When last we left the Real Housewives of New York, Erin Lichy has just learned that Sai De Silva dipped out of her anniversary party early. In Sai’s defense, she was hangry and there was virtually nothing she could eat at Erin’s party. Erin is not happy.
Jenna Lyons is overseeing a photo shoot for an eyelash line that will be carried by Target. They’re using real people rather than professional models for the ad campaign. I like that angle. I’ve never worn false eyelashes in my life, but now I want to go to Target and get some.
Jenna has invited Sai to come in and help with casting. As an older white woman, Jenna realizes the importance of having a diverse cast so that women who see the ad will see people who look like them. Sai is there to help with that. “[Sai] better have eaten,” Jenna jokes, “’cause I’m not feeding her.”
When Jenna retells the story of how she got her nickname to soothe a prospective model’s nervousness, Sai is touched. “Watching Jenna bringing out this vulnerability in herself to calm someone else’s nerves I thought was the sweetest and most admirable thing,” Sai said. “But at the same time, like, you are telling your secrets to a complete stranger but you can’t tell your friends? Everybody needs to know.”
Turns out the eyelash company, Loveseen, is Jenna’s business. She has a genetic condition and doesn’t have any eyelashes. That’s why she’s starting her own lash company.
Jenna tells Sai that Erin is upset about the “Irish goodbye” at her party. “I think Erin’s gonna be pissed with you for leaving, just so you know.”
“I honestly … don’t give a f***,” Sai responds. “I’ll deal with it.” Jenna agrees that she probably will.
The girls’ behavior “rubbed [Erin] the wrong way”
Meanwhile, over at Erin’s, she and Abe doing a party post-mortem. She says everyone has been blowing up her phone over how amazing it was. “The food was so good,” Erin quotes one texter. Um, what food? Pigs-in-a-blanket don’t count as food, especially if you’re a pescatarian like Sai.
Erin isn’t pleased with the behavior of her friends, though. “They were talking during our vows,” she tells Abe. It wasn’t during your vows, Erin, it was during the interminable speeches prior to the vows. People were standing around starving due to lack of food. I would have been chatting, too.
Then Abe tells his wife about Jessel Taank’s comment: “It’s so cute you guys are renewing your vows.” He had said they never exchanged vows at their original wedding. The rabbi was running the show and all they did was say, “I do.”
But then Abe relays how Brynn Whitfield told him, “Oh, so technically you can get out of the marriage.” Wait till Erin finds out what else Brynn said.
“That’s not acceptable,” Erin says. “It really pisses me off. She came in, she started some sh*t, she said rude things to my husband, she wore her sunglasses the whole time and then she walked out.”
Brynn also made jokes about Abe dating her once he divorced Erin and warned him not to mess up his vows by accidentally saying ‘I take you, Brynn.’ That’s not going to sit well with Erin either.
“I don’t know why you’re laughing,” Erin tells Abe. “I’m, like, disgusted … I’m, like, sick to my stomach. I just don’t even know how I’m supposed to be in the same room as her.” Oh, you don’t even know that half of it Erin.
Jessel‘s wearing “100 hats”
Jessel and her husband are out for a nice dinner together. When Pavit comments, “[This is] a cool little area,” I expected her to say it was “up and coming.”
Her mom has been staying with them to help with the twins, but Jessel’s worried about how things are going to be when Mom goes back to England. “I’ve always worn several hats,” the LA
Fashion & Beauty Founder claims. “But now I feel like I’m wearing 100 hats. I have to pick the twins’ clothes. I have to pick Pavit’s clothes.” Pavit doesn’t pick his own clothes? Isn’t he a grown man?
“I have to figure out what they want for breakfast,” she continues. “Do we need to buy another diaper size? And then there’s work stuff.” Welcome to the world of being a working mom, Jessel. Millions of women do it every day, some actually working more than one job while raising children.
The conversation turns to Jessel wanting to have another baby, a girl this time. “I think the castle deserves a little princess,” she interviews.
But Jessel never told her mom they were going through IVF treatments, She feels like she’s been “lying” to her and feels guilty. Pavit thinks she just needs to be honest with her mom and come clean about the IVF before she hears it from someone else. Like a TV show maybe?
Here comes trouble
Brynn walks into a classic car dealership, running into her ex-fiancé Gideon. “She’s trouble,” he tells the salesman.
