The ladies on Real Housewives of New York City are all returning for Season 15. This is somewhat shocking, as Jenna Lyons seemed to be over it, well before it even began. Overall, Jenna’s not cut from the same camera-loving cloths as her costars. However, she’s now cutting her own brand of filming-fabric, breaking the mold on what’s expected, and what’s actually given.
You see, upon her return to filming, Jenna had one tiny little stipulation, which called for a storyline ban on her relationship with Cass Bird. Actually, Jenna doesn’t even want Cass’s name mentioned on-air, at all. “That is my commitment to her. It’s off the table. I joined this process. She did not,” Jenna carefully explained.
I actually get this move. When relationships go live for all to judge, more often than not, they fail. Therefore, if Jenna’s allowed to choose what she shares, then I say good for her, and cheers to boundaries. But, this does pose the question of, will Jenna’s time on RHONY last, due to her protection of something that’s so paramount in her life?
Jenna’s cast might balk
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Jenna isn’t the only RHONY star that’s fought for her privacy. In Season 14, Ubah Hassan followed this same path with her boyfriend. During the season finale, Ubah was firm about hiding her boyfriend’s identity on-air. The only tidbit that the viewers even got came from Brynn Whitfield, who let it slip that Ubah’s man lived in CT.
And just like that, “Mr. Connecticut” was born.
At the reunion, Ubah explained that “He is very private because of his work.” Luckily, for the viewers at least, Season 15 might show Ubah opening up a bit more than in Season 14. I say this because after the reunion, Ubah finally went public with her man online. His name is now known, and it’s Oliver Dachsel.
Even still, Ubah caught flack from her costars, as she wasn’t mentioning it all during their time spent filming. While Ubah’s stance might be changing for Season 15, Jenna’s hard-set no still stands. Therefore, her failure to narrate the details about her relationship could once again set this cast on edge. If so, hopefully this powerhouse finds her voice this season, because it’d be great to finally watch Jenna standing up for herself, while setting and maintaining her necessary boundaries.
The audience might call for Jenna’s transparency
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If the name Robyn Dixon popped into your head when hearing about Jenna’s decision, you’re not alone, because sames. However, these two ladies, in my opinion, have vastly different stories going on. Jenna’s relationship, from what I can gather, is healthy, and she desires to keep it this way. In contrast, Robyn’s marriage to Juan Dixon is toxic, yet she’s filming cover stories and lies about her man’s Juandering eyes, and the fans hate it.
To restate this, Jenna is living honestly, but protectively. And Robyn is living in a constant state of survival and half-truths (a generous fraction, I admit). Even Andy Cohen came down hard on Robyn, grilling her during an intensive one-on-one episode of Watch What Happens Live. He did so after Robyn finally opened up about Juan, but her transparency came behind a paywall, not for free on Bravo.
While Jenna isn’t in the hot seat with Andy or the viewers just yet, she did have one encounter on WWHL that raised a few eyebrows. After sporting a ring on that one finger, many speculated about a possible engagment. When pressed by Andy, all Jenna would say is “I’m very happy.” So far, the audiences haven’t called out Jenna’s lack of transparency, but her desire to protect Cass could eventually see backlash forming in Season 15.
Jenna’s relationship might also see friction arise
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Filming for the Real Housewives series can quickly eat away at the starring ladies schedules. Let’s face it, there’s parties to attend, dinners and brunches to muddle through, and cheese boards to dissect. There’s also the often-seen cast trips, reunions, and random WWHL appearances, which they all typically attend at some point along the way. This means that while Jenna’s sorting through the “cheese tensions” with her costars, her girlfriend is off somewhere else, not spending time with Jenna.
This is different than in a typical relationship, where both parties have their jobs, their friends, and then each other. Here, Jenna technically has an additional job, alongside a particular set of friends, and both are now being marked as off-limits to Cass. While absence could indeed make their hearts grow fonder, it very well could do the opposite, and friction could start forcing it’s way into the up and coming neighborhood of Tribeca their hearts.
At the end of the day though, this is Jenna’s life, and as long as she stays honest and true to herself, all we can (and should) do now is pipe down. Oh, and cross our fingers for a hopefully iconic RHONY Season 15.
