Ghosts of Housewives Past: Jill Zarin, Alex, and the Rest

[robroy]

I don't think LuAnn wound her up. And Jill is too daft to wind someone up effectively. I think Kelly really just went cuckoo like a clock. And to top it off I can look back and see some instances were Beth instigated but cleverly or humorously.

 

Even when Kelly had a valid point to make she simply had no ability to convey it. Argueing with someone with Ramona or Bethenney's background is a tall order. To do so when you are a dolt is pretty much impossible...

 

YMMV.

[Bossa Nova]

Re: Kelly Bensimon and the possibility that she is on the Autism spectrum and she possibly has Asperger's:

I am so glad this was discussed here (and more on the Memory Lane thread ). I, too, have always strongly suspected that she is on the spectrum of Aspie's, ...and was undiagnosed.

Respectfully, I have no personal experience with people with this nor am I a professional on the matter. My opinion is formed from what I watched so closely in all of her screen time on The Housewives, including the infamous Scary Island episodes. I also want to note that at the time of her first seasons on Housewives, I read many thoughtful comments on other boards from parents or loved ones of people of Aspies. They were picking up on the same cues about Kelly and her oddities, and were drawing a similar conclusion about her possible Aspergers Syndrome.

What struck me early in her camera time was her overriding social anxiety. Leaving parties/events early or showing up very late. And a few other cues; a low threshold for fast talk, or an inability to deal with talk overlap in group settings. Note when she said zip it, and I can't take the chatter. And the reason that Bethenny in particular pushed Kelly's buttons was Bethenny's signature rapid fire speech pattern, and her frequent use of metaphors as humor. Kelly's subsequent reaction to that was always anxiety and confusion, then condescension or changing the subject ...I will not indulge you....STAWP !! I can't take the NOISE. I don't know what you are talking about, .. I love that Zac Posen dress.These were all defense mechanisms. But because she spoke in such odd non-sequitors as a result she was just dismissed as crazy or dumb (which she may also be).

And the lack of understanding of metaphors* (see end of my post), taking words literally. "Why don't you let your hair down", LuAnn said in a early Kelly episode when they were barhopping in NYC. So Kelly takes her ponytail out. As we all saw, there are so many examples of her difficulty in processing these.

Then this, a little tell on morning of Scary Island (before things got crazy that night). The ladies were in the kitchen and Kelly brings out a pad of paper and tells them all that if anybody has a complaint they can write it down and put it in that glass fish jar on the kitchen counter. She said she wanted to reduce the "talk". And this forgotten scene. Maybe it never made to the actual show and was only the Bravo site. Nonetheless, I clearly recall a scene where Kelly was in her kitchen at her Hamptons house with her two daughters. Instead of talking, the younger one was writing down what she wanted to communicate to her mom, like this was quite normal. She wrote it on a large drawing pad so her mother could read it, instead of verbalizing it. I always thought this was another tell. That scene struck me as if this was a usual way for that daughter to get through to her mother ...the spoken word was secondary. Too much "chatter" perhaps. Reduce the talk.

I also believe that Kelly's beauty, especially in her youth, somehow worked to her disadvantage and adults in her life (parents, teachers) did not take deeper looks at her issues. She was was given a constant pass on quirky behavior. It was seen as charming. Especially by men. Recall LuAnn, in one of Kelly's first episodes of RHNY where they were getting acquainted, asked her if she had any girlfriends. Perhaps women weren't as forgiving of her behavioral oddities. The beauty and sex appeal only went so far with other women.

Moreover, I think the whole unicorn, gummy bears, rainbows, sand angels, I just wanna be happy and be around nice people, woman-child act by Kelly,.... is a thing she developed over time as a defense mechanism to limit anxiety, dealing with normal adult social interactions and adult communication....which was so difficult for her. Like a permanent sticking her fingers in both ears as if to say, I can't hear you.  Lah, lah, lah....

Finally, I believe that Kelly Bensimon's meltdown on the two Scary Island episodes was a full blown anxiety attack because she was sequestered with the cast for several days and had no escape. She couldn't leave the party !  You bet she couldn't take the chatter. And to cope, she may indeed have been self medicating in some manner (meth, booze, or Xanex) but that was really only secondary as to what was really going on with her. Recall on the reunion that season, when she vehemently insisted to Andy that she was made to go on that trip. He said she was not.

