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The Sisterhood of the Traveling Housewives! ‘The Realest of the Real’ Tell All in Honor of the Franchise Turning 20
To mark two decades since ‘The Real Housewives’ debuted, we united seven stars across the franchise to reflect on their wild ride
In 2006 Bravo debuted a show about five women living in Orange County. Two decades, 12 cities and enough pinot grigio to fill a pool later, The Real Housewives has cemented its place in pop culture history.
To whoop it up for the 20th anniversary, seven stars from the Housewives universe — Vicki Gunvalson, 64, Luann de Lesseps, 61, Porsha Williams, 45, Teresa Giudice, 54, Kyle Richards, 57, Gizelle Bryant, 55, and Lisa Barlow, 51 — are starring on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th.
Ahead of the show’s Aug. 9 premiere, we talked to the ladies about life in the reality TV spotlight.
What made you sign on to travel to six cities in 12 days with your fellow Housewives?
KYLE When I got the call, I was not an immediate yes because I had just finished doing Beverly Hills and I was like, “Oh my God. What sane person would finish that and go do another one?” But then when I knew it was the OGs and the 20-year anniversary I’m like, “I cannot not be a part of that.” It was an honor to be asked. When we started this, people were like, “Is reality television even going to be around for long?” And look at this! How could we not want to celebrate that?
PORSHA I was just glad to be picked. When I’m around these ladies, it’s therapeutic.
TERESA We’re like a family.
LUANN And we’re getting paid to go on vacation. I mean, you can’t beat that.
GIZELLE It’s nice to be with women that understand what we do and get it. This is a very authentic group. I appreciate that because I think on our individual shows, we don’t necessarily have that. I’m not with a group of seven other women on my show that are comfortable in their own skin and that are authentic.
PORSHA And that’s why they chose each and every one of us here. This is the realest of the real. And that’s no shade to anybody else.
KYLE Just a little shade.
Vicki Gunvalson
AS SEEN ON: The Real Housewives of Orange County seasons 1-14, 20
SUMMER PLANS: “I’m very busy [running] Coto Insurance and Financial Services, but I love it. My staff is incredible.”
TRAVEL MUST-HAVE: “I can’t travel without my laptop, especially if there’s Wi-Fi, I’m on it. I’ll go back to the hotel room and I’ll work on my computer until 2 or 3 in the morning.”
Did you hear from costars of your respective cities when they found out you were cast on Roaring 20th?
VICKI I didn’t.
LUANN Not one.
LISA I did not, no.
GIZELLE I didn’t even get a congratulations.
KYLE I didn’t get [any phone calls], good or bad.
PORSHA Oh, the Atlanta girls were congratulating me!
Teresa Giudice
AS SEEN ON: The Real Housewives of New Jersey seasons 1-14
SUMMER PLANS: “As soon as I’m done filming RHONJ, I want to take a trip [with husband Louie Ruelas] to celebrate our anniversary. I still feel like we’re in our love bubble. He’s the best husband, great partner, my best friend, my soulmate, my twin flame.”
TRAVEL MUST-HAVE: “My Sempre skin-care line.”
Who was the most difficult traveler in your group?
GROUP Lisa.
LISA I did my best.
KYLE There was a huge storm, so we were in a situation.
PORSHA She got glam before getting on a plane. It’s like, “Why out of all these mornings together, this is the one you’re getting glam?”
LISA It was the worst time to be me.
Beyond Bravo, what did you bond over?
LISA Motherhood.
KYLE We talked a lot about our children and family.
LUANN Relationships.
VICKI Separations, divorces.
GIZELLE Sex, for sure.
TERESA We all formed a sisterhood. We really did have each other’s back. If anybody ever says anything about any of these girls, they better not.
Gizelle Bryant
AS SEEN ON: The Real Housewives of Potomac seasons 1-10; Love Hotel
SUMMER PLANS: “All of my girls [Grace, Angel and Adore] are home and working and ignoring me. I don’t like it, but it’s fine because they’re making their little money.”
TRAVEL MUST-HAVE: “I get weirded out by hotel smells, so I must have my candles. It’s one-wick for travel, three-wick at home.”
Have you stayed in touch since filming wrapped?
KYLE We have a group text where we talk all the time.
GIZELLE Whether we like it or not!
TERESA We stayed together.
PORSHA I genuinely care what’s happening in the chat. I feel a closeness with them and I think this chat will go on forever.
How did you get your start on Housewives?
VICKI I had no idea it was going to be a show. My son wrote a letter to producer [Scott Dunlop] for a show about kids going away to college and coming back to a privileged life. Scott knocked on my door. He’s like, “We’re thinking of doing a documentary.” I’m like, “Well, I don’t know why they’re knocking on my door. I’m very busy.”
LUANN I got approached at a party by Jill [Zarin]. I wasn’t scared, I jumped in headfirst. I just thought, “Well, this sounds like fun.”
PORSHA I had just turned 30. I had just gotten married, and I thought my life was perfect. And the very next year I was divorcing, and then I was like, “Wait, okay, what now?”
TERESA I also thought I had the perfect life, and then boom, everything came crashing.
