BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE

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Norma Kamali (on being a Fashion Icon, Celeb Clients, Reality TV & New Book!) Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

Norma Kamali steps Behind The Rope. Living Legend, Fashion Icon Norma Kamali. Norma is here to chat about her new book, “ I Am Invincible”, which chronicles her several decade long career in Fashion and the business and life wisdom she has gained throughout the years. Norma opens up about some of the highlights of her career such the Sleeping Bag Coat, the high heeled sneaker, the before its time eBay partnership and her CFDA Lifetime Achievement award. We also talk about her one piece red bathing suit worn by Farrah Fawcett in the iconic 1976 poster as well as the bathing suit worn by Whitney Houston on the back cover of her 1985 debut album. We break down the relationship between celebrity and designer, the celebs Norma has worked with, and who she would love to design for. Norma discusses her involvement with Bravo’s Project Runway, Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, Tim Gunn, the show’s most notorious winner Christian Siriano, and whether shows like Project Runway “work” anymore. We analyze the changes in the fashion industry throughout the years, the current crop of Hollywood’s best and worst dressed, and the current crop of hot models such as Gigi and Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner. With Awards Season just wrapped, we chat about the current state of the red carpet, the decreased ratings across the board for Awards shows, and just what does Norma think about accepting an award in full glam and fashion in your living room. Finally, we chat about the future of fashion as well as Norma’s future - engaged at 75. As laid out in her stellar book, “I Am Invincible”, Norma explains how we are all on our own timeline, one size does not fit all, and just how she maintains her youthful looks and positive attitude no matter what decade in life she has been in. True words to live by!

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Brenda K. Starr (on "Discovering"/Friendship w/ Mariah Carey, Tommy Mottola, Wendy Williams & New Music!) Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

Brenda K. Starr steps Behind The Rope. Brenda chats with us about what it was like to find success and hit it big in the late 1980’s with her most well known song “I Still Believe”. We chat about some of her contemporaries at the time, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper, Paula Abdul, Tina Turner and Debbie Gibson. Speaking of contemporaries, a little known singer named Mariah Carey used to sing background for Brenda. One day Brenda handed a demo to Columbia Records Executive Tommy Mottola at a party on behalf of Mariah and, as they say in the biz, the rest is history. Brenda opens up about what Tommy was really like both as a person and as a Record Exec who helped launch her career. Brenda also discusses how she really feels about Mariah covering "I Still Believe”, which has now become one of her biggest hits, breaks down where Mariah’s “diva” and “difficult” reputation originates from, and discusses how true she feels those monikers are. She spares no detail in explaining exactly why her and Mariah no longer speak and what she would say if she crossed paths with her today. Why does it not shock us that the name Wendy Williams comes up in this conversation. There was also Mariah’s wedding and being seated at a table with both Gloria Estefan and Barbara Streisand. Of course, we delve deep into Mariah’s “The Meaning of Mariah” book which hit shelves last year - Brenda shares her thoughts, discusses what is accurate and what she would like to rebut, Mariah’s short lived reality docu series “Mariah’s World” - Stella, Bryan, Nick Cannon, and the many misconceptions in the media about Brenda’s relationship past and present with Mariah Carey. In other news, Brenda’s daughter made it to the Top Ten on American Idol and we needed all the back stage secrets and thoughts on Ryan Seacrest and JLO. Finally, Brenda chats about new projects, new music, her newfound success on TikTok, her love for and thoughts on Demi Lovato and her recent tell all documentary and all she has going on in life now.