As for her final season on RHNY, when she agreed to go on the Morrocco trip: I think she was coached big time in order to get her redemptive arc on TV because the previous season was horrific. Maybe she had personal handlers along on that trip to help her cope. And as mentioned on the Memories thread on this forum, I also always suspected that she lived in the same building as her ex-husband Gilles, because she was not capable of living separately and parenting the girls.

I await the tell all book written by some disgruntled ex-production person who was on that Scary Island trip. As Bethenny, Alex, and even Ramona said at the time.... it was even worse than what was shown on camera.

*From something I read ....Autistic individuals (in this case Aspergers) are not comfortable with figurative language.

"It's a telling sign of that condition. And some are flat out confused when they hear it used in conversation, while others may compensate with humor. For example, those who have a nagging tendency to flip the figurative back to the literal in conversation may very well be autistic. It's a defensive mechanism of course, one couched in humor and learned at a young age. Some autistic spectrum individuals are very bright people and simply do it reflexively. The pattern plays out over and over again, like a 3rd grader who flips it again and again for laughs. Eventually, most of us grow up move on and let it go, but when you're still doing it, without fail, into your 30's... that's the tip off."

Edited April 22, 2015 by Bossa Nova

[crgirl412]

Re: Kelly Bensimon and the possibility that she is on the Autism spectrum and she possibly has Asperger's:

I am so glad this was discussed here (and more on the Memory Lane thread ). I, too, have always strongly suspected that she is on the spectrum of Aspie's, ...and was undiagnosed.

Respectfully, I have no personal experience with people with this nor am I a professional on the matter. My opinion is formed from what I watched so closely in all of her screen time on The Housewives, including the infamous Scary Island episodes. I also want to note that at the time of her first seasons on Housewives, I read many thoughtful comments on other boards from parents or loved ones of people of Aspies. They were picking up on the same cues about Kelly and her oddities, and were drawing a similar conclusion about her possible Aspergers Syndrome.

What struck me early in her camera time was her overriding social anxiety. Leaving parties/events early or showing up very late. And a few other cues; a low threshold for fast talk, or an inability to deal with talk overlap in group settings. Note when she said zip it, and I can't take the chatter. And the reason that Bethenny in particular pushed Kelly's buttons was Bethenny's signature rapid fire speech pattern, and her frequent use of metaphors as humor. Kelly's subsequent reaction to that was always anxiety and confusion, then condescension or changing the subject ...I will not indulge you....STAWP !! I can't take the NOISE. I don't know what you are talking about, .. I love that Zac Posen dress.These were all defense mechanisms. But because she spoke in such odd non-sequitors as a result she was just dismissed as crazy or dumb (which she may also be).

And the lack of understanding of metaphors* (see end of my post), taking words literally. "Why don't you let your hair down", LuAnn said in a early Kelly episode when they were barhopping in NYC. So Kelly takes her ponytail out. As we all saw, there are so many examples of her difficulty in processing these.

Then this, a little tell on morning of Scary Island (before things got crazy that night). The ladies were in the kitchen and Kelly brings out a pad of paper and tells them all that if anybody has a complaint they can write it down and put it in that glass fish jar on the kitchen counter. She said she wanted to reduce the "talk". And this forgotten scene. Maybe it never made to the actual show and was only the Bravo site. Nonetheless, I clearly recall a scene where Kelly was in her kitchen at her Hamptons house with her two daughters. Instead of talking, the younger one was writing down what she wanted to communicate to her mom, like this was quite normal. She wrote it on a large drawing pad so her mother could read it, instead of verbalizing it. I always thought this was another tell. That scene struck me as if this was a usual way for that daughter to get through to her mother ...the spoken word was secondary. Too much "chatter" perhaps. Reduce the talk.

I also believe that Kelly's beauty, especially in her youth, somehow worked to her disadvantage and adults in her life (parents, teachers) did not take deeper looks at her issues. She was was given a constant pass on quirky behavior. It was seen as charming. Especially by men. Recall LuAnn, in one of Kelly's first episodes of RHNY where they were getting acquainted, asked her if she had any girlfriends. Perhaps women weren't as forgiving of her behavioral oddities. The beauty and sex appeal only went so far with other women.

Moreover, I think the whole unicorn, gummy bears, rainbows, sand angels, I just wanna be happy and be around nice people, woman-child act by Kelly,.... is a thing she developed over time as a defense mechanism to limit anxiety, dealing with normal adult social interactions and adult communication....which was so difficult for her. Like a permanent sticking her fingers in both ears as if to say, I can't hear you.  Lah, lah, lah....

