Are Stephanie and Brandi Friends Again

A bad year brought out the best for Bravo's The Real Housewives of Dallas, a silver lining that does non go unnoticed by star Stephanie Hollman. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, divisive political atmosphere and more struggles of 2020, Stephanie and her co-stars are having their well-nigh fun yet in flavor five of the franchise.

"The fighting is there, but it's not horrible," Stephanie notes to ET over video chat. "Information technology's not, like, people trying to kill each other."

Longtime fans of RHOD might read into that "kill each other" line and flashback to season i, when then-friend-of the show Marie Reyes alleged that LeeAnne Locken threatened to "gut" her. LeeAnne memorably told the women, "When I say 'kill,' it means something unlike than what you're thinking." When LeeAnne exited the show later season 4, it fabricated way for "the lightest flavor we take always had," Stephanie says. It's a sentiment shared by co-star D'Andra Simmons.

"I think that we were all able to merely breathe a fiddling bit," Stephanie remarks. "Anybody kind of came out of their crush, and it was just refreshing. No one felt like they were belongings back. Especially for D'Andra, she ever felt kind of nervous, like she didn't want to offend LeeAnne. So, for D'Andra, I think it was a very unlike her, she was and then light and fun."

Flavor 4 ended on a very non low-cal and very not fun note, with the ladies confronting LeeAnne at their reunion over her use of castmate Kary Brittingham'south Mexican heritage in a derogatory manner. LeeAnne tearfully apologized on the reunion set, then ventured backstage and lamented, "I tin't change what happened, merely effort to do better in the future." LeeAnne didn't get a chance to show any growth on the testify, though, and she'due south taken to social media to telephone call foul, seeing equally Brandi Redmond's own racism scandal has been handled differently in front end of the cameras.

Heidi Gutman / Bravo

A years-old video of Brandi being racially insensitive toward Asians resurfaced online between seasons four and 5, and the cast rallied effectually the onetime Dallas Cowboys cheerleader in its backwash, offering support and compassion. Stephanie, Brandi's longtime best friend, admits seeing Brandi's scandal play out makes her reconsider how the cast handled the LeeAnne debacle.

"I look at LeeAnne with a very different -- and I think Brandi would really hold with me -- a very unlike lens," she shares. "My middle goes out to her mayhap more than it did when it was ambulation, because I realized what happens behind airtight doors and how that really hurts someone, so I don't want to sit here and throw table salt into a wound that I'm certain she still has, and I know that she did information technology and has to live with that, but I wish her the best I want to put that out offset."

"For Brandi, it was something that for some reason I guess she thought she was making a joke," she continues. "It was just a really stupid decision that she did and she has to alive with the consequences, and she has to apologize and make things right and larn from it and grow from information technology. But I recall intent matters in the world, I actually do, and information technology wasn't done with detest in her eye and it wasn't done to be mean to somebody."

On the season 5 premiere, Kary offered similar insight into the departure betwixt the two women'southward racist deportment: Brandi showed the women remorse, guilt and willingness to change, while LeeAnne'southward amends didn't come with any immediate action.

"Brandi went and sought assist, and she is trying to be a better person," Stephanie says. "She is really trying to acquire, and I recall people will encounter that throughout the season. It wasn't merely her throwing upwards a blanket apology. She is making choices in her life to really better herself and move forward in a better way."

Stephanie hopes more of Brandi's journey to brainwash herself is shown in the back half of season v. The soonhoped-for mom of four is staying off social media until after she gives birth, Stephanie says, for her own wellness. The vitriol online in the wake of the scandal made Brandi suicidal, and per Stephanie, she nearly didn't return to the show.

"I was surprised she came back this year at some points, because she struggled with it," Stephanie reveals. "Like, do I come dorsum? Do I walk away? It'due south a hard thing, I recall, for her to put out there, and she knew it would bring upwardly a lot of things and information technology was a tough decision for her to brand to come back. I don't know if she's always glad she did, but I recall she's glad she stared it in the face and was at least able to apologize to the audience and people she offended."

Role of that amends came in the class of a tearful conversation with season 5 newcomer Tiffany Moon, a Chinese-American doctor who was bandage before Brandi'southward video made the rounds online. Tiffany'southward heartfelt yet stern approach to Brandi'south situation was but one of many winning moments for the doc in her start few episodes. Merely while the audience took to Tiffany right abroad, her co-stars did not.

"She was very slow to come in, I think she was testing the waters, so it didn't feel like an organic fit until a bit into the flavour," Stephanie explains of the grouping's chilly reception to Tiffany, though some castmates nonetheless seem standoffish -- or peradventure even afraid -- of their outspoken new co-star. Kameron Westcott recently blocked Tiffany on social media, and Kary hasn't been shy to mean-tweet the newbie. Stephanie doesn't retrieve Tiffany's recent comments nearly being unsure if she wants to exercise another season have anything to do with her co-star conflicts, though.

"All of usa say that every year," she says. "In that location'due south always a moment, especially during the airing of it, where you are similar, I tin can't exercise this again. You know, information technology'due south hard to relive things, simply it'southward really hard with the audition, and cast members get their feelings hurt easily. It brings a level of discomfort and it always, always will."

For her role, Stephanie has totally warmed up to Tiffany… even though they've had their online misunderstandings, too. Afterwards Stephanie made digs about TIffany bragging well-nigh her designer goods on the show in a confessional interview, Tiffany tweeted out the closet bout Stephanie filmed for Bravo's website.