KYLE There’s a pattern here, guys.
TERESA I didn’t go looking for it. Producers called me for almost a year. Everyone else signed the contract right away, and everybody was getting so annoyed at me. Finally one day Jacqueline [Laurita]’s like, “Come on.” So without a lawyer I just signed.
KYLE Producers had seen me on the E! True Hollywood Story about my nieces Paris and Nicky Hilton. I started watching Atlanta and Jersey, and I was like, “Oh, that’s what they’re showing of their life, but my life is perfect.” I mean, my cute little kids, who wouldn’t want to see them?
GIZELLE I thought, “I know how to do this single-mom thing, and that’s all that they’re going to show.” That’s not what happened, but you don’t look back.
LISA [Before being cast] I had a premonition. I remember I was walking with [husband] John [Barlow] on the golf course behind our house and I’m like, “I’m going to have a TV show this year.” And he’s like, “Okay, you’re going to have a TV show this year.” And I’m like, “I feel it. I know it. It’s going to happen.” I got the cast together. I submitted hundreds of names, and I took it seriously like it was a job.
Luann de Lesseps
AS SEEN ON: The Real Housewives of New York City seasons 1-13; Love Hotel
SUMMER PLANS: “I’m working on the next iteration of my cabaret tour and traveling to Germany to visit my boyfriend [Michael Riemerschmid]. I’m going back to Europe and Australia on tour, as well as the U.S.”
TRAVEL MUST-HAVE: “Listerine breath spray.”
Porsha Williams
AS SEEN ON: The Real Housewives of Atlanta seasons 5-13, 16-17
SUMMER PLANS: “It’s time to go abroad [with girlfriend Patrice ‘Sway’ McKinney]. Either Greece or Mexico. We’re both to the point where it’s like, okay, we want to relax and we want just beautiful scenery.”
TRAVEL MUST-HAVE: “It’s headphones. [Laughs] No more being escorted off any flights. I do the ones with the cords.”
What do you think of the cultural phenomenon that the franchise has become?
PORSHA When A-list actors recognize us, it just goes to show that our show is entertaining.
VICKI There are a lot of shows on TV, and they’re watching us.
TERESA Michelle Obama has menioned me. Rihanna said she wanted to be a mom like me. I met Taylor Swift at Coachella; she was really sweet.
LUANN Listen, we may not be A-list, but at least we’re always on the list.
Kyle Richards
AS SEEN ON: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills seasons 1-15
SUMMER PLANS: “I’m not traveling, I’m basically just bracing myself before [daughter] Portia goes to college in the fall. I’m very excited, but also very nervous. She’s the baby of the family.”
TRAVEL MUST-HAVE: “Some people may consider it unusual but my crystals. People can laugh and say whatever they want. And I only bring a carry-on when I’m traveling for two or three days.”
What has Housewives taught you?
VICKI I became much more resilient to the conflicts in life, and I realized it will pass. I’m also not on social media as much. I don’t take it personal anymore. I’m like, “They are miserable and now they want me to be miserable and that’s not going to happen.”
LISA That part.
TERESA I only know how to be one way; it’s being real. I’m not calculated. Everyone actually saw the last 20 years of my life.
LUANN That’s what they love about you.
GIZELLE I had to learn that conflict is okay. A conversation about differences is okay. [Before Housewives], I really didn’t care about somebody else’s point of view, and I realized that’s not okay. That’s not okay for me to go through life not caring, not giving a damn. So I’m here for the conversations. I’m here for conflict. I had to learn to listen and I think I’m a better person because of it.
PORSHA I have allowed myself to reinvent myself. [My first season], I used to see myself one way, as a wife through my husband’s eyes. And [after my divorce] being so young at 30, I went right into how the audience saw me. And over the years when you just release all of that, then you realize, “Wait, I get one damn experience. It’s mine, and I can do with it what I want. I’m in the driver’s seat.” And the audience, although they’re supportive and I love them, they’re on my ride. So let me lead my life and reinvent, become who I want to be.
LUANN For me, I’ve had my ups and downs for sure over the years, but you know what I’ve learned is that you can’t take life too seriously. It’s a TV show in the end. I’ve learned to have a good sense of humor and laugh at myself and play with it. No matter what happens, you have to pick yourself back up.
LISA Going on Ultimate Girls Trip was so amazing for me to see how comfortable every single one of you are with yourself. I think that there’s nothing more powerful in life than when you can sit in everything, every experience, every situation and say, “I know myself and I handled it the best I could.”
KYLE A common theme here is resilience. All of these women have gone through difficulties and come out the other side. Hopefully we can inspire other people too. We’re still standing, and guess what? You can too.
Lisa Barlow
AS SEEN ON: The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City seasons 1-6
SUMMER PLANS: “I have two new songs coming out, hopefully by the end of summer. I look forward to sharing that with everyone. What you listen to affects your mood, your vibe, your energy, everything.”
TRAVEL MUST-HAVE: “I’m a shower snob. I have to make sure [the hotels] have a wand. If you’ve got a plastic shower curtain like why am I staying here?”