Finally, I believe that Kelly Bensimon's meltdown on the two Scary Island episodes was a full blown anxiety attack because she was sequestered with the cast for several days and had no escape. She couldn't leave the party !  You bet she couldn't take the chatter. And to cope, she may indeed have been self medicating in some manner (meth, booze, or Xanex) but that was really only secondary as to what was really going on with her. Recall on the reunion that season, when she vehemently insisted to Andy that she was made to go on that trip. He said she was not.

As for her final season on RHNY, when she agreed to go on the Morrocco trip: I think she was coached big time in order to get her redemptive arc on TV because the previous season was horrific. Maybe she had personal handlers along on that trip to help her cope. And as mentioned on the Memories thread on this forum, I also always suspected that she lived in the same building as her ex-husband Gilles, because she was not capable of living separately and parenting the girls.

I await the tell all book written by some disgruntled ex-production person who was on that Scary Island trip. As Bethenny, Alex, and even Ramona said at the time.... it was even worse than what was shown on camera.

*From something I read ....Autistic individuals (in this case Aspergers) are not comfortable with figurative language.

"It's a telling sign of that condition. And some are flat out confused when they hear it used in conversation, while others may compensate with humor. For example, those who have a nagging tendency to flip the figurative back to the literal in conversation may very well be autistic. It's a defensive mechanism of course, one couched in humor and learned at a young age. Some autistic spectrum individuals are very bright people and simply do it reflexively. The pattern plays out over and over again, like a 3rd grader who flips it again and again for laughs. Eventually, most of us grow up move on and let it go, but when you're still doing it, without fail, into your 30's... that's the tip off."

EXCELLENT Bossa Nova!!!  You have fleshed it out beautifully!!  I'm going to tell those on the Memory Lane thread to come over here to read this!

[ryebread]

And the lack of understanding of metaphors* (see end of my post), taking words literally. "Why don't you let your hair down", LuAnn said in a early Kelly episode when they were barhopping in NYC. So Kelly takes her ponytail out. As we all saw, there are so many examples of her difficulty in processing these.

My nephew, who has Aspergers, cut his finger while in our pool. He was about 6 or 7.  I was on the patio and he was coming up the patio steps to show me.  I got up and said, "I'm going inside to get a bandaid, don't move a muscle."  I didn't want him following me in and dripping water everywhere.  A minute later I came back outside with the bandaid, and there he was - midstride on the patio step, with his finger outstretched, body in the exact same posture I'd left him in. Not even his head or mouth had moved.  "Honey, what are you doing?"  "You told me not to move a muscle."  LOL  So literal.  As a young adult, his mannerisms and social anxiety remind me a lot of Kelly.

[ZoloftBlob]

I don't know - I agree Bossa Nova's post is well thought out (and thank you for the articulate description of the girls writing - I admit I found that odd as well) but I dislike how everyone who acts like a self involved asshole "must be on the spectrum" and handed some sort of pass for acting shitty. Kelly has never said she is on the autism spectrum, she has never admitted to any sort of neurodiversity or mental illness (they're not the same thing) and her behavior is atrocious. She ruined the trip. She was atrocious acting to Alex, who wasn't being mean to her, and Ramona, and Sonja. Even Bethenny, who I think can be quite the needling bitch, was making an effort to not engage her. She behaved like a raging loon, like she was probably high on something, but she "may have autism" so she's the victim. She doesn't admit to having autism, she insists she's completely fine, and everyone else is to blame for triggering her social anxiety because well, she's maybe autistic so she can't help herself.

 

She's an adult. A pretty successful adult, who has custody of her children, and seems to make a living without too much assistance from her ex husband. She insists nothing is wrong or was wrong with her. I have an alternate theory to throw out. I think she was realizing that Bethenny was getting the best of her in their various arguments, and took some drugs and drank some alcohol and lost her shit.

 

Or maybe she's just dimwitted, and lost it. Regardless, she acted horribly and has consistently insisted she was attacked and bullied, and I would give her the free pass if she *actually was* autistic but since there's no formal diagnosis that she wants to admit to, she needs to own her own atrocious behavior.

Edited April 22, 2015 by ZoloftBlob

[SCS]

And this forgotten scene. Maybe it never made to the actual show and was only the Bravo site. Nonetheless, I clearly recall a scene where Kelly was in her kitchen at her Hamptons house with her two daughters. Instead of talking, the younger one was writing down what she wanted to communicate to her mom, like this was quite normal. She wrote it on a large drawing pad so her mother could read it, instead of verbalizing it. I always thought this was another tell. That scene struck me as if this was a usual way for that daughter to get through to her mother ...the spoken word was secondary. Too much "chatter" perhaps. Reduce the talk.

