Alexis Bellino grows lemons in her backyard in Orange County. Photos by Amy Lombard
Kathy Wakile envisions her New Jersey kitchen as a "meeting place."
During the day, Kathy pointed out, she cooks and cleans, whereas on the Real Housewives franchise "nobody is doing laundry," she said. "I have laundry to do!" She held up her hands, which had perfect French tips. "I have the hands to prove it. Dishwasher hands are real, and they exist in Franklin Lakes."Despite her professed disinterest in reality television and branding, Kathy occasionally guest-stars on new episodes of the show as a "Friend of the Housewives," a term for women who frequently appear on the program but are not part of the core cast. Several times during our interview, she brought up her cannoli and dessert company and showed off a copy of her cookbook, Indulge: Delicious Little Desserts That Keep Life Real Sweet, which she had displayed on a marble counter in the center of her kitchen.When she left the show (she says she quit), Kathy wanted to preserve her ties to Bravo. When I asked about her relationship with Teresa Giudice, she described it as good. But when her husband, Rich, walked in, he told me, "You should do a story on how people are stupid and commit crimes on TV… Does Bravo make these women do an IQ test?" Kathy ordered him to stop talking to me.Read more: The Undying Love Story of Heidi and Spencer Pratt
Kathy loves to read books about her home state.
I first met Jill seven years ago. At the time, she was still a Housewife, and I was a freshman at Sarah Lawrence College, where I had befriended her daughter, Ally. On the weekends, we would party in the city and crash at Jill's apartment at her behest; she would ask me about boys and feed me Greek takeout. She felt like the Jewish mom that I never had. This was shortly after Jill's split with Bethenny Frankel—who has become the most successful Real Housewife thanks to her Skinnygirl wine business, which she sold for several million dollars—in season three.Jill met Bethenny in the mid-aughts. Jill was the wife of millionaire fabric and real estate entrepreneur Bobby Zarin, and Bethenny was struggling to launch a cupcake business after losing The Apprentice. She had been trying to become a star for years. In the 1990s, she had embarked on an acting career but only landed a job as a production assistant on Saved by the Bell. She paid her bills by working as Paris and Nicky Hilton's nanny.After Jill scored Real Housewives of New York City, she and Bobby bumped into Bethenny at a party. Bobby said, "Bethenny, Jill just got on a reality TV show. Do you think you'd want to do it with her?" Bethenny asked what the show was about. Jill described the premise and remembers Bethenny rebuffing her: She wasn't a mom. "Yeah, but you're a mom wannabe!" Jill recalls telling her. Eventually, Jill says, Bethenny agreed. Bethenny started as Jill's sidekick; in the show's early ads, Jill stands in the center while Bethenny poses on the far left, in the back.Read more: Ann Coulter Is a Human Being
Jill Zarin relaxes in her Manhattan apartment, the setting of some of the most notorious scenes in "Real Housewives of New York City."
Jill's damage control, though, didn't work. Jill and Bethenny's falling out has become one of the top reality-television feuds of all time—only Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag's split rivals it in memorability. In viewers' minds, Jill, like Heidi, is the villain. This was best displayed in a season-three episode known as "Scary Island" to fans. The other Real Housewives of New York had gone on vacation to St. John, which they referred to as Scary Island, and Jill decided to crash the trip in order to make up with Bethenny. She called the producers. They agreed. Jill said she bought her own ticket from St. Barts, where she was vacationing, to St. John. When she arrived, she found her castmates lined up in pool chairs ready to confront her."Surprise!" Jill shouted. "We came!""What's going on?" Bethenny asked.Jill, Bethenny, and the rest of the Housewives fought for several minutes, with the Housewives shouting at Jill for joining their trip. "I can't believe this," Jill said to them. "Two weeks ago, I thought you'd be happy, and we'd surprise you." The scene concludes with Jill in tears.Read more: The Story of Chyna's Final Days
Jill keeps her gold apple from the "Real Housewives of New York City" ads in her living room.
During the height of her Housewives fame, Jill won the 2012 Kings County Women of the Year Award.
Jill maintains an archive of Housewives memorabilia in her home.
She seemed much happier discussing business. She views the Gretchen Christine label through a charitable lens: During her five-season Housewives tenure, Gretchen received tweets from fans asking where she bought her clothes. She told them Gucci, and then, she says, they would tweet their dismay that they couldn't afford it. "This is really sad, that women can't have high end," she remembers thinking, and so she launched her brand, which focuses on handbags but includes items like the "Gorgeous Camel Suede Dress" (currently sold out) and home decor. Most items are under $100. "The profit margin isn't that big. That was OK for me," Gretchen said, petting one of her purses. "This was about women [looking] their best."
My opinion is that the network has raped their talent.
Kristen Taekman, former model and ex–Real Housewife of New York, strikes a pose in front of a shark.
Kristin owns the trademark for POC Beauty.
Housewives manager Darren Bettencourt (left) explains "Altered Reality" to Hollywood power attorney Marty Singer (right).
Jill reads dialogue to writers Thomas Warming (left) and Maya Sloan (right).
Shereé Whitfield, who considers art a "lifestyle," tries on clothes in Atlanta's design district.
Shereé has a "Beyoncé moment."
Fans have continued to mail Jill letters since she left the show.
