Getty Jenna Lyons and Bethenny Frankel
“The Real Housewives of New York City” is well into its 14th season, and while the new cast members have all had time to adjust to life on camera, at least one of the newest Housewives tried and get a head start.
In a September 12 appearance on the podcast “Shut Up Evan”, host Evan Ross Katz interviewed RHONY newcomer Jenna Lyons about her experiences filming the show, as well as her relationship with former RHONY star Bethenny Frankel (Katz also shared his interview with Lyons to his blog).
“I’m not trying to stir the pot, but on Bethenny Frankel’s podcast, she revealed that you reached out to her seeking advice about Housewives and that she ‘rejected your ass.'” Katz said, before playing a clip from Frankel’s July 21 podcast episode with Jill Zarin, where the two discuss the RHONY season 14 premiere.
Jenna Lyons Reacts to Bethenny Frankel Not Knowing Who She Is
“So it felt to me like Jenna Lyons – first of all, she’s an accomplished woman, I had sort of heard of her. I didn’t really hear of her until the person I sort of know said to me ‘Do you want to talk to her, she’s going to be on the show,’” Frankel said in her premiere recap podcast, “I’ve heard of J.Crew obviously, and it sounds like it was a really big job – but the show is setting it up like Lady Gaga has joined the cast of Alex [McCord], Simon [van Kempen], and Ramona [Singer]. She’s on this weird, different pedestal and I feel that that’s interesting. Not her fault.”
In her interview with Katz, Lyons then reacted to this moment, saying, “I can imagine if the shoe was on the other foot. I think that she has been through this process for years and I think it’s had its ups and downs and clearly as we can see now with what’s going on she has a tricky relationship with the show.”
Frankel’s relationship with “The Real Housewives” franchise and the Bravo network came to a head in the Summer of 2023 when Frankel began her push to form a labor union amongst reality television stars, inspired by the ongoing writer’s and actor’s guild strikes. Frankel said in an August appearance on Rob Lowe’s podcast “Literally!”, “I can tell you with great certainty that everyone at Bravo likely despises me, including Andy Cohen, because it’s very personal and because they have to protect the realm.”
Lyons also shared her reaction to Frankel not knowing who she was, adding, “And so she may not have wanted to play favorites, she may not have wanted to discuss it for reasons that are her own. I’m fine that she had no idea who I was. Like, great, there’s so many people who don’t, that happens all the time.”
Jenna Lyons Wants to Be Known for More Than ‘Real Housewives’
Although she has enjoyed her first season as a Real Housewife, Lyons persisted that she doesn’t want to become known only by this title. She told Katz, “I don’t want it to become my defining moment, and it’s tricky, because I had a career prior to this — a relatively large one — and I don’t want this to become my calling card. At the same time, I’ve become well aware that this is a very large, very visible and very passionate show. I actually can’t believe how obsessed people are. ”
Although she is nervous about “Housewives” becoming her reputation, Lyons entered her premiere season excitedly, telling Page Six in October 2022 after her cast announcement, “At J. Crew, every day was the same. I knew what was on my calendar — and not just that, I was responsible for a company and staff, for American style. This is the time to try something different and challenging.”
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