Interesting. I don't recall this but I started tuning Kelly out almost immediately. Great catch!

I also believe that Kelly's beauty, especially in her youth, somehow worked to her disadvantage and adults in her life (parents, teachers) did not take deeper looks at her issues. She was was given a constant pass on quirky behavior. It was seen as charming.

Yup. In Kelly's debut episode, we saw her at a Hamptons party, giddily dashing from person to person and the segment ending with her leaping gazelle-like across the yard. At the time I thought she was being edited as a free spirit Earth mama to contrast with the city gals but, more likely, it was behavior that she's repeated for years because someone somewhere told her it was too precious.

Recall on the reunion that season, when she vehemently insisted to Andy that she was made to go on that trip. He said she was not.

Elsewhere in this forum someone pointed out how annoyed Andy seemed when Kelly kept claiming she was forced to go. I have a memory that she once mentioned her father is an attorney. If so, maybe there had been some back and forth between her team and Bravo that ended with the agreement that certain events related to her behavior were off limits. Andy wouldn't like that. Edited April 23, 2015 by steelcitysister

[PhilMarlowe2]

As if we needed further proof that Jill is full of shit, I was revisiting the Season 3 reunion and one of her main sticking points was that she wanted to reconcile with Bethenny off-camera because "it was a real fight" and she wanted "a real reconciliation" (not for the camera's sake). Fast forward a few years to her Watch What Crappens 1-on-1 with Andy and she's claiming that the fight was completely staged by her for the sake of the show and that she "forgot" to let Bethenny know about it. I wish he had rolled the reunion tape when she made that claim.

Edited May 7, 2015 by PhilMarlowe2

[archer1267]

Speaking of Jill…has anyone read Andy's book? In it, he talks about a time when Jill was supposed to come back to the show for a one-appearance-only stint, but it didn't work out. (I read an article from last fall where he says "I talk about it in my book.") I saw that Jill recently called Ramona "mean and nasty." Oh Jill. Anything to stay relevant, huh? What's funny is that she says RAMONA talks about Jill to stay in the news. I have NO idea what that's about. Between the show and the divorce, I don't think Ramona's got any trouble getting media coverage. 

[Bossa Nova]

 

Yup. In Kelly's debut episode, we saw her at a Hamptons party, giddily dashing from person to person and the segment ending with her leaping gazelle-like across the yard. At the time I thought she was being edited as a free spirit Earth mama to contrast with the city gals but, more likely, it was behavior that she's repeated for years because someone somewhere told her it was too precious.

I also recall that Hamptons party leaving early scene vividly and had that in mind when I wrote my post. I think it was one of the first "tells".

 

 

Elsewhere in this forum someone pointed out how annoyed Andy seemed when Kelly kept claiming she was forced to go. I have a memory that she once mentioned her father is an attorney

 

Kelly's father is an attorney....so is her twin brother (yes let us not forget that she is a twin!). He practices in South Carolina. I hate that I know that. Here you go....Thomas Killoren....picture and all. You can see the resemblence. 

 

http://www.spartanlaw.com/about-us/our-attorneys/thomas-killoren/

[robroy]

Very off topic- but beejeebus the folks in that firm went to some low caliber law schools. I think I counted at least 3 or 4 from the same school as Craig on Southern Charm and atleast two from the lower ranked Georgia schools.

 

I knew KBB vacationed on Kiawah some and seeing that the brother lives in upstate SC it makes sense now since that is only a 3 1/2 hour drive from Spartanburg.

[grayson]

Can anyone with legal expertise, experience, or education explain what may be involved in the settlement of Alex and Simon's $100 million lawsuit against their former partners:

 

http://radaronline.com/celebrity-news/real-housewives-new-york-city-alex-mccord-settlement/

Edited May 15, 2015 by grayson

[Mrs peel]

Can anyone with legal expertise, experience, or education explain what may be involved in the settlement of Alex and Simon's $100 million lawsuit against their former partners:

 

http://radaronline.com/celebrity-news/real-housewives-new-york-city-alex-mccord-settlement/

$100 million in a year? Not at $45 for a 10 piece set of towels! It looks like they caved, if they were not willing to come back to the U.S. for depositions at some point the Court would have shut them down eventually.

I googled, they allegedly had sheets and towels but a Groupon went so badly they refunded everyone and delivered nothing.

