Teddi Mellencamp shared as much as she can about how things work when it comes to salaries in The Real Housewives world.
Mellencamp, 44, explained that, for the most part, the Bravo stars understand the assignment when it comes to receiving Housewife status. However, sometimes things change once the reality stars are considered veterans.
“I think people get to the point where if they’re in the show, they’re wanting the show to be good,” Mellencamp said during the Tuesday, August 12, episode of “The Jamie Kern Lima Show” podcast. “But it also could go the other way, [like] ‘I’ve been on long enough. I shouldn’t have to do this anymore.’ It’s really based on the person.”
Mellencamp noted that “there’s a small addiction to making money,” which led to a vague salary conversation. (She stated “all of us” can say this.)
“The longer that you’re on The Housewives, the more money you’re going to make,” she said. “You know that there’s a standard. You hit five years, you hit six years, you hit whatever it may be. I think there’s that aspect to it too.”
Host Jamie Kern Lima wondered if “everyone [gets] paid the same based on years,” but Mellencamp was unable to offer a concrete response.
“I’m not allowed to say,” the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star replied, noting that “most of us” knew something about salaries.
“I can say that all first season Housewives are paid the same,” she added. “The people that say, ‘Oh, I got offered $10 million to be on season 1 of the Real Housewives.’ I’m like, ‘No, you didn’t. You didn’t. No one did.’ Season 1 Housewives, we were all paid the same.”
Former Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel previously addressed salary questions in a May 2023 social media video.
“So many people are fixated on this,” she said at the time. “I talk about the concept, but I don’t talk about how much my Housewives salary was because Bravo was a partner, and I never ever rat out anything that I do with my partners. … No one knows.”
Frankel, 54, had the same experience as Mellencamp — everyone gets paid the same thing for their first season.
“Season 1, you’re all paid a certain amount and for additional episodes, you get more money,” Frankel said, in part. “Then we came back season 2 and it already will say they have you locked in. There’s a percentage increase but you always can negotiate because you have the leverage of not wanting to come back. … This is where everybody gets different.”
