This week I had the opportunity to speak with Real Housewives of Miami extra and best friend of Lea Black, the formidable Elaine Lancaster (aka James). James has been a drama-starter all season and we've seen him get into scuffles over issues with Marysol Patton and Mama Elsa.
Speaking with James he gave me his perspective on the situation with Marysol and how he believes their feud started. Now, bear in mind this is James' perspective.
James calls the show a "wonderful experience that has been very cathartic in a lot of ways." James says his issues with Marysol started a "couple of years ago."
He says their relationship was always casual. "We have a lot of the same acquaintances; people that I socialize with on a regular basis," he says and they often saw each other at social events.
James said he always felt Marysol had a "problem" with him, but he's not sure why. He thinks it has something to do with jealousy over him being a "bright light" and charismatic presence on the Miami social scene.
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James says he began RSVPing to events and would then receive communication that he was no longer invited to said events. Apparently all roads led back to The Patton Group, because James claims the revoked invites could be traced back to Marysol's PR Firm.
"I'd get a reply that said, 'Sorry Elaine, the guest list is full.'" James tells me that Lea once RSVP'd to an event The Patton Group was handling PR for and added James as her +1. Lea was allegedly told by Marysol that neither James or Elaine was permitted to attend!
Most upsetting to James is that he feels Marysol's dislike and snubbing has made his career suffer. He recounted a story of a restaurant he worked for that Marysol also handled PR for, James said the restaurant (who wishes to remain nameless) almost refused to hire him as a performer because of Marysol's warnings.
James alleges that Marysol was eventually fired from handling the restaurant/hotel's PR and blames James for that dismissal. He denies having anything to do with their decision. "I build bridges, I don't burn them," he maintains.
As for the event at last year's Black Gala that James, Lea, and Marysol have been arguing about all season, James denies that he is angry over that. "The whole thing you see on the show about me being upset about the red carpet – it was nothing to do with the red carpet, it was the charity. It was the icing on the cake of the history of everything she's tried to pull on me. And it exploded."
I asked James why Marysol may dislike him. He told me he had never been given a reason. "I call it throwing the rocks and hiding the hand," James tells me. "She's an instigator. She'll whisper in someone's ear and then they'll go over to attack. And then she'll turn to the people around her and say 'I just can't take this drama.' And then she'll wanna walk away!"
"It's very duplicitous," James adds. And James said this is still going on. He claims about two weeks ago they had an incident over his participation in a Louis Vuitton event for which Marysol's company was handling PR for.
"What she's doing, it's very illegal," James seethes. "And she's going to pay the price for this eventually."
"I'm not some petty drag queen," James wants people to know. "It's impeding on my livelihood." James says that is the reason he wants to speak out about the incidents. And he's not about to let Marysol "throw a wrench" in his business.
As for the argument James and Marysol will have on tonight's episode, James says there was no resolve and no apologies. "She just laid a bunch of BS on me."
I asked James what Lea's experiences with Marysol have been. He said initially Lea said he was being "oversensitive" about Marysol's perceived slights, until Marysol "burned" Lea over a situation. James says that will be unfolding on an upcoming episode.
"If anybody has something they don't want to see the light, they better not be on a reality show," James warns. Well, whatever happened between the two of them – it seems juicy, juicy, juicy!
As always there are two (and in this case it seems like many more!) sides to every story. We welcome Marysol the opportunity to give us her perspective.
EXCLUSIVE: REALITY TEA SPEAKS WITH MARYSOL PATTON!
Tonight James will appear on RHOM (as Elaine). He and Marysol will get into an argument at a Miami fashion event. Obviously things do not get resolved. Also tonight will be part one of Miami's own dinner party from hell! Drag Queens, and drama, and dinner parties… oh my!
Real Housewives of Miami airs tonight on Bravo ay 9/10c. Reality Tea will be live-tweeting all the badmouthing drama, so make sure to join us!
[Photo Credit: Johnny Louis/WENN.com]
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