[grayson]

Good observation, Mrs. peel.

 

Here is an interesting comment from the radaronline article:
 

RealityCheck • a day ago

They ran to Australia to avoid being deposed and dealing with a counter suit. The defendants decided to not bother with these losers, as Alex and Simon don't have a pot to piss in. These two couldn't make a honest or in this case even a dishonest living. Bottom feeders

 

[Mrs peel]

Very off topic- but beejeebus the folks in that firm went to some low caliber law schools. I think I counted at least 3 or 4 from the same school as Craig on Southern Charm and atleast two from the lower ranked Georgia schools..

It looks like most of the partners went to University of South Carolina, which isn't a bad idea if you want to practice there. Her brother went to John Marshall in Chicago. Not highly ranked at all but locally considered to produce good trial lawyers, and he worked at the premier local PI firm, Corboy & Dimetrio. Not too shabby if you want that kind of practice. It looks like some of the associates went to Charleston Law, which I believe is a for profit school, possibly not ranked at all. That is a terrible school!

[archer1267]

I found this, gimipizza, but don't know how seriously to take it. Excerpt:

 

I happened to find Brad on Facebook and he actually is asking fans of the show to email Bravo and ask them to bring Brad back. So while Jill posted on Facebook that Brad is doing great and is working elsewhere, the fact is Brad is trying to make a go of decorating on his own after being let go from Zarin Fabrics and is distraught about not being on the show any longer.

 

Rumor has it that Brad and Jill fell out when she asked Brad to hide an affair that she was having. Jill wanted Brad to promise that he would do everything in his power to ensure that Bobby never found out.

 

I loathed Jill by the time she left the show, but have to say, I didn't peg her as a cheater. This will sound weird, but Jill never struck me as someone particularly interested in sex, unless it was to thank Bobby for something he'd brought her. I think she loves Bobby, but tended to lavish her affection and attention on Ginger. (I mean, "you told me to get a hobby and so I did - taking care of my husband." Looking after your spouse should be a given - not a hobby.) I don't mean to imply that Jill has a clinical disorder or anything - not at all. She just isn't one of those people who flirts, oozes sensuality the way someone like LuAnn does. I could be completely wrong and she could be a real freak behind closed doors.

 

I also think that if Jill had something to hide, it would have surfaced long ago, given how quick these people are to buzz about others' marriages. I also think she wouldn't be so quick to make comments about Mario if she herself was stepping out.

Edited May 29, 2015 by archer1267

[Maharincess]

I don't know - I agree Bossa Nova's post is well thought out (and thank you for the articulate description of the girls writing - I admit I found that odd as well) but I dislike how everyone who acts like a self involved asshole "must be on the spectrum" and handed some sort of pass for acting shitty. Kelly has never said she is on the autism spectrum, she has never admitted to any sort of neurodiversity or mental illness (they're not the same thing) and her behavior is atrocious. She ruined the trip. She was atrocious acting to Alex, who wasn't being mean to her, and Ramona, and Sonja. Even Bethenny, who I think can be quite the needling bitch, was making an effort to not engage her. She behaved like a raging loon, like she was probably high on something, but she "may have autism" so she's the victim. She doesn't admit to having autism, she insists she's completely fine, and everyone else is to blame for triggering her social anxiety because well, she's maybe autistic so she can't help herself.

She's an adult. A pretty successful adult, who has custody of her children, and seems to make a living without too much assistance from her ex husband. She insists nothing is wrong or was wrong with her. I have an alternate theory to throw out. I think she was realizing that Bethenny was getting the best of her in their various arguments, and took some drugs and drank some alcohol and lost her shit.

Or maybe she's just dimwitted, and lost it. Regardless, she acted horribly and has consistently insisted she was attacked and bullied, and I would give her the free pass if she *actually was* autistic but since there's no formal diagnosis that she wants to admit to, she needs to own her own atrocious behavior.

I agree. I hate how everybody has to have a label like that. If somebody is a self centered asshole they must have a personality disorder. If somebody acts a little odd they are "on the spectrum".

Sometimes an asshole is just an asshole and an idiot just an idiot.

[FozzyBear]

I agree. I hate how everybody has to have a label like that. If somebody is a self centered asshole they must have a personality disorder. If somebody acts a little odd they are "on the spectrum".

Sometimes an asshole is just an asshole and an idiot just an idiot.