Bravo

"In my defense, I did call the solar day before and say, 'I don't want to do this, information technology's not my matter, information technology doesn't feel very organic to who I am,'" Stephanie says of her closet tour. "I don't similar to go around and exist showy on what I accept, or they have. It didn't feel right for me. Then, in the interview, I can't pretend like I wasn't proverb that. I was just honest. Now that I have gotten to know Tiffany, I don't think that fashion at all. I just felt like, I don't want to bond over materialistic things, because a lot of the time in Dallas that happens and then, it'south not a existent friendship. I love Dallas but it happens a lot in this metropolis."

"Information technology was merely me being honest and how I felt in that moment, which I have to do because it is my job," she adds.

On a similar annotation, Stephanie'south annotate that she would rather eat her husband Travis' "a**hole" than try a chicken pes, a effeminateness in Chinese culture, likewise rubbed Tiffany the wrong way. It's a lesson in respecting other culture'due south customs for the Lone Star ladies.

"I did try the chicken foot, and it was non my thing," Stephanie notes, seeing as she made the cleft before the bandage ventured out for dim sum. "I tried it, but I have never tried Travis' butt, but if he wants me to, I tin give it a whirl I guess? But it was a joke. I similar to brand really stupid jokes in my confessionals. It's how I take fun with them, but no, I exercise not plan on doing anything with my husband's butt anytime soon -- non even for Valentine's Day."

Stephanie and Travis' relationship has been at the eye of her story in season 5 -- on and off-screen. Rumors circulated at the first of the season that Stephanie and her husband are office owners of the product company behind RHOD. Online commentators cited this erroneous report as the reason why Stephanie gets a "skilful edit" -- and why Brandi got a shot at redemption. Stephanie calls the whole thing "ridiculous."

"I'yard not going to prevarication, it really hurt my feelings and I had a twenty-four hour period of crying, considering it made me feel like people were saying I'm non a expert person and the simply manner I can be likable is if my husband owned information technology," she shares. "It's personal, just no, I exercise not own a production company. I don't own any of Bravo, or any of Cheerio Pictures, we have nothing to practise with information technology. That rumor actually came upwardly at our reunion final yr and I wish they aired it considering everyone was laughing, but I know who started the rumor -- and I'thou certain people can guess."

"And as well if I endemic it, I would do a unlike cast many times," she adds. "If I didn't like someone, I'd exist similar, 'Go rid of her!' It didn't make a lot of sense … [and] people always want to think the worst."

And so at that place'southward what viewers are seeing on the bear witness, equally Stephanie and Travis butt heads (no pun intended) over Stephanie'due south determination to launch a charitable foundation tied to Travis' company, Hollman Lockers, which provides makeovers and updates for schools in need. Travis belittled Stephanie'due south dream for the organization over and once more, something he didn't totally realize until he watched the show dorsum on TV.

"He felt I was going to start something and then he was going to have to choice it up and do it for me, which happens in our wedlock sometimes," the one-time social worker says. "He was scared I would option upwards something, and his company is attached to it, and then information technology would become his matter to do, which it hasn't. I am getting fix to do our second school this Monday, but he didn't take a lot of religion that I wouldn't throw it in his lap and make it, and put more work on him."

"It was a learning experience for both of us," she continues. "I like watching the testify with him because I recall he did realize he was hard on me, and one thing I can say about the show is personally, and with friendships and marriage, is that you tin can acquire a lot most yourself and your relationships and y'all can really grow from information technology."

Stephanie thinks Kary is having a similar experience with season 5, watching dorsum some cringe-worthy moments of her own and changing her behavior. The jewelry designer seems to want to kickoff fights whenever she can, and with whomever she can this yr.

Charles Sykes / Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

"I remember during the flavour being like, 'Girl…'" Stephanie confesses. "She was going through a lot of it at the fourth dimension, [but] it but comes across as she's angry to me, over piffling things."

Kary was dealing with her teenage daughter's battle with low, as well as unpacking her complicated feelings almost her own mother and attempting to repair that broken human relationship.

"She took that and did not manage it well, and it but came out as assailment towards some of the girls," Stephanie says. "I know what she is like, she sees it and regrets the fashion she handles things, just I do remember in life, you can say how you experience without it being hurtful or mean-spirited."

Stephanie says she'southward talked to Kary nearly her beliefs and hopes viewers get to experience the "super fun and quirky" woman she knows her to be as flavour five continues. There is still a lot of flavor 5 to see.

"At that place is going to be a lot of fun," Stephanie promises. "A lot of the girls had actually great personal things going on, and I love personal stories. I dear seeing what'southward going on behind the closed doors of the ladies … considering a lot of the fourth dimension you realize why they are the way they are, and and then I am really excited for people to see a lot more of Brandi and some of the stuff that hasn't really been shown. I walked a lot of it with her and watched her struggle, and so I am excited for them to see that."

The Real Housewives of Dallas airs Tuesdays at 9 p.k. ET/PT on Bravo, and follow Stephanie on social media to larn about volunteer opportunities with the Hollman Foundation.

RELATED CONTENT:

'RHOD's Dr. Tiffany Moon on Season 5 Drama: Feuding With Kary and More! (Exclusive)

'RHOD'southward D'Andra Simmons Dishes on Flavour v: Kary, Tiffany & the Shaman

'RHOD': Kary Brittingham's 50th B-Day Looks More Like a 21st -- Lookout!

'RHOD' Star Brandi Redmond's Female parent-In-Police force Dies in Tragic Car Accident

johnsonwasisange.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.etonline.com/stephanie-hollman-on-rhod-rumors-being-surprised-brandi-redmond-returned-and-more-from-season-5

Share this post