The upcoming fifth season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip has been surrounded by controversy since it filmed earlier this year, but Phaedra Parks doesn’t understand the problem.
“Absolutely nothing [happened],” the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum, 50, exclusively told Us Weekly at BravoCon on Saturday, November 4, when asked what went down between Brandi Glanville and Caroline Manzo. “So, let’s roll the tapes! I was there and honey, I was sober. Sober, sober. I really don’t drink, so I saw it all.”
In January, reports circulated that both Brandi, 50, and Caroline, 62, left the Morocco production early after Brandi allegedly kissed Caroline without her consent. Bravo and Shed Media, the company that produces the show, later said the incident was investigated.
“The safety and security of cast and crew while shooting is extremely important and we take all reports seriously,” read the February statement. “In this situation, production immediately launched a comprehensive review and is taking appropriate action.”
In March, Brandi — who starred on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills off and on from season 2 through 10 — claimed that she and Caroline were both “very intoxicated” at the time of the incident.
“I can speak on anything I want to speak on,” she tweeted at the time. “It was at the end of an 18 hour [work] day at our belly dancing party & I’d like to see footage on it. … “I’m f–king sick of this narrative. I was hired for a 2nd season of girls trip cuz they LOVED what I did on 1st season I was told to bring the party just like before & that’s exactly what I did & I was punished for it. It feels like a f–king set up. It’s BS & Caroline was fine.”
Caroline, meanwhile, has not publicly commented on the specifics of the incident, saying only that it was “very traumatic” during an April interview on Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp’s “Two Ts in a Pod” podcast.
Phaedra’s account of the interaction varies wildly from both Caroline and Brandi’s versions of events, however.
“It was a Harlequin romance. Love was winning,” she told Us. “I’m excited that you all will get to see it, because you need to see it for yourself — because it’s definitely been way exaggerated.”
While some fans have theorized that Bravo plans to scrap the entire season, Phaedra doesn’t think that’s the case. “Hopefully, we will see it at the top of the year,” she told Us. Andy Cohen sent a similar message during his “Ask Andy” panel at BravoCon on Friday, November 3.
The Morocco season was originally set to air as season 4, but Bravo has since confirmed that the RHONY Legacy season will air first. That season — starring Real Housewives of New York City alums Luann de Lesseps, Kristen Taekman, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan and Dorinda Medley — is set to premiere on Peacock Thursday, December 14.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
