Jill Zarin, an original cast member of 'The Real Housewives of New York City', has been fired from the upcoming E! reunion series 'The Golden Life' before production even began. The decision was announced by producers Blink49 Studios on Tuesday, citing Zarin's recent public comments as the reason for her dismissal.
The controversy began on Super Bowl Sunday when Zarin posted a rant on Instagram criticising Bad Bunny's halftime show performance. She described it as 'the worst halftime show ever' and questioned the appropriateness of performing in Spanish during the US's 250th anniversary celebrations. Zarin also made remarks about the lack of white performers, stating it 'looked like a political statement' and referenced ICE.
Zarin's comments sparked widespread backlash from the 'Real Housewives' community, with cast members including Tamra Judge, Chanel Ayan and Margaret Josephs publicly condemning her remarks. The video of her rant was captured and shared by content creator Gibson Johns after Zarin deleted the original post.
This firing marks another setback for the planned reunion of original 'RHONY' cast members. The series, which premiered in 2008, was put on hold after a controversial 13th season in 2021. A reboot was announced in March 2022, with veteran cast members initially promised their own show, though contract negotiations led to a poorly received 'Ultimate Girls Trip' instead.
Several original cast members have since moved to Florida, including Zarin, Ramona Singer and Sonja Morgan, which influenced the setting of 'The Golden Life'. Singer herself was disinvited from BravoCon 2023 after using a racial slur in a text exchange. Andy Cohen addressed the situation on his radio show, though details of Bravo's involvement remain unclear.