I think there is probably something there with Kelly. What, I have no idea. However, I think most of her shit comes from being a spoiled, pampered child who became a spoiled, pampered adult. She's mostly just immature and kind of dumb. Kelly is my go to of why adults who are described as child-like make me nuts. Children are often sociopathic little monsters, but you forgive them because they're kids. Adults, even adults who have some sort of issue, should learn to deal with other people without becoming an insane bitch. Edited June 2, 2015 by FozzyBear

[quaintirene]

 

Noooo, not Streit's!!  That's my preferred brand of kosher for Passover matzoh and if Jill has an endorsement deal with them I may have to rethink that strategy next year!

Try Aviv.  My husband says they taste the best.  How he can tell the difference I've no idea!  All I know is that by Day 5 I am drooling over cinnamon-roll porn on my iPad.

 

I can't believe Streits would do a deal with Jill.  She's not exactly kosher and has been seen not-being-kosher on television.  My guess is that Jill thought she might get something outta Streits next year if she instagrammed that pic.  She is always on the make in ways that don't work out for her.  

[OhGromit]

Yes, she did.

 

There is a difference in villains at this point for me, even thought IMO Bethenny has never really been a villain but let's pretend she was.

Bethenny in her maniac ways has only hurt herself , she has never plotted behind doors to take someone down, when she was done with Jill she let her know that and it was the end of it, she has not spoken ill about Jill, she has wished her the best, she is the first one who told Andy to stop when he was going on and one listing the viewers' grievances about Jill, even now if anybody asks Bethenny she says plainly than they haven't seen each other, that she wishes her the best and that is about it.

 

Compare that to the great lengths that Jill has gone out of her way to hurt Bethenny, first plotting to isolate her from the rest of the cast, then creating the idea that Bethenny knew about Bobby's and never reached, then after the season ended filming and while waiting for it to be aired by going to any and every interview that would have her to plant the seeds about Bethenny being a bad friend, then after the airing of season 3 reunion and during season 4 talking about how Bethenny is such a bad friend for not taking her back, talking about Bethenny's marriage, talking badly about her show, refusing to go to her show while other active RHNY have been there, actively plotting with her besties Rob Shuter and Cindy Adams (from Page Six) to continue spreading gossip about her.

 

While they are both strong and determined, the difference in her styles when they are facing challenges is quite different and very telling of their personalities.

 

Wow-- Leroux, amazing info about Jill!  Jill is/ was totally vindictive.  We saw that when, after Ramona left Jill out of her lame "cooking" party that she invited only Luann to, Jill spent *the rest of the season* plotting her revenge on the tennis court, including mind-effing Ramona by inviting a ton of friends to cheer for Jill and just generally being ruthless about obtaining the win.  If Jill was that evil about plotting revenge against Ramona for a freaking cooking party invite... OF COURSE she would be ten times as ruthless when she felt she was being "left out" of Bethenny's new found popularity, fame, and success, with her own spinoff, and generally eclipsing Jill's popularity.  that makes SO MUCH sense.  Thanks Leroux.  

[Ellee]

This is from Bravo's The Dish.  Kelly Bensimon.

 

http://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/would-kelly-bensimon-go-on-millionaire-matchmaker

 

an excerpt:

 

The former Real Housewives of New York star recently sat down with Yahoo! Style's Joe Zee, where among other things, she revealed if she'd ever make an appearance on another Bravo series, Millionaire Matchmaker. "I don't think so!" she says. "'Cause what am I going to be like? 'Hi, I was a model and I can't find anyone.' That would make me look like an idiot!"

 

 

Me now:  I know, I know but I got a giggle.  A real giggle.   I can be so easily amused.  :D :D :D

[Ellee]

From Reality Tea....Jill Zarin in a horror movie. :O

http://www.realitytea.com/2015/06/05/photos-jill-zarin-stars-new-horror-movie-kelly-rutherford-rob-morrow/#/slide/1

Edited June 8, 2015 by Ellee

[WireWrap]

From Reality Tea....Jill Zarin in a horror movie. :O

http://www.realitytea.com/2015/06/05/photos-jill-zarin-stars-new-horror-movie-kelly-rutherford-rob-morrow/#/slide/1

LOL I wonder if she will play herself?!? LOL Bethenny will be having heart palpations if the rumors about her wanting to get back into acting are true! LOL 

[archer1267]

OMG. Not that being on RHONY is an exercise in dignity, but a horror movie?? (and I say that as someone who watches them) I'm sure she is name-dropping Kelly Rutherford all over the place as a sign of "cred."

