Thursday, August 3, 2023

Project Runway Season 20, Episode 9 Recap: Below Decked Out

Project Runway Recap
(Photo by: Zach Dilgard/Bravo)

Project Runway continues, as the wonderful Rami was saved by Christian Siriano. He’s thrilled, and so are his fellow competitors. It stands as a true sentiment to his personality that those competing against him are so happy to see him being kept around. But, will he sink or swim? There’s never been a more perfect time to find out, as the captains and crew of the Below Deck franchise are here for the Client Challenge! Here’s everything that happened in Project Runway All Stars, Season 20, Episode 9.

Oh captain, my captain

Project Runway recap
(Photo by: Zach Dilgard/Bravo)

As Christian ushers the Project Runway designers to the Greenpoint Pier, they are met by a number of Below Deck Bravolebrities. Captain Lee Rosbach is among them, but sadly, he’s not one of those they’ll be designing for. Still, he helps randomly assign each All Star their client! Here are the pairings:

As this is a two-day challenge, there’s plenty of time to perfect their designs. The All Stars are given 40 minutes to brainstorm with their clients, before they must get their outfits underway. Both Aesha and Daisy want a flattering and feminine design. Captain Jason, meanwhile, asks for Anna to infuse her Asian background, as he now lives in Bali.

Korto thinks Laurence is taking a “huge risk” with leather. She thinks she needs to balance the fashion, with uniform. Meanwhile, Prajjé is worried that Captain Sandy’s need for “bling” in her uniform isn’t what the judges will be looking for…

Christian arrives to dish out some advice

Project Runway Recap
(Photo by: Zach Dilgard/Bravo)

On the second day of design, Christian walks through the workroom doors. He thinks that Rami’s details are awesome, but that the outfit could be separates. The dress he’s working on might be “limiting.” Bishme’s design may be too “revealing,” but when Bishme says that’s what Aesha was looking for, so she can bring in some big tips from the yacht’s clients, he backs down.

Prajjé is taking a “big risk,” and as for Anna? “You need to really explain this to me,” Christian says. Once she does, he seems a little more at peace, but warns, “It better be finished perfectly!” Then, the clients arrive for their fitting.

Christian warns Korto that her outfit is “pretty short.” As for Brittany’s fit around the neck? “It fits weird,” he says. She’s terrified that what she’s made is too casual. All while Captain Sandy is going around the room, videoing the experience. She’s like a fan. It’s kinda endearing.

Shots, shots, shots!

Project Runway Recap
(Photo by: Zach Dilgard/Bravo)

As the second day comes to a close, the Below Deck crew invite the designers to the bar. When they get there, it’s tequila shots for everybody. Anna seems to go overboard, with a little pushing from Gary. The two enjoy a flirt, both inside and outside the bar. It does seem at one point as though they might actually hook up. You really can’t take Gary anywhere.

The next day, Anna is fine. No hangover! She’s lucky, because it just so happens to be runway day. As the clients arrive for their final fitting, before hair and makeup, a little shade is thrown. Prajjé calls Kara Saun’s look “over the top” in confessional, and is surprised there’s no feathers. Elsewhere, Gary is trying to get Anna’s attention, but she’s in work mode! “No crush on Gary,” she confirms in confessional.

Project Runway goes Below Deck

Project Runway Recap
(Photo by: Zach Dilgard/Bravo)

It’s time for the runway! Nina Garcia has returned to the judging panel, alongside Elaine and Brandon. It’s a super-sized panel this week, with guest judges Kate Chastain, and Luann de Lesseps. An awesome line-up.

Bishme’s outfit is first up, and it’s an instant success. Aesha looks confident wearing it, and it’s a great fit. Classic, but fashion. Everything they asked for. Laurence’s design is next, and it’s a little disappointing. Gary only looks like a member of the crew when the jacket comes off. Then there’s Korto’s, whose design may be too casual. Still, she adds a neon yellow trim which really elevates the outfit.

Kara Saun’s design is awesome, there’s no denying it. But, is it a crew look? Absolutely not. Rami’s next, and he has completely redeemed himself. Courtney looks like a leader. There’s great attention to detail, and those shoulders are perfection. Brittany has also knocked it outta the park. Colin looks like an engineer, which is pretty handy! This is a design that looks comfortable.

Anna’s design is the penultimate one to walk the runway, and I actually loved it. Jason looks great, and it meets what he asked for. Prajjé’s outfit is the final one out, and it’s all a bit much. Nothing comes together, and it feels flat.