“Gideon and I were together a total of five years,” Brynn says. “When Gideon proposed, we were actually broken up … and I was seeing someone else … The worst thing you’ll ever have to do is call your boyfriend and tell him that you’re engaged to someone else.”
“He’s literally a Prince Charming,” Brynn adds. “I didn’t open a door for five years, I didn’t pick up one tab, I can’t even stand up at a dinner table without him jumping up. He’s a Disney prince.”
“Fancy meeting you here,” Gideon tells her.
They met on Tinder. Brynn was in the process of deleting some “unsuitable” people from her social media when she came across Gideon’s introductory message: “Hope you’re having a lovely day. Thank you so much for swiping right on me. I would love perhaps to take you out for a cup of tea one day. Yours truly, Gideon.” Awwww. He’s adorable. How could she not marry him?
“My recollection,” Gideon tells her, “is that you were the most beautiful person I’d ever seen in my life.”
Attempting to change the mood, she says, “Why don’t you sell my engagement ring, and then you can buy this car?” They were seated in a $235,000 sports car as she said it, but that was pretty cold.
Jessel confesses to Mom about the IVF
Jessel and her mom are at lunch together. “My mom is my best friend,” she says. “We’re super close. Believe me, as an Indian girl growing up I kept many secrets from my mother … IVF is probably the most serious secret … I need to get it off my chest.”
“There are some things I’ve wanted to tell you,” she finally admits. “It took me a really long time to get pregnant … My doctor suggested IVF. I was not crazy about the idea, but … I was 36 at this point. It was my only option.”
“I did one round,” she adds, “and it didn’t work. And then we ended up doing a second round. It didn’t work.”
“Oh no!” her mom interjects.
“So at that point, I was like, ‘F***,'” she continues. “Now we’re 50 grand in, still no baby. This is also, like, six months of injections and hormones.”
When her mom says she would have gotten on “the next flight,” Jessel says, “I know you would have.” Jessel just didn’t want her mom to worry, knowing that her daughter was going through such a difficult experience.
“I didn’t want to worry you,” the fashion publicist tells her. “At the end of the day, it was not ideal … The thing is, it was very hard to talk about this stuff because in our culture … if I had made it public knowledge, what do you think the response would have been?”
“A lot of gossip,” her mom says.
“I knew it was going to be fine,” Jessel tells her. “And it was. And I got two for the price of one.” She just didn’t want everyone talking about her.
In the end, Jessel’s mom understands, and she’s fine with the information. All that guilt was for nothing, Jessel!
A little holiday wreath-making with the girls
Brynn is hosting a holiday get-together for the ladies. Jessel arrives first. “Here comes Messy Jessy,” Brynn jokes.
Jenna steps out of a car carrying shopping bags of what I suspect are gifts for the other ladies. Jenna never seems to come empty-handed. I just hope Jessel’s gift isn’t a green lacy nightie in a size large that makes her look like a Christmas tree.
She makes it to the door before requesting help. “Are you carrying Jenna Lyons merchandise?” Jessel asks as she hurries to help her.
“This is the last time that I’m gonna get to see everyone before the holidays,” Jenna says, “so this is, like, a bag … It’s sort of a culmination of some of my favorite things, like products that I love … So here’s my Santa pack.”
Sai walks in looking fabulous in “Winter White.” In an interview, Jenna says, “I love someone who overdresses. It makes me happy. Like if everyone was perfect and normal all the time, it would be boring.”
Ubah Hassan is still at home with Covid, so she won’t be coming. I miss Ubah. She’s so bright, silly and fun!
Oh boy, here comes Erin with her axe to grind. She hasn’t seen any of them since her anniversary party. “Darth Vader’s here,” Brynn jokes. Is she referencing Erin’s long, dark coat? Or could it be her black mood?
“You all right?” Jenna asks her. “You don’t seem okay.”
“The energy that is coming in,” says Brynn, “is not very merry or jolly or bright.” Better hide the sharp utensils.
Coming in hot
“I decided to go to this wreath-making [activity],” Erin says, “because I’m pissed off. I want to ruin her party, just like she ruined mine.”
Everyone gets busy decorating their wreaths, but they’re all complaining, saying it’s harder than it looks. Jessel says, “I do arts and crafts with my two-year-olds. I don’t do it for fun.”
“These girls, I think they failed pre-K,” Erin laughs, “because they can’t even glue.” It’s not rocket science, it’s holiday wreaths. Where’s the festivity?