 

My idea of a horror movie is Jill Zarin coming into my old 1,400 sq. ft. house in New England and proceeding to tell me everything that's wrong with my fabric and color choices.

[archer1267]

No kidding. What did those end tables spell out? "POP…?"

[Beden]

I'd forgotten those tables; the ones where, should you put a glass or can of soda down they'd fall through the cutouts of the letters. 'Cause nothing says home to me like not even being able to put your stuff on the coffee table(s) without a GPS so you don't miss.

[FaithsMum]

No kidding. What did those end tables spell out? "POP…?"

Yeah. I've just been watching old seasons and Kelly commented to her that she had them as well but the initials of her and her daughters because apparently one needs to have their coffee tables to be the letter of their first names presumably in case she forgets. As stupid as I find it, at least it means something. Like, wtf does "pop" represent?

Mind you, Kelly is a woman who named her child "Sea" so I don't know why I expect any better.

Edited June 8, 2015 by FaithsMum

[FaithsMum]

I *will* say that I was friends with someone who knew Jill's daughter and she only had good things to say about her. So I can give Jill some credit for that.

Did Andy ever nail Jill for that "Susan Saunders" mess?

Since I loathe Jill, I'm going to unfairly assume Ally is lovely despite not because of her as it pains me to give her any credit for anything! :)

He didn't on the reunions but outside of them, I'm not sure. That Susan Saunders debacle will forever be my favourite thing about Jill.

[Caudex]

I'm not saying that I'm rewatching the series for the second time within six months (and maybe for the fifth time altogether), but anyway, what's the deal with Max? I've read some comments here and there that Kelly was paying for him to pretend to be her bf? Could someone give me a short (or long) explanation?

[Grneyedldy]

Max was an NBC prop. He later starred in a telenovela show on one of NBC's Spanish channels.

[KungFuBunny]

I'm not sure that she has Asperger's. I know people with Asperger's who may not always get the joke, but are very adept at concealing their differences in social situations if need be (there are always little "tells" though, that I can detect among people with Asperger's whom I know well; these are the sort of thing a casual acquaintance may over look). Whatever Kelly's problem is, it is clear to me that it is pathological. I hope she gets help dealing with her issues for her kids' sake. Her children are going to want a mom more than a breezy friend as they age. I never thought she was stupid. Just a touch "off." I imagine the fashion world is very accommodating of idiosyncrasies.

Kelly has Assholeperger's ....blink blink

Max was an NBC prop. He later starred in a telenovela show on one of NBC's Spanish channels.

Wasn't Max also someone that allegedly hooked up with Sonja?

[SFoster21]

Scuttle was that he was a paid escort.

Kelly had a guy she was living with at the time; he charged her with domestic abuse before they parted.

[Grneyedldy]

Kelly has Assholeperger's ....blink blink

Wasn't Max also someone that allegedly hooked up with Sonja?

Yes Sonja said she also "dated" Max. He was just another Bravo fame whore. I think it's possible he dipped his stick in the Sonja pond, but I highly doubt he made sand angels with Koo Koo Kelly.

[UMAngela]

 

 

Not sure why Daily Mail is so endlessly fascinated by Kells.  I kinda doubt anyone else is.  Here she is in Miami with what looks like a much younger guy with badly dyed hair.  Have no idea why she gravitates to these young scraggy-looking penniless hooker dudes, but dat's what Kells seems to go for, eh?

http://www.dailymail...-Art-Basel.html

 

Hold up... is that younger guy with the badly dyed hair Whitney from Southern Charm?  Bravo universes collide.

Edited June 30, 2015 by UMAngela

[politichick]

If it's not Whitney he's his doppelanger!

[Gam2]

That is totally Whitney! 

[biakbiak]

It's Whitney they have known each other for awhile.

[AnnA]

Kelly looks good except for that last picture where she's twirling her hair before entering NaNa Land.

I don't get why she'd be wearing a white bra under a black dress though. Then again I guess she figured it wouldn't show.  At least it's better than people wearing a black bra under a white blouse.

Edited June 30, 2015 by AnnA

[tribeca]

I *will* say that I was friends with someone who knew Jill's daughter and she only had good things to say about her. So I can give Jill some credit for that.

 

Did Andy ever nail Jill for that "Susan Saunders" mess?

What Susan Saunders mess?  

[breezy424]

It does 'look' like Whitney.  If it is, they deserve one another......

[heatherchandler]

Holy shitballs!! What in all the fuuuuck happened to Jill Zarin??

http://imgh.us/image_33.jpeg

[Sun-Bun]

Good Lord!!! She's obviously tightened things up facially and is a blonde now?! Yikes.