What do the judges think?

Project Runway Recap
(Photo by: Zach Dilgard/Bravo)

Kate can “definitely see” Rami’s design on deck. She also has Korto’s outfit in her top two of the night. Brandon disagrees a little with the latter assessment, as he’s unsure of the “functionality.” He also sees an issue in Anna’s “fit and proportion.” Captain Jason’s outfit wasn’t “believable” for Elaine.

Bishme is praised for using the perfect fabric. His mind! Luann thought the “anchor was everything” on Aesha’s jacket, and Kate added the whole thing was “so dope.” On the other hand, Prajjé’s design was “costume-y,” said Elaine. Nina found the print “distracting.” Laurence also took some hits. Kate said the jacket was “confusing,” and Elaine wanted her to push herself more when it came to design.

Kara Saun had “too much going on” for Elaine. Nina would confuse her client for one of the guests, rather than a member of the crew. Brittany brings it back to positivity, though. Her outfit was one that is “very presentable in front of guests,” according to Kate.

Who won, and who was sent home?

Project Runway Recap
(Photo by: Zach Dilgard/Bravo)

In the end, Bishme, Brittany, and Rami were named the top three All Stars of the week. Bishme ultimately won the competition, with Brittany and Rami being declared safe. They were joined by Laurence and Korto, meaning Anna, Prajjé, and Kara Saun made up the bottom three.

After some deliberation, Anna was sent home. Honestly, it felt a little unfair. She did exactly what the client wanted. What’s the point of a client challenge if we don’t listen to the client’s feedback? He even pushed back on Anna’s behalf on some of the criticism while he was up on stage.

In the end, Anna’s Project Runway journey came to a close. She wasn’t bitter. Instead, she vowed to “keep myself strong, and keep moving forward.”

Next week: Another Project Runway first! Designers will be able to make whatever they want, and Prajjé quips, “bitch stole my look!” Bring it on.

Project Runway continues Thursdays at 9/8c on Bravo.

TELL US – WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN OF THE WEEK? DID YOU LIKE SEEING THE BELOW DECK CAST ON PROJECT RUNWAY? WAS THE RIGHT PERSON SENT HOME?

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from Reality Tea https://www.realitytea.com/2023/08/03/project-runway-season-20-episode-9-recap/

Vanderpump Rules WAS Almost Canceled Before Scandoval

(Photo by Allison Dinner/Variety via Getty Images)

While you might not be familiar with Alex Baskin’s name, he’s in charge of some very important Bravo programming. He stands as the executive producer of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and its spinoff, Vanderpump Rules.

This man has been busy after Season 10 of Pump Rules, but it certainly wasn’t anticipated. The shock of Scandoval, which required extended filming, thrust the show into the spotlight to the point of Television Academy recognition. But according to Alex, VPR was on shaky ground before the big news broke. Deadline has the details.

Vanderpump Rules was dead in the water

Alex calls the progress of Season 11, a “worthy follow-up to last season”. Is it though? Rachel Leviss never came back to film, for one. Fans don’t appear to be thrilled at having to watch Tom Sandoval creep his way back into everyone’s good graces.

The EP added, “The timing of [Scandoval] happened to have been perfect. It was insane and proof that there can still be a monoculture. The story of Vanderpump is one of survival more than anything.”

Then Alex confirmed what everyone was thinking. The show was on its very last leg and thrown a Hail Mary. He said, “We were coming off a really tough ninth season and we had the cast firings before the season and there was a low-energy season during the pandemic. To the network’s credit, they gave us another run at it and we had a resurgence anyway.”

Will Season 11 carry the momentum?

A convenient resurgence that some speculated to be contrived in an effort to get exactly what they received – a second chance. To be fair, this is not a cast of accomplished thespians and I doubt Rachel would throw her life away and enter witness protection for a check.

Even this far into filming the 11th season, things are still up in the air with shooting around Ariana Madix and Sandoval. “There’s one that we’re still figuring out even this deep into production. Otherwise, we’ve been filming with the others and it was a situation that involved the entire group so the aftermath was felt by everyone.”

He didn’t have to tell us. It’s been quite evident most cast members glommed onto what happened to Ariana and made it about themselves. Which is probably why they’ve endured on reality television.

Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules remains in production.

TELL US – ARE YOU SHOCKED PUMP RULES WAS ALMOST AXED? DOES THIS MAKE YOU THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT SCANDOVAL?