“What’s everybody doing for the holidays?” Sai asks innocently.
“I’m going to the Dominican Republic,” Erin announces. “Like four different families, with a bunch of kids … We have a huge, huge house with, like, our closest cousins. Actually, if you had stuck around at my event, you would have seen the speech from our cousin.” Shots fired!
“There were so many people giving speeches at your event,” Sai answers, “I couldn’t hear a thing, to be honest with you.”
“You left and you didn’t say goodbye,” Erin claps back.
“I was hungry,” Sai says. “There was, like, no …”
“That’s not a reason to leave somebody’s event and not say goodbye,” Erin snaps. “I think it’s incredibly rude, and I think you have bad manners.”
“I don’t care,” Sai shrugs. “You literally were taking forever to change your clothes … I was hungry … Everybody knows how I get when I’m hungry. I go from zero to 100.”
“There was tons of food,” Erin insists.
“No there wasn’t,” Sai argues. “I do not eat meat. There was like piggies in a blanket … I came, I saw and I left.”
Erin turns her sights on Brynn
Next, it’s Brynn’s turn to bear the brunt of Erin’s wrath. “What you did was horrendous,” she says.
Erin’s angry about Brynn telling Abe, “‘Hey, when you get divorced, please let me know.’ At my anniversary party! Do you think it’s normal to do that?”
“You said, ‘Wow, so you’re not actually married because at your first wedding, you didn’t actually say vows,'” Erin continues. “And then you said, ‘Whenever you’re ready to get divorced, please let me know.’ You don’t say that at somebody’s … “
Jessel tries to come to Brynn’s defense, saying, “Erin, I was there … it was a joke. Abe was laughing.”
“I don’t care if it’s a joke,” Erin insists. “To bring up divorce with my husband at my 10-year anniversary party … “
“Yeah, I call him ‘Abe the Babe,'” Brynn responds. “How are you mad about this, but when I wake up in your bed [in the Hamptons] and I joke about Plan B …”
“It’s not a big deal,” Sai interviews. “We all know Brynn loves to flirt. That’s what she does. Does she really want your husband? No.”
“I’m sorry that you weren’t there,” Brynn says, “and that you heard a version of the story and, for whatever reason it upset you … And if you accuse me of flirting with a married man, it’s gonna really get real.”
“It was a f***ing joke,” she adds. “Cause the party was f***ing boring.”
“Okay, I don’t want to be here anymore,” Erin says, getting up to leave. “I’m, like, not enjoying myself.”
As everyone begs Erin not to leave, Sai throws fuel on the fire with, “Bah humbug, Erin. Come sit down.”
Erin throws out, “You guys all suck,” as she grabs her coat and marches out the door. And to all a good night.
Santa Jenna hands out the goodies
Too bad Erin had to leave because shortly afterward Jenna started handing out presents. Bags full of goodies for everyone.
“I love receiving gifts,” says Brynn. “But when it comes in bulk, it’s kind of a little weird.”
Jessel enthuses over everything. “Jenna,” she says, “you’re so thoughtful always.”
“I think [Jessel’s] hyperaware of our past experience together,” Jenna laughs.
“I’m on a thank-you tour now,” Jessel says. “Thank you. It’s amazing. Thank you.” Always a safe choice when you receive a gift, Jessel.
“I love the gifts,” Sai voiceovers. “But… I think there’s some … ulterior motive. Every gift has her name or a collab on it.” Obviously, Jenna’s clearing out her closets, but just stick to Jessel’s plan and say thank you, Sai.
“I don’t think Jenna has an expectation that we’re all gonna share on social,” Brynn says. “I think she has an assumption … that we all will.” You’re not wrong, but I’d still love to have one of those bags.
When they get Ubah on Facetime, they all say how much they miss her and hope she gets well soon.
“I miss you guys very much, too,” Ubah says between coughing fits. “By the way … is there food there today?”
They put the phone next to the buffet and told her to knock herself out. “All you can eat,” Sai says. “Do your thing.”
But Ubah is not impressed. “Girl, I saw the food,” she interviews. “I’m actually happy I wasn’t there.”
Real Housewives of New York continues on Sundays at 9/8c on Bravo.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK ERIN WAS RIGHT TO BE ANGRY WITH SAI FOR LEAVING WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE? DO YOU THINK BRYNN WAS JUST JOKING AROUND WITH ABE OR WAS SHE FLIRTING WITH HIM?
