Heavy/NBCUniversal Jeff Lewis; cast of RHONJ
Jeff Lewis is not a fan of Danielle Cabral’s clothing line.
In June 2024, the “Jeff Lewis Has Issues” podcast host talked about “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” with his guest, Melissa Gorga. But when talk turned to an episode that featured a children’s fashion show during New York Fashion Week, Lewis did not hold back. The former “Flipping Out” star had some not-nice things to say about Cabral’s colorful kiddie clothing line, Boujie Kidz.
“After watching ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’ season 14… the Boujie Kidz … Do we have a throw-up sound effect?” Lewis said on his podcast. “Awful.”
“I would never dress my kid in that,” Lewis added, referencing his 7-year-old daughter, Monroe. “Never. No. They would turn her away at the gates of her school.”
“For all those little white trash kids that need clothes, just go right on in,” Lewis said of Cabral’s brand.
Heavy reached out to a rep for Cabral for comment but we were told the RHONJ star does not have a statement at this time.
Melissa Gorga Defended Danielle Cabral
As Lewis shared his negative opinion, Gorga came to her co-star’s defense. “I thought they were cute. The kids were cute,” the RHONJ star said of Cabral’s clothing company.
Lewis then asked Gorga if she planned to sell Boujie Kidz at her boutique, Envy. “I don’t sell kids clothes,” Gorga informed him.
Lewis questioned if Gorga doesn’t sell kids’ clothes “purposely” so she doesn’t “have to” sell Boujie Kidz. “No!” Gorga replied.
Fans reacted on social media, with some questioning why Lewis came down so hard on Cabral’s business.
“Why are you destroying someone’s brand?” one commenter wrote on Instagram.
“Not very professional to come after someone’s work. You don’t like it. …but you attack someone’s living? Wow,” another added.
“Those kids were adorable and so were the outfits. There are a LOT of kids who like to dress like that. Let them be,” another wrote.
“This is such a snob view. Those children were excited about the clothing and experience!” another commenter wrote on X.
Another commenter labeled Lewis a “pot stirrer,” while others called out Lewis for referring to any child as “white trash.”
Danielle Cabral Poured Her Heart & Soul Into Bougie Kidz
Cabral first formed her online boutique in 2017. The company features trendy clothing and accessories for “little style icons,” per its website.
In a 2023 interview with Distractify, Cabral said her passion for children’s fashion was inspired by her kids, Dominic, 9, and Valentina, 7. “I love dressing my kids over the top, my daughter, my son, I always did,” Cabral told the outlet.
The entrepreneur explained that she watched YouTube videos and taught herself everything about business before opening her online shop. “It brings me joy to do it,” she said of her small business.
Long before her Housewives days, Cabral posted to Instagram to promote her business. “I run EVERY aspect of my company — the buying, marketing, photography, and shipping,” she wrote to her followers. “When you order from [Boujie Kidz] I am the one spritzing my signature cotton candy scent on it and I am the one meticulously wrapping it and shipping it out.”
Once she had the RHONJ platform, Cabral worked with Gorga on a special event at Envy Boutique that featured her kiddie clothing. In the season 13 episode “Boys Will Be Boys,” Cabral admitted, “Melissa, she’s actually living the life that I would love to live with business.”
In 2024, Cabral posted to her Boujie Kidz blog her she shared that the New York Fashion Week debut Boujie Kidz was one of the “most exciting days” of her life. “My adrenaline, the nervousness, the excitement—it was a whirlwind of emotions,” she added. “The journey leading up to the big day was exhausting and stressful, but every ounce of hard work paid off.”