Former "Real Housewives of New York" star Heather Thomson says the show uses "staged" and "fake" storylines.
The reality TV star made the comments while speaking with Page Six about Season 12 star Sonja Morgan's engagement to Harry Dubin. The proposal took place while Luann de Lesseps was crying over her breakup with Jacques Azoulay.
"It was completely staged and totally fake," Thompson said. “It was a ring that Ramona was wearing. And she took it off and gave it to Harry to pretend that it was his … it was oneupmanship. That was more important to the show [than de Lesseps’ heartbreak]. And I was incensed by it."
Thompson added that the authenticity of the show "is missing."
"The women were self-producing, and many storylines were forced and contrived," she said. "Fake storylines with a ring that was pulled off of somebody’s finger two seconds before. Borrowed to make this fake engagement."
The women of the various "Housewives" franchise are portrayed in a certain manner — one which Thompson said is not necessarily an accurate reflection but which does generate ratings.
"Generally speaking, the women that join the show are not self-absorbed, catty, horrible people. They’re birds in gilded cages," she said. "They go in there with the right intention, but then you get sucked into this system of what the viewers want. These women are part of a machine that has awarded them and fed them for outrageous behavior. It’s a career. It’s their check. And they don’t have other jobs outside of it. And so you become a product of the environment of what the fan is looking for."
Thompson added, "Let’s be honest: Watching women behaving well and doing great things for each other doesn’t make must-see TV."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.