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Caroline D'Amore (The Hills, Mischa Barton, BFFS Kim Kardashian & Paris Hilton, & her Pizza Girl Empire!) Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

The Hills’ newest resident, Caroline D’Amore, steps Behind The Rope. Caroline may be the newest cast member of The Hills: New Beginnings, but she is no stranger to this friend group. Having grown up in Los Angeles, Caroline has known many of our fav Hills cast members since childhood. She has also known many other household names, once dubbed Hollywood “It” Girl in the early 2000s due to her BFFs Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, ok, you get the idea. In addition to being a regular on the LA Club Scene with her famous Squad, her love of the nightlife and music eventually led to a successful career as a DJ which has taken her all over the world playing to sold out crowds of epic proportion. Caroline chats about her own past in reality TV prior to joining “The Hills” with appearances on “Keeping Up with The Kardashians”, “Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami” and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”, having walked in Kyle Richards’ Fall Runway show for her fashion line, Shahida Clayton. Caroline opens up about how she was cast this season as The Hills' "new girl", the filming processes, seeing her “friends” for the first time once the cameras started rolling, her highs and lows from her freshman season and, of course, the drama. That drama included Mischa Barton, who slammed Caroline as a potential replacement after being let go from her not so stellar least season appearance on The Hills. Caroline chats about that epic day, her response, her thoughts on Mischa, the secret scene she filmed at Kathy Hilton's house last season that was cut, Mischa's urging of the cast to ignore her last season and what she would say if she ran into Mischa today. Of course, we also discuss the advice members of the royal family, Kim, Kourtney and Kris, gave her on reality tv, social media and the press now that she is a bona fide reality TV star in her own right. She is also a hardworking member of the family business, D’Amore’s Pizza, which has locations throughout the LA area. In a full circle moment, after avoiding the fam business for a career in nightlife and DJ’ing growing up, Caroline has re-launched her brand new Organic Pizza Sauce called “Pizza Girl”, we discuss the origins of that sauce, the origins of the name "Pizza Girl", how a shift in her company caused her to say yes to The Hills, the 3 amazing flavors (The Vodka sauce is the best!), and of course, whether it is approved by Foodgod himself!! Cue music, “Starring at the blank page before you, Open up the dirty window… Feel the rain on your skin. No one else can feel it for you. Only you can let it in...The rest is still unwritten."

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Monique Samuels (on RHOP Last Season, Final Words, Moving On, & T'Challa)! Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Monique Samuels steps Behind The Rope. Monique is here to chat about ALL of the drama that went down last season on RHOP before putting it behind her, once and for all, and moving on with life. Monique chats about the physical altercation seen ‘round the world, the fall out on and off camera as a result of that altercation, the lawsuit, blogs, social media accounts and, well, you know the rest. We have been over it many times, have we not? What hasn’t been clearly discussed is just how did Monique feel in that moment, the involvement, or lack thereof by Bravo, and how that one event set the entire season in motion for one F of an epic reunion. Monique chats about her past cast mates Robyn, Karen, Gizelle, Ashley, Wendy and Candiace - and the status of all of those “relationships” today. Speaking of that epic reunion, Monique opens up about the exact moment she realized next season would be more of the same, the factors that led to that realization and the ultimate decision to resign from RHOP and walk away from Bravo. Of course, we cannot chat about the Season Five RHOP reunion without discussing Andy Cohen, the fans' opinions of his “supposed” favoritism of Candiace, how Monique felt during the reunion, Chris Samuels’ feelings during that reunion - which he expressed to Andy, and her epic iconic binder!. We discuss the short list Housewives who, like Monique, actually resigned and the addiction of fame and desire of most to stay on TV for as long as possible. We also chat about who Monique has heard from from other franchises showing support, both during the season and after she resigned, what she thinks of other current Bravo events such as Nene Leaks’ “Boycott Bravo”, and would she ever consider a return to reality TV. Remember we mentioned Monique moving on with her life? She has and in a big way. Moniqiue is busy enjoying the success of her “Drag Queens” Single and a brand new You Tube Show “Tea with Monique”. Finally, last but certainly not least, we pay homage to the one, the only, best Pet in the history of Bravo TV, Mr. T’Challa Samuels.

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Weekend At Alexis ("Jesus Jugs") Bellino's (#RHOC) Jun 05, 2021

Show notes

A few months ago Heather Mariana, from Bravo's Tour Group - does anyone even remember this show? - and I spent the weekend at our friend Alexis Bellino's house. You know Alexis Bellino, some of you may refer to her as Jesus Jugs, a moniker given to her by her then co-star from The Real Housewives of Orange County's Tamra Judge.

