Your favorite Bravolebrities are about to take Las Vegas by storm as BravoCon officially kicks off on Friday. Just like the network’s hit shows, there will be no shortage of drama offscreen this year. From the marriage issues in Beverly Hills to a likely fiery Summer House panel, here are five of the biggest storylines heading into the weekend.
Reality reckoning and Ramona Singer
There is a bit of a cloud looming over BravoCon this year in the wake of the “reality reckoning” Bethenny Frankel is leading against Bravo, its parent company NBCUniversal and the face of the network, Andy Cohen. Frankel, who wants reality stars to unionize, participated in Vanity Fair’s recent exposé, which accused producers of encouraging its stars to drink excessively without providing a safe environment, facilitating harmful plots and allegedly ignoring cast member’s mental health issues.
Bravo supposedly covered up racist behavior of certain franchise star’s, like Real Housewives of New York’s Ramona Singer. Page Six reached out to Singer for comment on the story, and in a texted response to a reporter, the reality star used a partial racial slur to defend herself. Singer was booted from the event two days before as she was scheduled to appear as part of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy, which is set to premiere in December on Peacock. The remaining cast — Kelly Bensimon, Dorinda Medley, Kristen Taekman, Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan — will be there and they all know Singer very well. Will panel host Michael Rapaport address the elephant in the room?
Vanderpump Rules: Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval reunite
The last time viewers saw these exes together onscreen, she was eviscerating him on the VPR reunion for having an affair with one of her best friends, Rachel Leviss (formerly Raquel Leviss). Well, Leviss will not be at BravoCon given she didn’t sign on to for Season 11. (She’s also reportedly part of Frankel’s reality reckoning, so it’s doubtful Leviss will return any time soon.) Although Madix and Sandoval have been filming the new season, this is the first time fans will get to see the pair in the same room since March. The reality stars are still living together in their home in Valley Village, Calif. Are they strictly roommates? Has the Dancing With the Stars contestant forgiven her partner of nine years? We’ll find out where things stand on all things Scandoval on Friday.
The relationship drama of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Is there only one happy marriage in Beverly Hills? (Here’s looking at you, Crystal Kung Minkoff.) We’re two weeks into the new season of RHOBH and most of the headlines involve Kyle Richards’s relationship with husband Mauricio Umansky — and rightfully so. Richards, an OG star, shocked fans when she announced in July she and Umansky were separating. Now, we’re seeing their relationship struggles play out onscreen for the first time. It’s been speculated Richards is dating country singer Morgan Wade, which she has denied, while Umansky has been linked to his Dancing With the Stars partner, Emma Slater. (They also rebuffed the rumors, but Richards isn’t so sure.)
That’s not the only relationship drama brewing on the show. It practically came out of nowhere last week when it was reported Dorit Kemsley is essentially separated from her husband, P.K. after eight years of marriage. The two denied reports and said they “remain committed” despite “challenging years.” It’s certainly a statement that is going to need clarifying when she appears onstage on Sunday.
Summer House: Lindsay Hubbard and Carl Radke come face-to-face
One year ago, Hubbard and her fiancé were gushing over their engagement at BravoCon. On Friday, the exes will see each other for only the second time since he abruptly called off the wedding in September — just two-and-a-half months before they were set to talk down the aisle. “I was completely blindsided,” Hubbard told Us Weekly earlier this week, claiming Radke never gave her a concrete reason for calling off the nuptials. “He blew up my entire life.” Will she get an answer during Friday’s panel?
Below Deck’s serious seas
Bravo is known for it’s light, usually catty, programming. So when attempted sexual assault was caught on camera filming Below Deck Down Under, it was a major shift in tone for a show that typically provides some mindless amusement. Bosun Luke Jones and second steward Laura Bileskalne were kicked off the yacht for stemming from the misconduct as producers intervened to stop a naked Jones from entering a co-worker’s bed. Producers were applauded for breaking the fourth wall and showing the incident as experts told Yahoo Lifestyle it’s valuable television. Captain Jason Chambers and Chief Steward Aesha Scott are among the talent who will be at the Below Deck franchise panel.
