Queen Of Versailles Reigns Again - General Discussion

[zenithwit]

Quote

Eighteen years after breaking ground in Florida on the largest single family home in America, Jackie Siegel and her family are determined to finally finish their 90,000 square-foot palace known as Versailles.

Just finished the first episode and I'm not sure if I'm going to continue watching.  Has anyone watched this show?  Are there any redeeming qualities?

[Dianaofthehunt]

I binged the first six episodes (not sure if there are more.) It has all the hallmarks of a cheap reality show; lots of filler shots of locations, and staged situations. The dad of the whole mess is even nastier than he showed himself to be in the original documentary.
I was delighted to read that Hurricane Ian wrecked a good part of the as-yet unfinished “house”!

https://therealdeal.com/miami/2022/10/01/versailles-mega-mansion-suffers-10m-in-hurricane-ian-damages/

Edited January 1, 2023 by Dianaofthehunt

[Guest]

Watched the first episode, half of the second, then skipped to the last and fast forwarded most of it. 

In the realm of reality shows, this one falls on the scale of fakery somewhere between Bridezillas and Love After Lockup. "Oh, look...we have a fake deadline to create a couple of fake rooms for a "party" that only family members were invited to in a house that no one is every going to live in."

This woman is absolute human garbage. 

On 1/1/2023 at 12:26 PM, Dianaofthehunt said:

I was delighted to read that Hurricane Ian wrecked a good part of the as-yet unfinished “house”!

Well, at least something good happened in Ian's wake!

[SuburbanHangSuite]

I started watching out of morbid curiosity and couldn't look away.  I truly want to understand how she can spend so much when I believe they're more or less broke.  Her clothes look cheap, her jewelry has to be fake and the "scholarship" she gave that kid in her daughter's name?  A whopping 500 dollars.  I just want to know the scam that allows them to live so extravagantly.

The kids seem pretty grounded though.

 

[MissAlmond]

I had forgotten these people existed until the show's title popped up while scrolling.  What's the point of continuing with this white elephant of a "house"? The kids are closer in age to moving away from home and I doubt the Siegel's run-in social circles that require a full-size ballroom for entertaining. I hope the folks Jackie Siegel hired demanded cash up front. 

Edited January 4, 2023 by MissAlmond

[LemonSoda]

I think Jackie just wanted to be on tv again. How many times have they had to redesign due to the kids ages or weather damage? 

I remember in the original documentary there were little moments where Jackie’s filter dropped and I wanted to know more. The story about the co-worker creating that countdown clock, the one childhood friend she somewhat stayed in contact with. I find that Jackie interesting. The Jackie who wanted more from life than a computer lab, happy hour after work and a countdown to the day she can retire. It’s like she traded one dreadful job for another. Keeping up the bimbo facade has to be exhausting. 

[Guest]

On 1/2/2023 at 9:23 PM, SuburbanHangSuite said:

I truly want to understand how she can spend so much when I believe they're more or less broke.  

These people are in no way broke. David Siegel, the only source of Jackie's money, has a net worth of $940 million. 

They claimed "poverty" in the documentary, Queen of Versailles.

They were lying.  

 

[pasdetrois]

I can never forget that the family allowed some caged pets to die because the family couldn't be bothered to remember to feed them.

[LemonSoda]

38 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

I can never forget that the family allowed some caged pets to die because the family couldn't be bothered to remember to feed them.

That poor lizard ☹️

[SuburbanHangSuite]

On 1/5/2023 at 5:29 AM, Giant Misfit said:

These people are in no way broke. David Siegel, the only source of Jackie's money, has a net worth of $940 million. 

Yeah, I'm skeptical of that figure.  Not saying they're average American "broke" but I don't believe a 940M worth for one second.  Forbes always inflates a scammers' worth.

On 1/3/2023 at 11:43 AM, MissAlmond said:

I hope the folks Jackie Siegel hired demanded cash up front. 

Right!  I get the feeling that their estimated worth is all smoke and mirrors.  I'll bet none of those contractors is getting paid what they're owed. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by SuburbanHangSuite

[pasdetrois]

I thought David's fortune was decimated (he's a time-share maven) during the recession, not to mention the pandemic.

[Guest]

In February 2022, he and Jackie purchased a $5.2 million waterfront home.

They're not poor. 

 

[seacliffsal]

This is now showing on HGTV so I'm only current on the first two episodes.  I did watch the documentary.  First of all, I cannot get over how she thinks this home looks like the real Versailles.  No, the exterior is more the second Empire style.  No matter how many timess she references Versailles-no, no it isn't.  And, they showed very little actual footage of Versailles from their trip to Paris.  Most of the interior shots were from the hotel in which they stayed.  Secondly, she is just now overseeing the construction?  Where has she been the last 20 years?  And, wow, is the exterior falling apart!  

And, she was shocked! shocked! I tell you when the exotic bird dealer told her the toucans needed a larger area than the cage she had for them.  She is way too impressed with her animal collection and design 'skills.'  

The whole time I watched this (and I will finish the remaining episodes as I'm a 'completist' unless a show is just horrific [I am even finishing The Summit...]) all I can think about is the huge waste of money and how out of touch she is if she thinks the viewers will feel any sympathy for her as she talks about construction problems, having to have work redone, and how in the world can they function without a home version of Behihana.  This is absolutely conspicuous consumption at its worst.

[seacliffsal]

Just watched episodes 3 and 4.  All I can really think about when watching this is that it must all be a money laundering scheme as there is no concern about the money being spent (and on the same things over and over such as the exterior marble, redoing floors, and the whole Behihana thing).  Also, who really wants gold bathrooms?  Florida has fairly high property taxes IMO and the insurance rates alone would be massive.  I don't see how the father amassed enough wealth that they can actually afford all of this.  I would like to see a documentary that actually dug deeper and looked behind the scenes.