Talk about unnecessary...she always tried soooo hard to be this stunning, sexy socialite type, and she just never could pull it off, poor thing...lest we forget this awful look she pulled together a few years ago:

http://starcasm.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Jill_Zarin_Corset.jpg?ggnoads

[heatherchandler]

Good Lord!!! She's obviously tightened things up facially and is a blonde now?! Yikes.

Talk about unnecessary...she always tried soooo hard to be this stunning, sexy socialite type, and she just never could pull it off, poor thing...lest we forget this awful look she pulled together a few years ago:

http://starcasm.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Jill_Zarin_Corset.jpg?ggnoads

 

Oh boy do I remember that look!!!  She really really wants to be young and hot.  Not that she can't look good at her age, but she is trying really hard to look 20.  It isn't working.

[Ellee]

Kelly

 

http://www.allabouttrh.com/does-kelly-bensimon-want-to-have-a-sitdown-with-bethenny-frankel/

 

 

I used to love doing Kelly-speak.  And....there is so much here to work with.  :D

[Rhetorica]

Holy shitballs!! What in all the fuuuuck happened to Jill Zarin??

http://imgh.us/image_33.jpeg

She looks like she could be Heather's mom.

Kelly

http://www.allabouttrh.com/does-kelly-bensimon-want-to-have-a-sitdown-with-bethenny-frankel/

I used to love doing Kelly-speak. And....there is so much here to work with. :D

I'll just quote Kelly, "bored, ugh".

[grayson]

In an interview with a local publication, Alex and Simon discuss their new life in Australia: http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/realestate/real-housewives-of-new-york-stars-alex-mccord-and-simon-van-kempen-loving-life-in-byron/story-fnjdgobq-1227549729420.

 

They share that life in NYC was one of the "darkest periods" in their lives, because they experienced "public scrutiny" and "unimaginable online bullying". They note,  "We lost our privacy and were exposed on TV for all the world to see."

 

Could have regained their privacy after they were fired from RHONY if they had not clung to the reality television world? They maintained a tangential connection with Alex's online commentary about the Real Housewives franchise and other reality programs including "16 and Pregnant", "Dance Moms", and "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" while Simon devoted himself to exhaustive analysis of Bravo ratings.

Edited October 1, 2015 by grayson

[heatherchandler]

I am dying over this pic-

http://imgh.us/image_36.jpeg

Francois looks like Rojo Caliente (TM Michael K).

Johan looks like a 35 year old man.

I know this is a typo but I love this blurb from the article:

Mr van Kempen, who was born in Brisbane and opened his own law firm van, Kempen & Associates, in Tweed Heads in July, met Ms McCord on a work trip to New York in 1999.

He opened a law firm van!!! He works in a van down by the river!

Edited October 1, 2015 by heatherchandler

[link417]

I am dying over this pic-

http://imgh.us/image_36.jpeg

Francois looks like Rojo Caliente (TM Michael K).

Johan looks like a 35 year old man.

Is Johan the one behind Alex? It's been so long, I can't remember. Poor thing has inherited his mother's odd bone structure. Edited October 1, 2015 by link417

[ryebread]

Holy shitballs!! What in all the fuuuuck happened to Jill Zarin??

http://imgh.us/image_33.jpeg

 

She took out her extensions, for one.  That's the biggie.  This is totally what you're left with after wearing them forever, in addition to continuous processing to keep your real hair the same color of the extensions.  Unfortunately she doesn't have Yolanda's bone structure to just cut it all off and start again.  I applaud her if she's going to stop torturing her poor hair because it does, indeed, look tortured.  If you listen carefully you can hear it crying out for help.

 

Second, I can't tell from the pictures - they might be false eyelashes - but imo, no woman over 40 should wear 'cat eye' eyeliner.  If you've got lines there, it's not a good look.  One exception MIGHT be Sophia Loren.  Maybe.

 

Third, it looks like these photos were taken by a first year photography student on the roof of a tall building at high noon.  That light is flattering to no one.

 

Good for Jill is she's decided to stop fighting the process so damn hard.  It'll just take some getting used to.  For her and us.

[heatherchandler]

Is Johan the one behind Alex? It's been so long, I can't remember. Poor thing has inherited his mother's odd bone structure.

Johan is on the LEFT!  He is only 9?  I cannot even.

[jinjer]

"Johan Face! Johan Face!!" tm Kelly Bensimon