality TV has yet to have its reckoning.
39:16Meanwhile, the Housewives show no sign of slowing down,
39:20as more franchises keep popping up around the world.
39:23There are now Housewives in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa,
39:27Poland, Germany, Dubai, and a dozen other countries.
39:31The Real Housewives has been around for as long as it has been
39:34and is so popular really because there's something that is
39:39really lovely about having watched somebody on television
39:43for 10 years and sort of feel like you have been
39:46right there with them through marriage and divorce
39:49and kids and kids leaving home.
39:52And I think that as long as viewers tend to feel
39:55that type of connection, the Housewives will be
39:58a successful television show.
40:00I think people really want to be Real Housewives.
40:03Even people who described the atmosphere as abusive
40:08love being cast members of Bravo.
40:11Even while acknowledging that it was extremely damaging to them,
40:15they love it.
40:17The Real Housewives have transformed the TV landscape
40:20on a global scale, creating a cult-like legacy.
40:23We're Bravo-holics!
40:25Thanks to these iconic characters and their legendary antics.
40:29Erin, I think all of us at the table think that there are
40:31much bigger issues that you're not facing.
40:34I felt a very big calling to entertain people.
40:37I just didn't realize at what expense.
40:40I felt like the audience didn't get to see me as who I am.
40:45My friends and people who meet me always say
40:48I'm nothing like what they think I was on the show.
40:51Let me tell you something, Heather.
40:53The only thing...
40:54Keep it together, Aviva.
40:55The only thing that is artificial or fake about me...
41:05I remember we stopped and some of the girls were laughing,
41:09I 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.
41:17When I was done with the drama nonsense,
41:19the party-goers applauded.
41:21And if that doesn't also speak to the fact that this is theater,
41:25I 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. How 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 of
41:47The Housewives of Orange County.
41:49I love the fact that you can look back on any channel,
41:52any 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?
42:07I never really liked being on camera.
42:09I can't believe I'm saying this.
42:11Nineteen years later, I still don't like it.
42:13We got it loaded in here. Let's go. Come on.
42:15It's a documentary of my life,
42:17and my life has been really, really good and really, really bad.
42:20Still filming now, but I'm very cautious
42:22on what I will showcase.
42:24I want happiness and peace and love and kindness.
42:28And it might be boring to some of you,
42:30but to me, it's everything I've ever wanted.
42:33And I realize that as you get older,
42:35you don't want conflict.
42:37You push it away, carve it out of your life.
42:40Bitch! Don't f*** with me, bitch!
42:42Okay.
42:43What? Are they fighting? What the f***?
42:45Oh, my God!
42:47I still can't believe it happened, honestly.
42:50I have to just try to, like, laugh and make light of it.
42:54So long ago. Wow.
42:56I'm gonna catch that bitch.
42:58She's about to f***ing kill me.
43:00How do I look back on my time as a housewife?
43:05I feel incredibly proud of myself.
43:09I feel like I didn't really compromise myself.
43:13And I really gave my truth.
43:18And I was transparent, and I was authentic.
43:21So I look back with good memories.
43:27All the women were just all beyond lovely,
43:31hardworking, doing their best
43:34in a very difficult reality arena.
43:38It's a hustle like no other.
43:41And I have nothing but respect and admiration for all of them.
43:46And I don't regret doing it.
43:48But I think if I hadn't done it,
43:50I may have regretted not doing it.