Alexis is a friend of ours. The weekend was full of fun, martinis and surprises. Of course, there were also RHOC Housewife cameos as well throughout the weekend

Heather and I were recapping this weekend the other day and it hit me. Hold that thought, let me hit record, but of course, just for you Patreons!!!

In other news, are we anxiously awaiting the new cast announcement for RHOC or do we no longer care? I have two ideas on how this franchise can be fixed. What are yours? Or do we put it out to pasture? Would this franchise ever be "green lit" today?

Enjoy - LOL! xoxoxo

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Nikki Blonsky (on Hairspray, Broadway, Zac Efron, John Travolta & Coming Out) Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

Nikki Blonsky steps Behind The Rope. We cannot help but to feel nostalgic with Nikki in the house. Nikki chats with us about what it was like to land the breakout role of Tracy Turnblad in the film version of the iconic Hairspray. Nikki talks about what life was like as a Long Island girl who went to see Hairspray on Broadway with her Mom and said “hey, I can do that”. Little did she know that years later she would be landing one of the most iconic parts in any Broadway musical. We chat about all the details from the audition process, to the mind of John Waters to how life changed after the film came out and made her a household name. Of course, we chat about some of Nikki’s Hairspray co-stars such as Amanda Bynes, Zac Efron (ok we need a moment to recover), Michelle Pfeiffer, John Travolta (whom she still calls “Mom”) and Queen Latifah. We also chat about some of the original film’s stars such as Debbie Harry, Ricki Lake & Divine. On a more serious note, we discuss the pressures of being type cast in Hollywood, how Nikki found it hard to find work after Hairspray, the pitfalls of fame and the best and worst parts about “the business”. Nikki was also on two of our fav shows, Ugly Betty and Smash which, of course, we love. Finally, Nikki came out via TikTok, of course, where would anyone else come out in these modern times in which we live, during the Pandemic last year to Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out”. Nikki chats about the details of that coming out, her love life since, why it is hard for “Tracy Turnblad” on the dating apps and just how Zac Efron seems to work his way into every date she has.

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Tyler Whitman (on Million Dollar Listing New York's New Season #MDLNY) Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

Million Dollar Listing New York’s Tyler Whitman steps Behind The Rope. After a brief chat with Tyler about his start in Real Estate in New York City and how he went from being the new kid on the block at Triplemint to the leader of The Whitman Team - #keeprealestateweird - we get into what y’all wanna talk about, how he became one of our favorite agents to root for every week on Bravo’s juggernaut, MDLNY. Season Nine. Here we are. Tyler chats about some of the big deals, famous names, and drama we will see this season. Of course, some of the drama comes from his co-stars Ryan, Fredrik, and Steve who we break down on a variety of factors - best broker, biggest deals, biggest ego - ok you get the idea. Tyler opens up about how this season is different than all the rest which includes, in part, virtual showings as the world closed down and our first ever female MDLNY cast member, Kirsten Jordan. This milestone isn’t lost on us, nor is the fact that Tyler isn’t the new kid on the block anymore, both of which need to be discussed. Tyler chat’s about his West Coast Counterparts, our favs from MDLLA Tracy Tutor, The Joshs Altman and Flagg and The Brits James and David. Tyler opens up about sharing his dramatic weight loss with the whole world a la MDLNY and with all of our agents in committed relationships with babies on the mind, just what is the status of Tyler’s personal life? Finally, Tyler chats about the current state of the NYC real estate market, the best things to have come from being on Bravo, the Bravolebs he works and plays with, and what is next for Mr. Tyler Whitman.