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from Reality Tea https://www.realitytea.com/2023/08/03/vanderpump-rules-was-almost-canceled-before-scandoval/

Lenny Hochstein Settles Lawsuit Accusing Him of Causing ‘Severe Cosmetic Disfiguration’

Lenny Hochstein
Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images

Lenny Hochstein’s got problems, but we have yet to meet anyone who feels any sympathy for him. After his hot mic moment on Real Housewives of Miami saying he was going to leave Lisa Hochstein, few have found any reason to be sympathetic.

And his recent engagement to his girlfriend, Katharina Mazepa, didn’t do wonders for his public relations either. It was one thing to get engaged, but while still being married to Lisa? A real class act this guy.

But throughout it all, Lenny at least retained his status as the “boob god” for his work in the plastic surgery industry. Surely, he can still take solace in that, right? Well, his practice isn’t coming crashing down by any means. But this new settlement isn’t a good look.

Lenny’s practice accused of “negligence”

Court documents were exclusively obtained by Radar Online. Luz Del Alba Soto claimed Lenny was careless during her procedure. Calling Lenny careless is like calling a giraffe tall. The official charge was professional negligence against Hochstein and his entire medical practice.

In May 2020, Soto went to Lenny’s practice looking for a thigh lift and an arm lift requiring a liposuction procedure. Lenny performed the procedure, but Soto claimed to suffer from health complications after the fact.

The issues listed included “significant dehiscence of her surgical incisions, large open wounds on both axillas, large open wounds on both groins, gaping of the vaginal introitus with leg abduction, constant exquisite pain, infection, and decreasing upper extremity function and frequent re-opening of the wounds.” Sheesh.

Did Lenny ruin this woman’s life?

The suit went on to say that Soto suffered from and would “continue to suffer from, for the entirety of her life, severe cosmetic disfiguration, and functional impairment, which has already required further surgery to correct the mistakes made in Dr. Hochstein’s procedure.”

The damages to Soto were so extreme that she became unable to work, and the trajectory of her life has been changed forever. Her suit argued that her care was mismanaged. She was allegedly not adequately informed of the risks, and moreover, Lenny and company didn’t even seem aware of the risks themselves.

Lenny, of course, denied all allegations, saying Soto was informed of the risks beforehand. But on June 13, 2023, a settlement was reached and the parties told the court that all the claims were being dismissed. We don’t know the circumstances of the settlement, and as it stands, all of Soto’s allegations are technically unsubstantiated.

TELL US – ARE YOU SHOCKED BY THE CLAIMS?

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Erika Jayne Gives Update on Meeting Alleged Victims

Erika Jayne
(Photo Credit: Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic / Getty Images)

Earlier this year, Erika Jayne’s estranged husband, Tom Girardi, was indicted on fraud charges. The case has had several ups and downs, including competency tests for Tom which ultimately decided he was fit to stand trial. But for years, Tom was allegedly stealing from clients and making purchases with that stolen money.

Many claim Erika was complicit in Tom’s crimes, but no solid evidence has emerged on that front. Still, with Erika appearing on Watch What Happens Live, it was bound to come up. Especially after the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star reversed a court’s ruling about THOSE diamond earrings purchased with allegedly stolen money.

During Erika’s WWHL appearance, Andy Cohen asked her a question from a fan named Daniel B, though, the question was asked by many. “Why did you decide to meet with the victims? Last season, it didn’t seem like you had empathy for them.” Erika didn’t hesitate in her response.

Does Erika have empathy?

She immediately said, “I’ve always had empathy for them, it’s just that timing is very important when you’re in litigation. And we met discussing corruption, judicial, lending, and banking in the legal industry.” Andy asked how the victims received her.

She explained, “I felt very comfortable. I, like I said, went there with an open heart. They were very nice to me and they did not have to be. I’m sure that they were very hurt, you know … I didn’t feel like they were being unjustly harsh.” As to whether any of them saw her as the enemy, Erika said that was something only they could answer.

And to conclude the discussion, Andy asked how Tom was doing. Erika answered, “Tom? I — he calls me every now and then. I can’t — I don’t really know … Because I don’t see him, and he’s always cheerful on the phone.” She said sometimes he’s with it, sometimes without. “Depends on the day.” The only thing left to hear would be the victims’ side of the story.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is expected to return to Bravo in November 2023.

TELL US – DO YOU THINK ERIKA IS BEING ACCURATE IN HER DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENTS? OR IS SHE PERHAPS TRYING TO SAVE FACE?

