Jessel Taank wears many hats on the rebooted Real Housewives of New York City. She is a wife and the mother of twin boys. She is also a fashion publicist. And the term “villain” has been applied to Jessel several times. I’m impressed that Jessel keeps a running list in her phone of her co-stars’ offenses. I like a housewife with receipts.
Her hobby may be getting under RHONY co-star Erin Lichy’s skin. She complained about the accommodations at Erin’s Hamptons home when the cast stayed there. And during a coffee meeting in Erin’s neighborhood, Jessel dissed Tribeca.
Did Jessel really make the neighborhood “relevant?”
Jessel broke down the Tribeca controversy when she was a guest on Page Six’s Virtual Reali-Tea podcast. During the original conversation with Erin, she had stated, “A couple of my friends are moving to Tribeca. This neighborhood is really up and coming.” Erin replied, “It’s there.”
“Is it there? I mean, I feel like it still needs the restaurants. I feel like there’s still a lot of potential,” Jessel said.
So, does the Lower Manhattan hot spot have Jessel to thank for its popularity? “Hello, I made it relevant,” she quipped. “I made fetch happen with Tribeca!” Jessel was referencing a quote from the movie Mean Girls.
She continued, “I knew in that moment how to piss Erin off. And I think that was the lightbulb that went off in my head because, like, ‘Ah, I’m basically insulting a realtor about where she lives and about where she thinks the hottest neighborhood in New York City is,’” Jessel added. “And it was a little bit of an a-ha moment, [me asking her], ‘Is it there?’”
Tribeca stepped it up
Of course, Jessel realizes that Tribeca is trendy. “I do get the cache,” she admitted. “I grew up in England, I lived in LA, I lived in New York, I spent some time in Asia.”
She continued, “And so when I walk around Tribeca, I’m like, ‘Why would people pay $50 million to live in a one-bedroom warehouse? I don’t get it.’”
The RHONY star believes that the area has improved since she filmed that scene with Erin. “It’s definitely become better, I would have to say,” she stated. “Like, the restaurant scene and all of that, the parks.” Maybe Tribeca was listening to your critique, Jessel.
“But for me, I didn’t get it. I really didn’t,” Jessel said. “I was just so confused.”
The Real Housewives of New York City airs Sundays at 9/8c on Bravo.
TELL US – DID JESSEL MAKE TRIBECA “RELEVANT?” DID ERIN OVERREACT TO HER COMMENTS?