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Karen Gravano (on Mob Wives, Sammy The Bull, The "Boys", and Made in SI) Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

Karen Gravano steps Behind The Rope. Welcome Karen. We get right into it. Karen explains how she got involved with Mob Wives back in the day. She explains how it was a show that no one wanted, at first, until a famous name got involved, Harvey Weinstein. Then there was a bidding war and the show ended up, as we all know, at VH1, and the rest is history. Karen talks about her costars Renee Graziano, Carla Facciolo, and Drita D’Avanzo. She explains how each were cast by Renee’s Sister, Jen Graziano, how she was the last one cast, and how, as Sammy The Bull's daughter, she led credibility to the show as it tied to The Mob. She tells us who she knew before the show and who she met as a result of casting. We discuss the inevitable chemistry her and Drita had on screen, whether it be good or bad, and how and why the show was such a success. We discuss the fall outs of certain friendships, how, if at all, she thinks Mob Wives affected these relationships and the current status of her relationships with Renee, Jen, Carla, and Drita today. Karen opens up about how "The Boys” in the lifestyle felt about the show Mob Wives as it related to confidentiality and the way the women represented themselves on national TV. Flash Forward to current day, Karen discusses her last show on MTV, "Made In Staten Island” which aired last year. We talk about the other families involved in the show and what it was like to work with both her daughter Karina and her dad "Sammy The Bull”. Finally, Karen discusses her own Podcast, “The Sit Down” which she hosts with Carla Facciolo and “cousin” Ramona Rizzo. Karen holds nothing back. (For those who missed it, Karen Gravano was here prior on May 6th, 2020. Feel free to check it out).

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John Sessa (on Vanderpump Dogs, LVP, RHOBH, & Vanderpump Rules) Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Dr. John Sessa steps Behind The Rope. Yes, That John Sessa. Executive Director of Vanderpump Dogs. John Sessa, as seen on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Season Nine. You remember that season, no? Thank you Lucy Lucy Apple Juice. Originally from a farm in Northwest Indiana, John never foresaw his current LA life of working with The Vanderpumps. Ok let us start at the beginning. John first met Lisa Vanderpump right after Giggy won “Reality TV’s Most Famous Dog” Award. It was during one of their first meetings that the idea for Vanderpump Pets was born. John explains how Vanderpump Pets, an idea which started with simple, ok its LVP so let's use the word simple loosely, dog collars grew into a real legitimate bona fide business. He also talks to us about how Vanderpump Dogs was eventually born out of Vanderpump Pets after Lisa Vanderpump became aware of the dog abuse taking place in Yulin, China. John discusses some of the current initiatives Vanderpump Dogs are working on, the process of how a dog gets “Vanderpuffed” once rescued and the infamous Vanderpump Dogs Annual Gala. Speaking of Vanderpump Dogs, John fills us in on the much anticipated “Vanderpump Dogs” Series and lets us know when we can expect to see the finished product online. We discuss who in the Vanderpump Rules cast he turned to for on camera reality TV advice and who in the Vanderpump Rules cast he is closest to. Of course, we discuss all things LVP from Villa Rosa, to what Lisa is like off camera, to what are the biggest misconceptions of Lisa and the rest of The Vanderpumps. Obviously, we asked John about "Lucy Lucy Apple Juice" and just where do these dogs' names come from? John talks about how The Vanderpumps are doing, when he last spoke to them, Lisa’s Podcast, the status of all of Lisa and Ken’s restaurants and what we can expect next from the great work that Vanderpump Dogs has been doing.

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Kim D. (RHONJ) & Dana Wilkey (RHOBH) - Dish On Just Finished RHONJ Season!! May 31, 2021

Show notes

Kim. D and David made an appearance on “Dishing Drama with Dana” a few weeks back on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Dana Wilkey’s Podcast. Today, as a bonus episode - it is a holiday and all - BTVR shares that episode with you, our loyal listeners. Yes, thanks to our fearless leader David, RHONJ met RHOBH to dish about the just finished season of RHONJ and analyze all that has gone on. In true Behind The Rope fashion, Miss Kim D. came with receipts, as any good Housewife has learned to do throughout the years. Being one of New Jersey’s most connected residents, Kim is here to share all that she has heard and allegedly knows about many of our fav key players this season - Tre, Mel, Jackie, Margaret, Dolo, and, oh yea, that girl Jennifer. No one is spared and no stone is left unturned as Kim shares all with David and Dana, much of which has left them in disbelief.

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