The post Erika Jayne Gives Update on Meeting Alleged Victims appeared first on Reality Tea.



from Reality Tea https://www.realitytea.com/2023/08/03/erika-jayne-gives-update-on-meeting-alleged-victims/

Robyn Dixon Agrees With NeNe Leakes: ‘I’m Not a Star’

WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE WITH ANDY COHEN -- Pictured: Robyn Dixon -- (Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

They don’t agree on everything, but it looks like there’s one thing that Robyn Dixon and NeNe Leakes can agree on: Robyn isn’t a “star.”

The debate about who’s a star and who isn’t has been raging inside NeNe’s head and, thus, in the headlines for months. She previously commented about the Real Housewives franchise being “starless” during an interview on the Breakfast Club. She raised a few eyebrows by dissing The Real Housewives of Potomac’s Green-eyed Bandits. NeNe asserted, “They’re not famous.”

Then, in a recent interview with former Real Housewives of Atlanta producer Carlos King, they played a game where NeNe was challenged to rank Housewives as stars or starless. When Robyn’s name came up, NeNe quickly dismissed her as “starless.”

Robyn, who’s gearing up for Season 8 of RHOP, took a moment to respond to NeNe’s shade. You might not always be on Robyn’s side. But you have to admit, her response to NeNe was pretty perfect.

Robyn responds

Robyn Dixon Instagram
Image via @RobynDixon10 on Instagram

In a since-expired Instagram Story, a fan asked Robyn to respond to NeNe’s recent comments. She replied to the fan, saying, “Speaking for myself only … she’s right. I’m not a star.” Robyn continued, “I’m a very regular, normal ass person who just happens to be on a reality show. So no offense taken at all.”

There’s nothing wrong with being regular, Robyn! But let’s not forget; she is a Real Housewife. So, naturally, Robyn managed to drizzle in a little bit of shade into her response to NeNe.

She finished her post by saying, “I do find it strange that I’m even mentioned in that conversation, though,” which was the perfect way to close the door on that conversation for good.

Season 15 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta is airing on Bravo Sunday nights at 8/7c, and Season 8 of The Real Housewives of Potomac is currently in production.

TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ROBYN’S RESPONSE TO NENE? DO YOU THINK SHE SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED IT AT ALL?

The post Robyn Dixon Agrees With NeNe Leakes: ‘I’m Not a Star’ appeared first on Reality Tea.



from Reality Tea https://www.realitytea.com/2023/08/03/robyn-dixon-agrees-with-nene-leakes-im-not-a-star/

Bachelorette Alum Gabby Windey Introduces New Love

Gabby Windey

The secret’s out: Season 26 Bachelorette star Gabby Windey has a new love. For the first time ever, she’s dating a woman and she’s glowing with happiness.

Even though she loves to tease and fuel rumors, she held this story close until she was ready to share. At last she’s happy to share her news on social media.

Always wanting to live her truth, Gabby proudly announced her new relationship on Instagram. Finally revealing on August 2 that she’s been dating comedy writer Robby Hoffman, she was immediately flooded with Bachelor Nation love and support.

“Told you I’m a girl’s girl!”

Instagram.com/Gabby Windey

Gabby’s Bachelorette co-star Rachel Recchia was one of the first to post congratulations. “Love you with my entire heart and soul,” she wrote, accenting her message with five white hearts.

Season 20 Bachelor frontman Ben Higgins offered his well wishes. “Well, son of a biscuit. This is real. Beautiful. Congrats, Gabby!”

Gabby’s Season 31 Dancing with the Stars co-star Shangela also posted a happy message. “I love to see you happy and feeling free, my sister [red heart, rainbow, happy face emojis]. Congrats!”

A Bachelor Nation fan favorite

Instagram/Gabby Windey

After her appearance on Clayton Echard’s disastrous Bachelor season, Gabby and Rachel became the first ever Bachelorette co-leads. Gabby finished the season engaged to Erich Schwer, but they ended their relationship only a few months later.

Being such a fan favorite, Gabby was next chosen to compete on Dancing with the Stars. Paired with professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, the couple finished the competition in second place. Following her time on the show, Gabby co-hosted and performed in over 60 shows on the Dancing with the Stars LIVE tour.

Finally, Gabby has found her love. She deserves some happiness, and I hope she’ll have it with Robby.

TELL US – ARE YOU HAPPY FOR GABBY AND ROBBY? PLEASE SHARE YOUR WELL WISHES FOR THE COUPLE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

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from Reality Tea https://www.realitytea.com/2023/08/03/bachelorette-alum-gabby-windey-introduces-new-love/